Category Archives: Acrylic

February 2022 30-Day Creative Gathering Collage

FEB 22 30-Day Collage. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.

No surprises here. Flowers and Cacti. Cacti and flowers. I have a tiny sliver of Sap green left in my palette. Made it to the end, by the hair on my chinny, chin chin. 🙂 I am very happy with the work I produced. Hallelujah!

I’ve been hoping and praying for precipitation all month. You would never know it by looking at these sunny settings. The influence of the warm desert air no doubt.

Challenges make you discover things about yourself
that you never really knew.
Cicely Tyson

This event kicked off our fourth year of the gathering. We welcomed many new members, a great way to begin! There were over 665 works of art created in our international group this month. An abundance of light being sent out into the world! We have members in England, Canada, Spain, Hungary, Australia, France, and Scotland. And of course from all over the US.

Do not let what you cannot do
interfere with what you can do.
John Wooden

I worked in several small series this month. Cacti, wildflowers, abstracted flowers, potted plants, and my simplified floral still life. Each day what I sat down to paint was posted for viewing. Only one early painting failed so badly that I had to start over. There are two that made me cringe when I posted them. A few others I thought were mistakes, but they received the most comments. Proving again, I am not always a reliable judge of my work. 🙂

Below are my favorites. You can clearly see why my sap green is depleted. Haha. I always love hearing what your favorites are. One reason I number my collage.
Which did you like best, and why?

FEB 22 30-Day Favorites Collage. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.

I am so grateful to have you follow along this month. Your encouragement and considerate critiquing will stay with me long after the challenge has ended. I pushed myself, because I did not want to let myself down. I did not want to miss participating. But I confess, I was reminded each day how many of you prayed for me (are praying). I did not want to let you down either.


You are the wind beneath my wings! Thank you, my friends!

In a few days, I will share art and collages from the many who took part in this round of the Creative Gathering. We are fortunate to have so many gifted artists, who work in a variety of mediums and styles. I am so honored to have the opportunity to see their work each day. And learn from their strengths.

You will love a virtual stroll through the Gathering’s Gallery!

Day 24 Of The February 30-Day Creative Gathering

Day 24, 8 x 8 watercolor on Arches cold pressed paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.
Day 24, 8 x 8 watercolor on Arches cold pressed paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.

This one was a lot of fun. The background and table are acrylic, the bloom and vase are watercolor. There is a lot of grainy texture in the vase a benefit of the Arches. Very nice.

I used strips of paper to mask off the petals while I splattered the center. As you can plainly see, it didn’t work as well as I hoped. But it’s a happy accident. I had fist applied dots to the center using a metal embossing tool in different sizes. I felt it still needed more, and splattering would make them uneven and more organic.

Day 24 Close Up. watercolor on Arches cold pressed paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.
Day 24 Close Up.

We had a blissful day of snow! It snowed most of the day Wednesday, and was even a bit blustery for a while. YAY! One report said we had 2.5 inches. Could be. Mingus had more. It was covered in a white wall of clouds much of the day. The roads stayed clear. Forecast says the next five days will be sunny and warmer. Sigh.

Sun Setting 2-23-22. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.
Sun Setting 2-23-22. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.

Kindness is like snow- It beautifies everything it covers.
Kahlil Gibran

Silently, like thoughts that come and go,
the snowflakes fall, each one a gem.
William Hamilton Gibson

I know now, I know a little more
how much a simple thing like a snowfall
can mean to a person.
Silvia Plath

February 2022 30-Day Creative Gathering

Day 11, Poppy, 8 x 8 watercolor on Fabriano paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.
Day 11, Poppy, 8 x 8 watercolor on Fabriano paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.

Layers and layers and layers. Fabriano hot pressed paper. Collage, paper bag, sewing pattern paper, patterned paper. You almost don’t see any of that. But you do see the resulting texture.

Texture also comes from the layers of gel medium. After the collage, I painted a layer of parchment white acrylic. As you know, acrylic and watercolor don’t usually mix well. So as I added a layer of watercolor, after it dried I also added a layer of medium. I am guessing close to 20 layers here. Too much? Haha.

OH! OOPS!

I forgot to add the light. I was wondering why it felt so dark. DUH. I didn’t splatter! HA! I added digital splatter. Then I played with the color. Yellow sunlight? Turquoise sky? Light neon green? Ahh, pink it is. Why does that just feel right? I pushed myself to go sparingly with the splatter. I have to admit, I see a few “black holes”. Empty areas.

STEP AWAY FROM THE PAINTING! Haha!

Delicate flower is truth,
but also the most precious treasure in life –
because liberation it brings, freedom it brings.
Yoda