Category Archives: Abstract

February 2020 Day 5

Day 5 Original, FEB C.G., 7 x 5, Acrylic on Yupo. © 2020 Sheila Delgado.

Today was an abstract day. Abstracts with a palette knife. I worked on four small pieces, 5 x 7 Heavy Yupo, 144lb. I really like the heavy Yupo. It does not buckle, even under thick layers of acrylic. I did not tape the sheet down, but it did not warp. Very nice!

I’m still undecided about this one. So much so, that I took to cropping it in Photoshop. The colors are muted, maybe that is what bothers me. Not sure. I do really like the colors. Happy for the practice,

think it would help to use a thick medium with the color. These are craft paints, and some a thicker than others. I need MORE palette knife practice. I like the 2nd and 4th images best. What do you think?

Day 5 crop, FEB C.G., 7 x 5, Acrylic on Yupo. © 2020 Sheila Delgado.

Day 5 crop 2, FEB C.G., 7 x 5, Acrylic on Yupo. © 2020 Sheila Delgado.

Day 5 crop 3, FEB C.G., 7 x 5, Acrylic on Yupo. © 2020 Sheila Delgado.

Sometimes you win.
Sometimes you lose learn.

Christina Pagnoncelli

30-Day Creative Gathering Collage

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I’m so glad we had a 30-day challenge! Whew! And I am so thankful I was able to participate and complete 30 daily paintings! I had serious doubts I would last the whole month. And with the extra work of organizing the Facebook group, I am definitely ready for a break. Haha.

I think it has been a great month! A quick one for sure. I plan to keep up the daily painting, after our out of town company has left. I have ideas I want to try. And I have 30 4 x 6’s ready to go. Haha. Also several paintings on canvas I need to finish. I do like the 8 x 8 size I worked with this month. Not too big, and not too small.

I’m pleased with all the paintings I completed this month. There were a few I tweaked. And a few more I need to make small changes to. There are only two that I think are duds. Days 25 and 29. But I do plan to practice those techniques more.

Below is a collage of viewer favorites, according to blog visits. I am not sure how accurate that is, as I had fewer visits to the blog than I usually had during one of Leslie’s challenges.

This collage shows my favorites. I worked with collage, and stencils. Acrylic, pencil and pen. Layering elements. Worked with watercolor, and favorite familiar themes. I’d love to know which ones you like best. And why.

So grateful to all of those that followed along, and shared encouraging words. Thank you for sharing your ideas on how to improve, or suggesting new tools and techniques. The challenge would be meaningless without our conversations.

Big high five to all the participating members. You created amazing work this month! For some of you, just starting again after a long hiatus was a major accomplishment. You each have your own success story. Own it! And share it in the group!

Congratulations everyone!

Day 28 Of The 30-Day Creative Gathering

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Day 28. 2019 C.G., 8 x 8, mixed media on Arches 140 lb. cold-pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

This was a fun practice. I was intrigued by Carla Sonheim’s free tutorial. Looks like a fun way to make flowers. She uses watercolors with gesso and pencil. First, you lay down patches of color. After that layer has dried, you cover each circle with gesso, “drawing” designs in the wet gesso. She suggests using the end of a brush. I used a small embossing stylus.

I knew I was going to count this as one of my daily pieces. But really it was more for fun, and to play. I made a few mistakes. I should have used darker colors for the blooms. I chose two shades of blue, shiraz, yellow, a flesh tone and green gold. There isn’t enough contrast with some of the colors and the gesso. I also need to expand my floral marking alphabet. Maybe I should have looked at zentangles for ideas.

I used a pencil to make marks, as she does in the instructions. But it was too light. You can see below, some of the marks just disappear. So I used the same Inktense watercolor pencil I had used to draw the hexagons. I wet some random areas of the lines. The marks in the final piece are more noticeable. But they look more messy to me than artistic.

I had fun, and it was meditative. I didn’t make a plan or think about composition. Next time I can use what I have learned and build a better bouquet. 🙂