The Hyper Monkey

“Blue Moon”

I’m experimenting with different eye shapes.

She’s looking at a moon.

It’s a blue moon.

I also changed the words on my last painting.

It reads, “Innocence is like polished armor; it adorns and it defends.” Bishop Robert South You can read it better in person. The paint is really reflective in the picture. I’m not happy but I’m happier. I also put some highlights in her hair. I’m not sure that was the right move.

More paintings to come. I’m able to paint more now that baseball season is over!

It was so hard for me to come up with words for this painting. I think it was a complete fail. By the time I got to thinking about what I wanted to verbalize, I was tired and out of sorts. I just wanted to finish the painting. What I should have done was let it sit and let myself think it over. I should have taken more thought over what kind of words to actually put to paper.

I’ll be changing the words on the painting but I wanted to document the process of how important it is to get it right. To take the time and deliberate over each step. The painting won’t be perfect, but it’ll be an improvement over what it was.

I did enjoy the process of this painting. I used spray inks, metallic paint, rubber stamps, patterned papers, book pages, and something new to me! Vintage sewing patterns. Can you see it?

I also did something new to her face. Extra points to those who can spot it.

All in all, an enjoyable painting despite the fiasco with the wording which I will fix sometime today. Hopefully I’ll get off my lazy ass and take some photos of the new and improved painting this week.

Aloha!

I’ve moved on from owls to cats.

I tried to put a lot of different textures in the painting. I hope it doesn’t overpower the whole thing.

I used rub-ons for the belly and his third eye.

Punchinella as a stencil with spray paint. Scrapbook paper for the moon.

A Crafter’s Workshop stencil with more spray paint and a bottle cap dipped in paint used as a stamp.

Punchinella, bottle cap stamp, and scrapbook paper.

I find I’m happiest when I diversify my painting. Right now I have a painting of a whimsy and a stylized portrait going. I’m also contemplating another cat. I like to have my fingers in many pies. It keeps me from getting bored! I also want to try some “Fearless Painting” that I learned from a Lifebook lesson. The teacher is Connie Hozvicka from Dirty Footprints.

As far as Lifebook is concerned, I’m trying to catch up on the lessons. I have a lot of ground to make up. I don’t think all the lessons are for me, but there’s still a lot I want to try and learn. I couldn’t keep up with the lessons as they were going on. Life was just going by too fast and my health wasn’t good. I’ll just have to cram. :-x What I’m going to try and do is download all the videos of the lessons I think I’ll really want to do. I have a TB on my desktop so I think I have enough memory.

I need to get cracking!

Finally, a chance to post photos of one of my newest paintings!

“Building a Mystery”

This painting is the result of an online class I took from Juliette Crane. The class is called How to Paint an Owl. Details can be found here. I really enjoyed the class. It was comprehensive and fun. A lot of fun.  I like Juliette as a teacher and as a person. She let me pay over time. I really appreciated that!

Detail photos:

I used acrylic paints, India ink, chalk pastels, Washi paper, spray paints, and a Pitt pen. I also coated the painting in Beeswax and some kind of finishing spray that I can’t think of off the top of my head. Not in that order. If anyone has any questions about the materials let me know. Better yet, take the class! It’s worth it!

This painting was a lot of fun. I have a couple more that are almost finished. They just need a coat of beeswax. I’m also working on a painting of a cat. I’ve had a cold that won’t go away thanks to weather that can’t make up its mind. It’s impeded my health and painting progress.

The weather has also been chilly the past two or three days. Combined with the bad cold and cuddly cats? It’s just a recipe for staying in bed all day long with the laptop. I can work just as well in bed with my cats and I’m much warmer and much more comfortable! Since I realize this is such a rare thing, I enjoy it all the more. I’ll be back on my feet in no time. Not to mention the weather will warm up!

Hopefully I won’t go so long before posting. For those in the United States, I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving! Otherwise, I hope you’re keeping toasty and enjoying the cozy weather!

Wow! It’s been almost six months since I’ve posted! What have I been doing? I’ve been wrapped up in baseball and cooking. That’s right. Cooking! For those that know me, the only time I would step into the kitchen would be to use the microwave. Cooking is a big step!

It all started when I quit smoking. After that I decided to start eating healthier. So I started cooking! It’s helping a lot. I feel great! My doctor approves.  I even started exercising a couple times a week! My doctor! He’s happy!

Now that the baseball season is over I’ve got more time to devote to painting. I even have a WIP to show.

Building a Mystery

I thought I was done, but the more I looked at it the more I realized, Oh no! Not done! The tree on the left isn’t done and there are numerous other issues the painting has.

So it’s back to the drawing board!

I need to rewind back a few paintings ago to the first collage painting I did.

I painted the face over multiple patches of paper so the area is a little bumpy.

I don’t really care for that part of the painting. I do like the way the paper shines through the hair.

I’ve also been using this new product called Inka Gold. It’s a really nice product that gives off a nice metallic shimmer. It’s a bit like shoe polish and it needs to be put on as the last layer as it doesn’t react well with wet media. It’s still a nice effect.

This painting is in my art journal because I was just experimenting.  Lately though, I’ve been doing my collage paintings on canvas as I’ve been gaining confidence in what I’ve been doing. Hopefully I’ll have more to show for what I’ve been doing a little later on.

I have other projects in the works going on. I have a painting on wood, a whimsical animal painting, and a geometrical circle painting on claybord going on. They’re all very much works in progress though. I’m not sure how any of them are going to turn out so they might never see the light of day. In the meantime I’m also producing more collage paintings as well.

Until next time, ciao!

I’ve been experimenting with my own brand of acrylic painting of faces. I still use watercolor crayons only not in abundance like I used to. I’ve also been painting over collaged papers.

I try to get a large enough piece of collage paper for the face though. I don’t want any bumps or anything where her eyes  might be. It’s still hard to get all the air bubbles all out.

Then I collage the whole canvas in a patchwork fashion with patterned paper and book text. There are often spaces of canvas open but I like to think that adds to the charm of the piece. >.<

On the whole, I’m pleased with this piece. It’s not as easy as sketching the figure on paper then painting, but I think the results are worthwhile. The whole process is very addictive too.

I’ve been doing other things as well. I just haven’t had the motivation to take photos. I’m so lazy! I’ll try to remedy that malady this week.

For the first time I worked on canvas.

It’s just a cheap canvas from Wal-Mart but it’s still a canvas. It’s not nearly as gessoed as a more expensive canvas would be, but in a way that made it easier to work with. The watercolors absorbed a lot better.

It was not without it’s challlenges. Blending was still a bit challenging as you can see there. Getting the edges crisp and clear was also rather challenging.

I originally wanted the butterfly to be gold, but the ink didn’t show up on the dark paper. The white doesn’t show up very well either. Live and learn.

There’s actually a small hole in the canvas. That’s where the idea of the collage came from, out of necessity. I think it worked out okay though.

I already have plans for my next little canvas and I bought a big canvas that’s better quality. I need to sketch out what I want to do more for the big canvas though.

I took a hard look at why I was painting all these cute whimsy girls. I mean they aren’t really me. I don’t have a cute, whimsical personality. The fact remains I do enjoy painting them, so I decided to put a new twist on them. The whimsy girls would now adopt a sad face.

I’m not sure if she has a sad face or a thoughtful expression.

I decied to make her eyes different colors to give her an even more evocative look.  I also gave her nose more definition.

For the background I did some different things. For one thing I didn’t add beeswax.

For another, I added some brayering which I normally only do with portraits. I really just felt like it and it was fun.

I did add my normal stamping and tissue paper. This time I didn’t scrunch up the tissue paper though. I let it lie flat as a transparent layer.

Another new element I added was modeling paste and Lumiere paint. I like the modeling paste because it really adds texture. The Lumiere paint really adds shine and color.

Finally, I added a rather melancholy phrase; “The stars were her only friends.” I felt like it just fit the painting.

All in all, I consider this painting a success because I felt it was very fulfilling. It satisfied my artistic side and my temperament.

My next goal is to do one of these girls on canvas!

An old painting posted now seems new. By old I mean I did this painting last December.

I did the background a little differently. Collaged some book pages. Brayered some white paint. Inked it up as well.

Hopefully it won’t be so long before I post again.