Stone

Posted on by

musselonstone

Stone is the substrate winner for encaustic! It really loves the wax. I think that the over the winter drawing has really helped me loosen up. I feel so much more at ease laying in work with paint. I am going to try and stick with the shell idea for as long as I can. Now that the shed is up and running I can pick and choose what subject matter is good for encaustic when the inspiration hits me. This shell just fit right onto this stone. I would like to do some with several shells, deeper shadows and really vibrant colors. The encaustic on stone really enhances the colored pencil against the casein–I need to learn to plan for this and take advantage of it.

This is approximately 3″ x 5″, casein underpainting with colored pencil, graphite and encaustic.

Summer Encaustic

Posted on by
Dandelion in the mist

Dandelion in the mist

 

Sigh. It feels so good to get back to the wax again! I took this photo last week and knew right away it was destined for encaustic. And, then I found the perfect substrate on the beach–a nice wood block. So, I let that dry out, and gave it a casein white ground, painted some white encaustic in the center before doing a nice encaustic medium ground. The photo was printed on tissue paper and cut carefully with an x-acto knife. I burnished that down onto the warm ground and added a couple of coats of encaustic medium. Final touch was just a little white encaustic around the dandelion and then fused with some extra attention in the center. I was really pleased with the substrate and the tissue paper.

On to try some stone. Doing a casein underpainting and then I will add the details with colored pencil—the plan is to do encaustic medium over the finished work to seal it up. Today is our hottest day so far, and we are all really enjoying the warmth and sunshine!

in progress

in progress

Shells

Posted on by

roundshell1final

I am stuck on shells. I love the shapes and I have collected so many that I have immediate resources for life drawing. I have discovered that I really like the water soluble crayons and colored pencils together. I am going to try, try, try to stick with just these two mediums for a little while…I will still do some graphite sketches every day.

I ran out of time today and couldn’t finish the one below, but I am having fun with it!

mussles

 

Studies

Posted on by

magnoliasketch

Trying to maintain a loose style. It is so easy to get all worked up and tied tight while drawing and painting. I have done some pages in my sketchbook with just random color…they have been sitting in my book for awhile now. I have decided to try some drawing over top the color, it’s oddly liberating. I will keep trying this for awhile. In some ways the color suggests the drawing and in some ways the drawing leans towards one of the previous done grounds. I like the way that works!

broken shell

broken shell

Happy Daffodil

Posted on by

Happy Daffodil

Spring brings these beautiful daffodils! I love them. They are incredibly cheery! It’s still on the chilly side here in Maine, so it’s great to have a little color to cheer one up. I think that I will do a series of these. This one I have decided to give to a friend, but I will miss it, so on to the next one.

I thought I would be able to open my Art Shed last weekend, but it was still too cold and other chores caught up to me. I am hoping that this weekend will be full of good weather and some extra time. I need to open the shed and make a plan for the summer projects.

Spring Time

Posted on by
sketch for painting

sketch for painting

It’s funny, I keep thinking that I will get back to my snow shadows (I have several that need to be completed!), but the spring weather is pushing me to the flowers. Especially when they are growing in my own back yard. Inspiration everywhere. I really like the sketch above, I am going to work on a water color and a casein painting for this composition. I am still finishing up the Iris painting, but almost done.

I found a little stretched canvas at the Goodwill for 99 cents, so I am experimenting with that. I am trying a casein painting of a seagull sitting on a granite wall. The layers will be really thin in order to make it work on this substrate. So far, the ground is really fun, we will see where it all ends up. So different to work on from paper.

light layers of casein on canvas

light layers of casein on canvas

Wanderings

Posted on by
Study for next casein painting

Study for next casein painting

I need to get organized! I have at least 5 paintings started and not finished. I think that some are destined to always be partially done, but others deserve my attention. It is so difficult for me not to start a new piece once the vision hits. Sketching is so much fun, I love the graphite, the spontaneity and immediate gratification. Casein is a difficult medium and one that forces you to work in stages. However, I like the challenge of tackling something new and different. The color of the casein is rich, the layers offer a lot of possibility.

Below is a piece I did while traveling of an evening primrose. These were all over Frisco and Avon (outer banks of North Carolina). They indeed only bloom at early evening and through the night! If you get up really early, some are still open. They are charming.

Water soluble colored crayons and colored pencil: 4″ x 6″

eveningprimroseobx

Graphite

Posted on by
single spring crocus

single spring crocus

Less time for finished work lately. Sketching is quick and loose. Gives way to ideas for new finished work. My goal is to do at least one sketch a day, and then choose one to pursue finished work from. The graphite initially seemed limiting, but I think in fact it forces me to see more detail. Moving quickly allows me to have a fresh approach and make marks that are more intuitive.

crocus from above

crocus from above

This will be my next finished piece.

The bunny was just for a lark..but I might consider pursuing a more finished work with a bunny as the primary subject.

bunnysketch

Sketching

Posted on by

sunflowersketch

Sunflower: 5″ x 5 1/2″ watercolor and colored pencil

Sometimes I don’t have enough time to do finished work. So, at times a sketch will have to do. I think that sketching might help me loosen up anyway. I am going to isolate some resource images to do sketches from. For this, I put down a base layer of watercolor and then added the pencil. I like the looseness of the watercolor underneath, and it acts as a really minimal guide for the drawing. The great thing is I can put the watercolor down and then come back and add the drawing without a lot of time commitment.

Practice Day

Posted on by
Clematis in progress

Clematis in progress

Today was truly frustrating. I felt really good about the work that I had started, but nothing is working out the way that I planned. I have decided to sketch prior to painting in order to “warm up” and make good decisions in the final piece. Today I worked on three small pieces, one of which I just threw away and the other that I will keep to learn from. The last one is in progress and I think will work out okay. Even if this last one doesn’t work out, I really like the composition and the color, so I will try it again.

sketch

sketch

I am trying to not to get too tightened up about things and that usually works, but today it has all been a struggle. What I hate about that is the time devoted! I know it has to be done, and some days will just not result in work that is successful on any level. There is always tomorrow!

Flower from Kauai

Flower from Kauai

My plan for tomorrow is to return to graphite only. I will do some sketches and then a finished piece or two…but restrict myself to just the graphite.

flower sketch

flower sketch