W.I.P. Copper, Grapes and a Pear Watercolor

 

I wanted to share this little Work In Progress video. 

I absolutely love painting metal! And grapes! And pears! 

Well, you get the idea. I love to paint. 

I haven't painted much in the last week or two. 

There has been a lot of road time; shows, workshops,

conferences, doctors' appointments, etc.

And I have been "fall" cleaning. The cooler weather has

been a welcomed change to the hot and dry summer.

Change is in the air. I have a feeling that our

winter will be as extreme as our summer,except

where the summer was hot and dry this winter

will be cold and wet. We could use the "wet".

Here is the finished work.

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God!!!

How To Create a Faux Stone Look Trompe L'Oeil Part 2

Well, it has definitely been more than a few days. Time sure

goes by faster these days. You know, life is like a roll of

toilet paper! The closer it gets to the end the faster it goes.

Anyway, let's finish this canvas. Let me share with you

this trompe l'oeil (to fool the eye) technique.

Measure in about 2" and applied painters tape. Leave 

1/2" and apply another row of tape. In the upper right

corner you will see a little piece of tape at a 45% angle.

Top and left side is deep gray. Note the miter corner.

Right side and part of the bottom is white or pale

gray. This would indicate the the light source is

on the left.

The white or light gray will touch the edge of the scroll

design. I transferred the design onto the canvas using

graphite paper (not shown).

 I photographed this great piece of scroll work on

an old building in Mineral Wells. You can see the 

light is on the left side of the raised areas.

Side load your brush with light gray. Apply to light areas.

Again using a side loaded brush, use dark gray to add

shadows. Go easy!!! You can always add more but

it can be frustrating to try to lift color that is too dark.

Also, This is IMPORTANT. The paint needs to be thin

and a bit transparent so the texture of the base will show

through. Now you can add text or just about

anything you want to.

Hope you enjoy this project!

How To Create a Faux Stone Look

 It has been a while since I have posted a decorative how-to

project for you. I recently painted the above faux stone effect on canvas.

Then I added a quote in a fancy lettering style. Anyway, I thought you

might enjoy this step by step instruction.

 Start with 3 similar paints. These are latex wall paint but you could use

acrylic craft paint. You will need a small liner brush or 

a feather (goose or chicken), a spray bottle with water, and
you will need a sponge. A sea sponge is good.

The one I used was an inexpensive wanna-be from WalMart.

 Puddle/swirl the 3 different colors of paint. I like them 

mingled on the plate and then mingled on the canvas.

This technique can be used on the wall, a board, a countertop,

a  floor, just about anywhere.

 Spray the surface with water. This will help mingle the paint

and slow the drying time so you don't feel pressured.

 Dip the sponge in the paint catching some of all the colors.

 Dab, dab, dab onto the surface. Be sure to change directions 

with your sponge so you get a random pattern not a repeated pattern.

 To get a good stone effect don't just dab, occasionally press 

the sponge into the surface so that

more paint is released and the edges are softened.

Before the paint starts to dry, spritz a little water here and there.

This will cause the paint colors to flow together. Don't over spray!

And this part only works if your surface is laying flat.

To create the veins use the edge of a feather or a small

liner brush. Using the feather, drag thru a couple of the colors

then pull across the surface. Using the small brush, touch 

into a couple of colors (not mixed) 

then roll and pull (at the same time) across the surface.

The effect is nice if the paint is still a bit damp on your surface.

Also a little spritz of water here and there can soften the

vein and make it appear to go into the stone.

I hope you will get a chance to use this technique and I would

love to see your project. 

I will be back in a day or two to show you how to 

make the stone look like it has been carved.

Freedom-Don't Take It For Granted Watercolor

 

I am so excited!!! I just won my first award!

This won 3rd place at the Watercolor Horizons

show at the Ellen Noel Museum in Odessa. 

The inspiration for the painting:

Joe and I were at a job related training and the instructor

opened the session with a short documentary about

Frances Scott Key and "The Star Spangled Banner".

I was moved to the very core of my being at the 

sacrifices made by our founding fathers.

"O, say does that star spangled banner yet wave?

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

or BECAUSE of the brave.

The flag is displayed on the porch

with the rocking chairs.

Comforting and comfortable.

FREEDOM-Don't Take It For Granted!

Memories - Acrylic on Canvas

A potential client called Tuesday. 

She wanted a painting of a horse 

for a staff member that was moving?

(Her) Can you paint a horse?

(Me) Yes! What's your budget? 

Acrylic or watercolor?

Canvas or Paper? What size?

What color horse? The head only or

standing, running, rearing up, bucking,..?

You want it when?

Thursday? Sure!

(Her) Can you add a windmill and water tank?

(Me) Sure!

"Memories" 11"x14" Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

SOLD!

Fishers of Men Commission

It has been a busy week! Thank you, Lord!

I have finished several commissions. Our good friend, Mike

asked me to paint one for his office. He wanted a stormy

sky, a stormy sea, a huge rock with a man hanging on to

it reaching out to someone in the waves and a sinking

boat in the background. Hmm!?! 

What should I use as a reference. We are in a drought. 

Our lake is at 2 percent-not 2percent low. 

That would be 98 percent low. 

So, no waves! Storm clouds have been scarce as 

hen's teeth. With the moral decline we have seen

a lot of shipwrecked lives. 

The waves behind the figure in the water

are dark and pulling. The wave in front of the figure

is light and figure on the the rock is holding 

on tightly with a strong right arm.

The precious thing about this painting is 

the model for the figure on the rock is Joe 

and the one in the water is our son, Stephen.

Jesus is our Rock! He is our Redeemer! He draws

us up from the deep! We ought also to reach out

to those who are overwhelmed and drowning in waves

of fear, depression, poverty, illness...

Make us Fishers of Men and Women!!!

3 Chilies in Watercolor Class

When I was in the produce section at the grocery store

I spotted these Anaheim Chilies. I picked these 3 that were

changing colors and I knew they would be fun to paint.

It was so fun that I taught in this weeks class

I am so loving teaching my watercolor classes.  I love

seeing their work, how they are progressing, 

and the friendships that are growing

Last week we had a special treat. 

We met at Laurie's house. She is such a gracious hostess.

She has a beautiful home and we enjoyed a yummy brunch

and then splashed around in the paint while 

Zach splashed around in her pool.