Category Archives: acrylic

Arting for 365 Day 277: Elephant Life

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10 x 10" acrylic on canvas

10 x 10″ acrylic on canvas

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Dreams are interesting things. They affect us, oftentimes without knowing they are affecting us, which makes them that much more interesting. In the last week or so, I have woken up remembering bits and pieces of dreams. Some of them have been odd, others pretty normal, but there has definitely been a lot of dreaming . I have come to determine that a few of the forgotten dreams must be the impetus for the imagery that is showing up in my work.

From hanging birds in Day 275’s piece to today’s abstracted elephant snout blowing out an embryo (and you thought this painting was kind of nice until now), odd imagery is overtaking my imagination. I don’t know how long this phase is going to last, but I figure I might as well make art from it while it’s here.

If you’d like to purchase this dreamy painting, you can do so here.

Arting for 365 Day 247: Spinning in Circles

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12 x 28" acrylic on canvas

12 x 28″ acrylic on canvas

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

There are days when the mind spins in endless circles. It frets over issues large and small. It’s indecisive, uncertain, turned around. It seeps frazzled energy, uncertain of how to put it to good use. The mind turns and turns until it can turn no more; slumping into a heap of exhaustion.

Day 247 DetailThis piece available for purchase on etsy

Arting for 365 Day 220: White Picket Fence

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12/4/12

Six 3 x 3″ acrylic painted coasters

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

A fence

White picket

Stands confused in its purpose

A welcoming repetition of bright lines

Latched tightly shut

Arting for 365 Day 145: Cell in Green and Blue

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Day 145 (9/20/12): Cell in Green and Blue

18 x 18″ Acrylic on canvas

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

I’ve created a number of these circle paintings over the last few years (some people call them bubble, but I prefer to think they are just circles). I always enjoy the flow and feel of them, and painting them often helps me process a larger idea I have on my mind.

As much as I enjoy the works though, they are also rather time consuming to paint. Typically, as I’m about 3/4 of the way through and I’ve processed what was rolling around in my head, my attention span withers and I find myself wishing I was done. So this time around, I decided I would approach one of these paintings from a direction that would keep me interested and challenge me – even after my thoughts quieted. In order to accomplish this, I decided I would attempt to create form by building up the flat circles and incorporating a bit of color.

The process went something like this:

After creating a background, I loaded up a small brush and began making lots and lots of circles – combining them in a way to create a larger, circular shape. From there I added a layer of blue circles atop the white, and finished up with thinned layers of paint (glaze) to enhance the form.

I’m quite happy with the result and can report I never got bored. Sure this could be due to the fact that I worked on a smaller scale than I typically do. It could also be due to the fact that I had lots on my mind and so probably wouldn’t have tired of it anyway. Either way, I’ll label it a success!

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Arting for 365 Day 123: Contrast Flow

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Day 123 (8/29/12): Contrast Flow

Big daddy: 42 x 72″. For those of you who don’t like division 3.5 x 6′

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Three or four years back I switched from painting with oils to using acrylics. I had painted with oils for years, and in fact loved them. I loved the way they could be manipulated and pulled across a canvas. I loved that mistakes could quickly be wiped off and new attempts made. I loved their rich color and their unique smell. But as I became more prolific (or at least semi-prolific) with painting, I realized that while that smell was great in small doses, all of the chemicals, oils, and varnishes were too much for my allergies to take. So I made the switch.

It took a bit of time to adjust but after finding good thick paints and some great slow drying mediums, I decided that acrylics are really pretty fantastic. I’ll admit that they seem to be slightly less forgiving, but if medium is added you can work with them long enough to make changes and do some good blending. Good paints and mediums also seem to give acrylics a richness, not as great, but similar to oils. And the biggest perk to acrylics is that if no medium is added, their drying time is super-fast. This means that a person as impatient as myself does not have to wait long to build up color. Needless to say I am an acrylic convert.

There has only been one area in which I have wondered whether painting with acrylics would work as well as painting with oils- and that is on a large scale canvas. Because of the quicker drying time, I worried that creating the blended washes I love so much may not be possible. I decided that I’d set out to see on a 42 x 72” canvas.

Verdict: It can be done. I realized quickly that it takes a TON of medium to make it happen. But a nice blended wash is possible. (I completely forgot to get a pic of the initial background, so my half painted, taken with my camera phone piece below will have to suffice.)

With the blended orange and yellow as my background, I quickly built up my design on top and I’m pretty pleased with the result.

 

Arting for 365 Day 115: Memory While Counting Up the Years

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Day 115: Counting Up the YearsGoal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

I’ve come to realize the more broad in scope the thoughts in my head, the more apt I am to create non representational or abstract work to reflect on them.

Yesterday, I had a variety of things floating around in the noggin. Here is an attempt to recount my train of thought:

It began with me thinking about how our lives seem to move in intended and unintended directions (this is a recurring thought/theme for me). I thought about how fast life moves, even when it feels like it is just plodding along.

I started to think back on events that have happened over the past few years and then attempted to think back to earlier memories. They were much less distinct and as I tried to round up my first memory, I realized I have no idea what it is or when it would’ve occurred. Unlike Chunk in the Goonies , who I would guess has a plethora of memories at the ready, I’ve never been able to pull a ton of details from my life (good or bad).

I realized that while life may be made up of individual years and acts and memories, for me anyway, there are only spots of solid memory and a lot that fades to the background.

Side note: The actress Mary Lu Henner, who has a phenomenal memory. She and others like her have hyperthymesia. I wondered if I’d love to have such a memory or if it would be overwhelming.

Arting for 365 Day 114: Utilizing the Amazing Breweries of Ft. Collins

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Day 114 (8/20/12): Utilizing New BelgiumGoal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

It turns out that our lovely little city of Ft. Collins is a bit of a mecca for microbreweries. In fact FoCo – as it’s known by some – has the most microbreweries per capita in all of Colorado. And seeing as how Colorado is a major player in the craft brew industry, this seems like a pretty big deal.

New Belgium Brewing is a top notch brewery here in town and the most recognized of the bunch. Their beers are tasty – sours being my favorite – they give fantastic tours, and they have some pretty fun coaster designs. Realizing that I needed to start supporting the locals with my coaster adventures, I swung by New Belgium yesterday and picked up a fresh batch.

Using the original coaster designs as a jumping off point, I painted these three brightly colored little gems. I worked to keep the paintings very simple and playful.  The first, a Shift Rocket; the second, a strange and fun little scene involving a tricycle; and third, a cat tail, fish, pitcher still life of sorts.

An endless supply of fun coasters: Just another perk of living in a beer town.

Arting for 365 Day 105: Targets

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Day 105 (8/12/12)

10 x 20″ Acrylic on canvas

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

She’d never been a particularly great shot. She blamed this partly on the fact that she never knew what she was aiming for.

This time, though, the girl had spotted her target in the distance and was ready to settle in and take aim – confident of nailing the bulls eye, dead on.

But as it came time to shoot, she found her confidence lagging. Her singular target now presented itself as many. And to top it off, the bulls eyes seemed to be moving. With a sigh and a shrug she considered the positive fact that at least with many moving targets there ought to be a chance of hitting something. nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnm

Love this piece? You can buy it here, if you’d like.

Arting for 365 Day 99: Stamp and Coasters – Seperate Together

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Day 99 (8/5/12): Stamp: Seperate Together

Acrylic, stamp and ink on Sierra Nevada paper coasters

Feeling as though I hadn’t quite hit the nail on the head in incorporating stamps into day 98’s project, I thought I’d take another crack at it. This time, though, I decided to scale back my stamp usage.

Using a single stamp as my starting point, and revisiting the idea of units making up the whole, I used the 69 cent (pricey – must be international) treasure as a connecting point for my initial four coasters. I then cut the stamp at the coaster seams and began painting.

As I was finishing up my abstracted mini landscapes, I noticed another stamp with a crane sitting on the table. It dawned on me that painting a crane onto two more coasters and inserting him into the larger landscape was the obvious next step.

I have to say, I am pretty darned pleased with the results. I love that each coaster works separately, while also working as a whole. I also enjoy that I’ve incorporated the stamp in a more subtle way, forcing you to look twice to really see what it is. I feel like I might be on the right track.

Original and prints available for purchase.

Arting for 365 Day 93: Paths

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Day 93 (7/30/12): Paths

20 x 36 (I think. Need to double check the height when I get back to the studio). Acrylic on canvas

It’s interesting to look back on life and all the things we’ve experienced and chosen to do. Sometimes the direction we take is well thought out and planned. Other times it is spontaneous as we roll with the punches and perks of life. In one step we move left, and in the next right. Some of us know where we are headed. Others of us are simply there to enjoy the ride.

Of the thousands of paths to choose from, somehow we all make our way.

Original work available for purchase.