Sapphire Seafront. Gesso and acrylics on paper. 2016 Sheila Delgado
I am working through the lessons in Pauline Agnew’s Artbytes One. I skipped Project Two as it calls for creating a triptych, and I need to pick up canvas for that. Project three calls for creating a textured landscape. I scored high, I think, on creating texture. But low on creating a pleasing and painterly piece. Still, I am happy with it. It’s growing on me.
I practiced each technique. Started with gesso again and layers of warm color, that should still be slightly visible, but are not. They would have added depth and character. Is there a sense of weather? Storm on the way, or just retreating?
The assignment was not to create a fabulous piece. But I would like to make this better, just for the experience. If I can. Any suggestions are welcome.
L.Y.A. SIDE SWAPS
L.Y.A. Side swaps 6, 7, 8. Sea Dean, Cheryl Goyer, and Jacques Williamos.
Cheryl Goyer is a fiber artist, just look at the fabulous fiber becoming yarn. Hand dyed silk. Gorgeous colors, I just want to reach out and feel that bundle. Cheryl teaches spinning at the Antique Gas & steam Engine Museum in Vista CA., and Rigid Heddle Weaving at Common Threads in Encinitas. I confess, I had to look that up. Visit her site to see her gorgeous work! You can also find her on Instagram – clgoyer, and Tumbler – cgoyer. Cosmic connection… I have a good friend who lives across the street from the museum.
The gorgeous cat is from Jacques Williamos and came to me from Radstock in the UK. She is on Facebook , visit her page to see more of her art. Some done with her nondominate hand, amazing! Jacques included this wonderful quote on her card:
“Slow down and enjoy life.
It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast –
you also miss the sense of where you are going and why”
Eddie Cantor
Best wishes to you as well Jacques, and be sure to sign up for Kat’s newsletter to be in the loop for next years swap. I hope you are feeling better and healing swiftly!
Sea Dean is an artist who can paint just about everything. Her card is a collection of pet portraits. Most for commissions. I love them all, especially the blue cat at the bottom. (I think prints are an awesome idea Sea!) Sea lives in Kelowna, BC, Canada. 1410 miles directly north of Wildomar. Big Hug to you Sea.
OOPS! Swap #3
Remember this gorgeous tree postcard from a few days ago? Michele accidentally sent me a second one. And it makes me laugh, because that is something I would do. How ’bout you? Brain fart or senior moment, we all can relate. I received a second one as part of the regular swap! MY third to arrive. And I was so busy reading the quote and personal message, that I flat out did not see that it had one of my printed address labels on it. Glasses on and I still was completely blind! LOL. When I read Michele’s comment, I cracked up! SEE! I told you I would do something like that and I WAS DOING IT! Ha ha ha ha
I will be using these cards for the front and back covers of my album. Thanks for that Michele! (Your card was the first one I received). The back of this card is different though, with this quote:
One of the greatest necessities in America, is to discover creative solitude.
Carl Sandburg
L.Y.A. 2016 Side swaps #1 and #2. Sarah Calhoun, “Mermaid”. Michele Matucheski, “Hope in Winter.
Cosmic connection here:
Carl Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, writer, and editor who won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln.
My favorite President as a child was Lincoln. I read book after book on him. My birthday is January 5th, and I was born the year Carl died. Silly I know… but there are connections everywhere.
Thank you Cheryl, Sea, Jacques and Michele! Such a lovely surprise to receive four beautiful postcards on the same day!
.
.
.
Sheila, this is very cool. I can’t see what I would change because I just love it. To me, it looks like batik, and my eye travels around all that beautiful texture (and seeing images in it).
Ahh.. the fish. Funny how you can not see things, until after it is finished. Thanks so much Laurie, I am so glad you like it 🙂
Rich blues and so many textures! Wish I could see it up close!
Glad you are sharing the postcards you’re receiving. What a variety and from all over the place. Look forward to reading more…
I made it larger in the post. I tried to link it to an attachment page, but that is not working for some reason. I am really enjoying the swap, but it will soon be over, ;-/ LOL
Thanks for the glowing mention Sheila
My instant thought about your landscape was that I love it.
After reading your blog, yes I can see the underpainting peeking through would help a lot. You can go back in and gesso or titanium white in certain spots and then recreate the underpainting in places. Not too much, just enough to add depth. Also many artists add lines which always impresses me. Thirdly going back in and adding some dark warmer tones in the shadows adds a pop of artistic license.
Well that is good enough for me Sea. LOL. Lines? Do you mean outlines? Hmmm Yes, I like paintings that have the under painting showing as an outline. Thanks Sea… I will tackle it later today. You are most welcome, by the way 🙂
What are the chances? Out of how many hundreds of cards in the official swap–You actually got one that Kat and her crew swapped, too. I only sent 1 tree card for the side swaps before all the fun began Congratulations!
OH I AM A DOPE! hahahaha I didn’t even notice it had a label on it! HAHAHA, I will edit the post Michele. I love it that I have the same gorgeous card to use for my book covers! I was wondering whey I hadn’t received another regular swap card. DUH!! And I even had my glasses on! HAHAHA
Sheila, such fun to open your blog today and see Sapphire Seafront. Love the blues, love the texture, love that we are compatriots in trying out new stuff right now. When you wrote “any suggestions are welcome” I smiled and thought, “Well, you could always try covering 75% of the canvas as I was guided to do in my Practicing Nonattachment exercises!” In fact, I may do just that today with my own current WIP! It’ll be fun to see where we each go.
Yes Dotty, I am so enjoying your creative explorations! Yes, I could do that. And You have made me think of tackling old pieces in that manner. In fact I found a colorful “failed” piece yesterday, and thought of you and starting over with it. Looking forward to your next post, as always!
wonderful cards! Your landscape is very interesting – too bad the texture doesn’t really show in a photo. I am puzzled by the white band across the middle – snow? ice? However, I think the ‘fish’ in the front is a hoot. – always learning and trying new things – good for you Sheila
Supposed to be sand Val, LOL. I was wondering if anyone would see the fish. That was a fluke. Ha ha
I think the white strip will be viewed as sand if you were to make the white strip a very narrow one. It would give the viewer the sense that you are way out on the water and much further away from the beach. But that may not be what you have in mind. Try doing a value sketch or a quick painting sketch on paper just to see how the landscape changes by making this adjustment to the composition and see if you like the result before you make any changes to this painting.
I think the texture is very clear.
Thank you Jim! So nice to hear from you 🙂 I thought that might help as well, and adding a bit more color texture to. That was the only area where I did not add texture with the gesso, following along with the lesson. Value sketch… suggestion noted!
Love your textured sea… seems she’s pushing you out of your box!!!
Gorgeous cards!!! I’ve just received one and haven’t seen where any of my landed… Love seeing all the cards… Sent you a PM on FB if you want to swap…. Thanks for introducing me to the swap!!!
So glad you like it, not too bad I guess. ha ha Just now? I will check. YES! I would love to swap. You are welcome, and I am so glad you are taking part Carol. It is so much fun! Chat with you soon 🙂