Moving through depression

I sometimes think that this is what depression could look like. I like the colors on this abstract...very mellow.

Parrots anyone?

As I continue to work on my series of abstracts, I'm getting braver with each one to add more and more layers.

Chinese Harbor

New painting. With each abstract, I'm paying more attention to detail and texture.

Dolphin at sea

My latest...Dolphin at Sea...I really love the symbolism of abstracts.

Chinese birds in flight

All my abstracts remind me of birds...so I'm thinking I need to figure out the symbolism that I'm conveying. I really like this painting...I love the bright warm colors of red,orange, and yellow with hints of gold. I used a palette knife to lay in the color.

When eagles fly

If anyone ever tells you that painting abstract is a piece of cake...they are wrong! With this painting I started out with a black background. Then I started dropping in color. I didn't like the effect so I decided to add crackle paste to see if that would give the painting more texture. Since this was the first time I've used crackle paste, no where on the tube did it say add color to paste before you apply to painting. When the crackle paint dried I had lost all my color, so I had to go back in and re-apply color. Once I did that, I could see the cracks and the texture I was aiming for. When I first started painting this abstract I figure it would take me about an hour to finish. I spent most of yesterday working on this painting. I had to wait while various layers dried before going on to the next.

Some things are never easier than I expect.

A swan

Watercolor paper 8" x 8", acrylic paints, and molding paste

A dragon and birds

I love doing abstracts!!! I've always been such a realistic traditional painter, so this style of painting is new for me. I now understand how abstract artist tell a story with their work. I plan to do a series of 12, 8" x 8" abstracts all on a black background which will hang as a collection. I'm also doing a series of smaller abstracts 12, 4" x 8.5" that can be displayed as a collection or individually.


"The dragon"

"Birds in flight"

Poodles in the mist

After 11 years of painting I'm still trying to find my niche. I love working in watercolors because it makes me really think about each detail and ways to push and pull the colors in the painting to get them to work. I've also have explored colored pencils, oil pastels, and now acrylic.

I want to paint intuitively...letting the paint guide me to the next stroke, color,and design. I want to challenge myself to work without a detailed plan. I guess I don't want to play it safe anymore.

So the journey should be interesting ....

A girl and her butterflies

The one thing I love about doing mix media art is that you can put layers,upon layers to give the painting substance. On this piece I first colleagued the background with pages from a dictionary,scrap book pieces,and tissue napkins. Then I did a light wash of antique white over the collage. When the paint was dry I used gesso to do an outline of my girl. After that dried I went back in to do the detail work on the girl. I also used a new product...texture paste that I used with a stencil of butterflies. This texture paste gave a raised effect of the butterflies. I went back in a added more detail to the girl, painted the butterflies, used my french word stamp, and added more paint to tie the piece together.

Angels

I'm really getting into this mix media art. Finally I can use all my art supplies. A bit messy, but fun. This piece was done on birch plywood 6" x 12", using acrylic paint,watercolor pencils,rubber stamps,oil pastels,and glitter.

I'm back....

After a much needed break, I'm back. I've been ill with Lupus, fibermyalgia, and chronic fatigue. So each day is one-day-at-a-time. Some days it takes so much effort to do anything. My only saving grace has been to draw and paint. Each afternoon, I'd take my supplies and create art in bed.

I've been enrolled in an online mix media class with Suzi Blu. It's a eight week course on Petite Dolls. This class has been amazing. Suzi shows how to create mix media creations, layer by layer. I've learned how to draw on wood, wood burn the image, and then start shading and adding layers on layers. Each week she has a video and pdf files to download and use. This class has been well worth the $55 tuition.
So here are my finished pieces that I've created on 6" x 12" birch plywood boards.

Sad day in the Prior household

It's a sad day in the Prior household. Our precious Chloe died in my arms this afternoon, after a short undetermined illness. She was eleven years old. I'm thankful that she graced our life with her unconditional love and faith fullness. She will be missed, but not forgotten.

Chloe was a bit of a clown and loved to dress up in scarves. Here she's lounging in her favorite lounge chair wearing sun glasses to protect her eyes from the bright high desert sun.

Chloe was my first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which began my love affair with the breed. She was so happy-go-lucky, loved going for rides, playing with her toys, and loved going through the drive-thru at McDonald's.