soon to be delivered.

8 x 8 acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. 2015 Sheila Delgado

This is the after.

And here is the before.

Yucko!

I showed this to my friend who had requested it, and she was very polite.
“I’m not so sure about that one.”

I was sure. Sure it was a disaster. There are a couple of reasons for that. First, I had used too many colors. OVERLOAD. 2nd, I had let the colors dry in between some of the layers, and there was not enough “mixing” happening. I painted with my fingers. Inspired in part by the style of Flora Bowley. Mostly, I just let loose, and did not plan anything in particular.

I started with the colors I wanted to see the least of in the finished painting. Dipping my fingertips in paint, I used long strokes. I also dabbed and dotted on color for variation. With the final layers, I tried to work fast, so the colors could mix a bit on the canvas. This way there are hard and soft edges.

I let those layers dry and then added more texture. A small rubber comb dipped in paint created a row of squares, or small circles if I had too much paint on it. Using another side of the same comb gave me a row of short lines. You can see both in the top photo.

Next I splattered Indigo, yellow, and white paint. Those colors were used throughout the pieces. That gives you dark splatters on light areas, and light splatters on dark areas. I also dripped watery white paint down the front. I loaded my brush with paint, and pressed it along the top edge to get the drip started. Then I loaded the drip three or four times, to be sure it ran the length of the canvas.

I made sure everything was dry, then transferred the words to the canvas. I used two small brushes, and three layers of paint. The pieces from yesterdays post, were also outlined with black waterproof pen (Pitt). I did have to touch up a few pen goofs by adding more paint, but thankfully not many.

“For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Thanksgiving!

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