Beginning another abstract.
I first did a small sketch in my sketchbook, working out the color scheme, and a title came to me:
In the Depths of Winter, I Dream of Summer
Then, I started putting it on paper with my acrylic tube paints (some are heavy body acrylics and some are open acrylics I've accumulated over the years). I slowly added bits and thought about how to convey the sketch on paper into texture and colors.
This is acrylic on watercolor paper (11 x 15 inches).
I see why abstract artists use acrylics - you can remove, add, change colors, add collage or texture, all without ruining it.
The next stage of this was defining the color blocks more and getting in some texture by stamping with a small stamp I handmade in a Myrna Wacknov workshop when she taught at Kanuga (NC).
At this stage, I knew the yellow was too yellow and the blocks were too defined and hard edged - time to change that and soften some things...
Before doing that, I drew the flower circles on a piece of scrap watercolor paper, put acrylic paste medium on them and scraped into them, then painted them yellow. When that dried, I cut them out into circles, placed them where I wanted them, ready to glue onto the piece to represent the flowers in the original sketch.
Time to get some of the browns into the bottom - a perfect time to scratch into the wet paint and create the look of dried weeds and branches there.
Then an idea of adding a bit of black India ink to some areas came to mind to add pops of a strong contrasting color...
Perhaps in the yellow-green areas for pop and the center of the yellow flower circles, too...
(See what I mean about acrylics? Anything goes and anything can be changed after you start. Of course, that DOES NOT mean I am giving up my watercolors - just taking a creative break to see where it leads me.)
I am also in the mood to do something nice for Valentine's Day for my Sweetie. I have a lot of nice papers painted and inked for card decoration. Do you ever make cards for people you love?
5 comments:
Oh this is looking amazing, Rhonda! You do have a gift for this! I love the grasses on the bottom and the palette is just exquisite and so spring time fresh!
This is wonderful. Have you ever tried Yupo with watercolor? You can rework the paint, wipe it off, all kinds of fun texturing. It takes a bit of getting used to but it is so much fun. Your abstracts might be fabulous on it.
Love the organic feel to this, Rhonda. Beautiful earthy color combinations. I think the textural marks you made add another interesting element to the design.
Enjoyed this one Rhonda and the finished painting too... really worked for me!! I have also made cards for love ones in the past most recently for my Auntie's 90th birthday and special xmas cards for my family
Thanks, Sherry, EM, Carol and Judith. I do like making cards and you can make them abstract or more representational (depending on the recipient and what they like). Have another acrylic abstract on paper in the making but it's at a stand-still - maybe I've run out of juice for a while...
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