More Crow Panels in Progress

If I counted correctly there will be a total of 26 panels in this new series, and once these are done I'm off to rework some encaustic pieces from a few years ago to include my crows, Queen Anne's Lace, and the marks I've been putting in these pieces.

I wasn't sure how these pieces were going to come out, while they have similar colors they are not exactly the same... but where's the fun in everything being the same, right!

I've allowed the distractions of the past few weeks beat my confidence levels down, it doesn't help that I've had a nasty head cold, or that my dad has had ongoing health problems.

I did get to see my brother last Monday, the first time since my mom died in 2005, they visited for a whole hour and forty five minutes before they had to leave again. 

So tomorrow it's back to drawing and painting crows, ravens, and blackbirds and if they are horrible then they are horrible.

But, the secret to mastering anything is to keep at it until... until well you've mastered it!

With that said I've decided to seriously edit the information I've compiled for my Natural Dye App, and just create the app!  A simple app that is accurate and usable is much more enjoyable than one that doesn't exist!!!  Feet of clay, I think that's the name for this syndrome, the whole "what if they hate it???"

There will always be haters, and they are not my audience anyway... so onward I will push this week!

Stitching Again

It feels good to be stitching once again, whilest awaiting layers of drying paint to cure.  This piece is about 8x10 inches in size, machine stitched with green Aurifil thread, wool batting; I also used my Black Birds in Tree Stencil with acrylic paint onto fabric painted cotton cloth.

I shall stitch a few of the birds next, to bring them forward, and add a few beads and then this piece will be done.

WIP - Crow Panels

More layers of paint and ink to come, and birds, lots of birds!

WIP - What the Corn Knew

Many more layers will be applied this week.
Acrylic on Raised Panel Board

WIP- Bins

Charcoal on gesso on baltic birch plywood.

This is the second time I've tried painting over charcoal, ok I'm using a brush to paint with, and I have to admit I absolutely loathe it!  First off I find myself wanting to paint 'inside' the lines like a coloring book, mistake number one, and secondly I keep expecting my brush to respond like my palette knife and well we all know that's not going to happen, mistake number two.  So when the first coat of paint is done drying I'm planning to go at it again with my palette knife and this time ignore those line!

Acrylic on baltic birch plywood.

Details

Acrylic Peel

It's turning into a mess is what it's doing!!!  I didn't realize my plate had a slight tilt to it, will make sure it's level next time.  Shelley Finch gave me the instructions on how to make these, lets just say it's juicy!

Barley Tile No. 3

Barley Tile No. 3
1995
Hand Cast Paper, Pigments, Acrylic Paint

Birds

More Bird Paintings -- WIP - watercolor and gouache on acrylic paint.

Today's Painting Session

Part of my oil pastel collection, the fat ones in the round tub are cattle, or sheep, markers.

I pulled out my ThreeFold magazines the other night and was reviewing some of their techniques. I was monoprinting with acetate sheets back in 1995 when I couldn't afford a really nice large glass plate to print with - the zines are very well written.

I've had this set of pastels since 1995 my classmate gave me his set of deluxe rembrant oil pastels - a wonderful gift for a starving artist at that time!

Today's painting session included a little bit of everything on paper, I was working with some of my older paints and pastels testing their viability.

WIP - Paint on Paper

WIP - Oil Pastels on water color paper that was painted with Golden Acrylic Paints. I'll let the oil pastel dry overnight and lay down more color tomorrow.