Focus Art

Since March 5, I've been taking care of the Focus Art blog site. Drop by if you have a chance and see what's going on in the local art scene as well as our art group. http://focusartcornwall.blogspot.com/

I'm debating on whether to do more on the fluid acrylic waterlilies or move on the a traditional watercolour one. I'll post later on tonight the latest on the fluid one. Need to get back to work right now. (The day job work, that is!)

It's a gorgeous day here today, almost like summer. Way too nice to have to work.

An Update on the Waterlily

Here's the latest on the waterlily.
















I can't wait to try this in watercolour because I far prefer the watercolour over fluid acrylics. I keep trying though and keep learning. And truth to tell, I *am* learning more with each lilypad about how these fluid acrylics behave and perform.

They are fun, but I'd sure never trade my watercolours for fluid acrylics.

:-)

a bit on the fluid lily pads

I've been a little lax in posting lately. I have high blood pressure and for some strange reason (okay, maybe some personal stress had a 'bit' to do with it) it went sky high, even with my bp meds. Talk about wicked dizziness! So, today, I worked on this. Slowly.

I'm liking it a bit more. I still far prefer watercolour over fluid acrylics but I'm learning how to manipulate them better.

The colour in the bottom left is a bit off - it's really not that icky shade of .... muck that it looks like in the photo.

Funny thing though, I just keep painting even if something isn't feeling right with this painting. I just think "what the heck - just get it done!" ROTFLOL. Considering that kind of attitude, it's not too bad. Is it?

I know I've used the fluids too thick but I started that way so .... I pretty well have to finish it that way. Next time, I'll know better.

I read a good chapter in the Fear and Art book on control! That book is awesome!

another favourite of mine

This one is another of my favourites! I bought Stephen Blackburn's dvd on pouring paint and painted this one. It's on hot pressed Arches paper, 140 lb.

Okay, now I don't feel so bad. lol.

Yes I can, yes I can, yes I can.

As I look back over the past few postings here in this blog, I started getting the impression that it looks like I cannot paint. Sooooooo, to boost my spirits a bit, I'm posting my all-time favourite painting. It's won a few awards. I love it. I think it's one of the best things I"ve painted. So far.

Yuck

I don't think I like fluid acrylics.

Or maybe I'm just too set in my ways with watercolour.

Whichever, I've messed this one up. But while listening to a video on pouring this morning, I heard the instructor say it doesn't matter if we like it or not in the beginning, it's what we do with it. So, okay. Instead of just ripping this off the board and tossing it out, I'll just keep going with it. Maybe by the end, I"ll learn to like these fluid acrylics a little bit more than I do at this moment.

I think I used too much paint. I wanted the water dark with tones of green and black in there. It's dark alright! Then, after realizing this was not really what I wanted, I tried spraying it. That was good because it showed me exactly what Nicholas Simmons was teaching in his dvd, which I enjoyed. It gave a different look but I figured what the heck - I've ruined it now, I might as well make this a learning experience.

I like the look of the sprayed / lifted paint in the lower left. But right above, I waited too long to spray it. Something else I don't like is how the lilypads now look like they've had a bluish pour on them. Ah well. Another learning experience. Keep it really wet if your spraying - that way, the paint will just run off.















In the following shot, I kind of liked the look of the colours and then a few drops of water added. That's when I sprayed the other section (shown above). Big mistake. And they say that watercolours are unforgiving???














But, as the book Art & Fear says, it's just a piece of paper. I'll finish using this one as a learning tool, then draw out another and start over. Maybe I'll do the next one in watercolour though.