Rebirthings and Some Thoughts on Being in Class

Rebirthings

mixed media on canvas

11 x 14 inch

Last week in painting class, I dived right into this work...and I mean dived in...sleeves rolled up, head down...and not a word as I worked.  I cannot talk and paint at the same time.  Luckily my friends in class are forgiving of my silence.  It is good to be among other artists on a weekly basis who get it about the need for concentration and having a block of uninterrupted time to paint so that ideas can flow smoothly.  

My friend Julie Ford Oliver has mentioned the difficulty of talking while painting before on her blog...how it challenges her while demonstrating in her classroom and on her teaching videos.  I understand fully what she meant now that I am in a classroom setting.  But I would not trade my classroom time now that I've experienced it.  It is so valuable because I not only get to hang with other artists for three hours a week, but I get the privileges of having a teacher (Brian Hinkle) to ask a variety of questions about mediums, techniques, and all things art.   It is truly a blessing.

Anyhow, about the painting:  I started with scrapbook paper that covered the entire surface of the canvas and painted on top of that.  I prefer a smooth surface most of the time, especially when there are small details, and the paper provides that in an interesting way.  I worked pretty fast and you can see in the photo below where I left off at the end of class last week.  I then pecked at it all week and finished it last night.

Rebirthings in progress

The figures slowly emerged and the details were a mix of accidents and purposeful marks.  Once the blackbirds appeared in the sky, it seemed placing one in the child's arms would be a nice touch.  After I finished last night, I stared and stared at it trying to come up with a title.  I looked up blackbirds, ravens and crows online to get some help.  The word rebirth was repetitive among the three bird types, however "rebirth" sounded boring.  In art, we can make up our stories and our own words.  Lucky us!

The story here is for your interpretation as I had no agenda.

Here are some closeups.

Happy week to you my friends...until next time.

♥ Lisa

Textured Oil Painting.

in progress
oil on 9 x 12 inch panel

In my last post I mentioned an oil painting I had started  during a class I am taking that was all about building texture first.  Here it is at its current stage.  This is definitely a different way to work for me and creates a challenge because I mostly paint with my gut and this way of painting seems to require a lot more thinking ahead than I am used to.  Big bumps and lines can really make a face or an arm look bizarre.












Below is how it started out. I  smeared thick goopy gobs of paint mixed with Gamlin Solvent-Free Gel onto the panel with a palette knife.  The gel helps speed the drying time and adds texture.  The emphasis in this initial layer was all about texture and interesting brush strokes in various places.

Once my background was pleasing, I drew the figures into the paint.  It didn't take long to do all of this and then I had to let it dry...all week...before it was ready to be worked on again without messing up the texture I had created.  That is why I ended up beginning the 16 x 20 inch mixed media piece in the last post.  I needed something to do while this was drying!  So this may be my new rhythm...to do an oil painting in layers and either acrylic, mixed media or drawing in between.

in progress (initial stage)

 Everything done today (the first photo) was in a thin layer so it will dry quickly allowing me to move forward anytime. I just painted details on faces and added some thin strokes of color to the background and clothing. All this was done under the instruction of our teacher in the class Brian Hinkle.  He is an encyclopedia in all things art and has all kinds of different ideas on technique.  Everyone in the class is just doing their own thing and Brian helps us when we need it.  It is a great environment to work in and learn in.

Thank you all for your visits and comments.  I so appreciate it!
See you soon!