My head isn’t in the game coach. Yesterday was two months. That could be why. Right? But really I think I have just not recovered from my weekend away. My energy level is about 3.5.
I have been busily painting. Proof below. Sunday, nine pieces. Nine horrible, awful, not even good for a start pieces. Paint overs, all. Gotta be worth a few points. That I kept on trying. Haha. Canvas, Yupo, Paper. N-A-D-A.
Tried a couple of sketches today. Mas Feas. Found more videos by Jean Lurssen, in the vein of Jean Haines. Inspiration. Played with a credit card and watercolor on Yupo. Managed to stay loose. Had fun. I’ve had fun with all the uglies. Even if they turned out yucko.
Personal Foul.
True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. William Penn
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. Confucius
I am cringing while I post this. I have painted three horrible ATC’s. and one awful 8 x 10. And this yucky 5 x 7. Hahaha. I have two fairly cool 4 x 4 continuations. But I thought I posted enough of those. Might be putting you all to sleep. Hahaha. So I am saving those as back up. For days when All else fails.
I hated this last night when I was editing it for posting. I made some changes in Photoshop, using the smudge tool to soften some of the “messiness” in the field. I didn’t like that either, so I decided to post it as is.
It’s been a long time since I have worked on Yupo. This is on Legion Yupo Medium. First time I have tried it and I really like working with it. It is a good weight, and the great thing about Yupo is that it can handle a lot of water, and does not curl up. I did’t tape this down, and it remained flat.
For those of you new to my blog, Yupo is a recyclable, waterproof, tree-free Synthetic Paper. It feels like plastic. It allows for really wonderful effects with watercolors. Welcome, btw. So glad to have you following my artistic journey. 🙂
The tree on the left was a mistake. But I liked how it formed, and went with it, adding more on the right. I am not sure the distance is convincing. I think the field is much to busy and should be simplified towards the top of the hill. But I have to say. I like it a whole lot better this morning. Hahaha. And the great thing is, I can go back in and make changes. Erase the mistakes so to speak. Any suggestions? Haha 🙂
If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive. Eleonora Duse
I’m not sure that I want to be without some lack of confidence. If you are too sure of yourself, you don’t grow. You may feel confident in some things, but other fields come up as a challenge. And if you don’t anticipate trouble, you will be in trouble. Lucille Ball
Today I am adding layers to the postcards. Pencil marks and scratches. I had a burst of energy at about 9:30 last night. It didn’t last long, but I did get quite a bit done. Some cleaning and what you see here.
Layer of Light
I found a great discounted frame at Hobby Lobby. Solid wood. Just over six bucks! A steal. I think it may have been rejected because a couple of the corners don’t match up well. I used a black nail file and fixed that right quick. Haha.
I had no idea if it was a standard size. I knew I could find something to fit. I worked in framing years ago, and I can’t resist a great deal on a frame. Luck was on my side! It is standard, 8 x 10. Woo Whoo!
I knew I would paint it. Of course. You know me. It had a red undertone, and I wasn’t keen on it. I will add several layers. It will be darker and look slightly aged. I’m hopin’. Stay tuned.
Frame Update
I finally made a start on the Sandy Sandy class I won on Instagram. She will be doing more giveaways, follow her if you are interested. Her work is stunning and she is a wonderful teacher. (Thank you Sandy! And thanks to Christine B. or Kat V.R.! One of you tagged me for this.)
I have started on the videos that are included. And I have some sketches ready for painting. I don’t have a lightbox, so I use my computer screen to transfer the reference images.
Sketching Sunflowers on Yupo and Paper with Sandy Sandy
“I am working with the enthusiasm of a man from Marseilles eating bouillabaisse, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to you because I am busy painting huge sunflowers.” Vincent Van Gogh
