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Tuesday, 5 January 2016

Daily Painting Challenge #5

Daily Painting Challenge No. 5


         Managed to squeak in #5 on January 5th 2015. I am caught up.  Birch trees using acrylic on canvas board  6 x 12 inches. I love birch trees and am trying to learn how to paint them. This was a loose palette knife textured approach!

Daily Painting Challenge #4

Daily Painting Challenge No. 4


     Fourth painting of a poppy using a palette knife . Dab technique that I quite like .  Acrylic on canvas board 6 x 12 inches.

Painting Challenge #3

Daily Painting Challenge No. 3



        This is the third Poppy palette knife painting. Trying different palette knives and techniques for background.  Playing with colors and textures but now need to work on form . Acrylic  on canvas board  6 x 12 inches 

Painting Challenge #2

Daily Painting Challenge  No. 2 



     




       I chose the same subject , being poppies and have tried different techniques with the acrylics. Predominantly done using a palette knife. I chose to try out a different palette knife for the background and quite like the results.  A slightly  different color palette . Acrylic on canvas board  6 x 12 inches. 

Sunday, 3 January 2016

Painting Challenge #1

        Daily Painting Challenge No. 1





        This past year has been insanely busy and so I am challenging myself to paint daily even when it would seem I have little time.  So this is painting No. 1 Acrylic on canvas board  6 x 12 inches. An experimentation with palette knife , texturing  and color.


Thursday, 31 December 2015

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

What's in the plans for 2016?????

        This is the most exciting time of year for me . What about you????? A moment to refocus, to see where we are and where we are  going or where we would like to go. What is it about a clear slate? Looking at the fresh page , an open calender and let the ideas flow. Jotting down ideas, plans, whether  accomplished or not , it is just fun to look at all the possibilities : Painting, Drawing , Collage. Crafting, Sculpting, Puppetry,  Jewellery making, Sewing  and  Refurbishing Furniture. I am excited about filling in the next  year and would love  to hear how others approach the New Year. 

       




What's on the Easel? Birch Trees. So many ways to approach. These examples show the difference in using primarily a palette knife to a more refined layering approach using a brush. Both done using acrylics and neither is completed.


Sunday, 27 December 2015

Greetings for the Holidays

       No sooner had I "dotted  the eye " on my final  word, of the final paper for 2015, did I have a glass of wine in my hand ready to watch a movie, finally with no thoughts of: did I forget something? when is the next paper due? How many chapters are we supposed to summarize?


        One year of Art Therapy school completed.  After applying to the program , I held my breath to see if I had been accepted and when I found out I had I was thrilled. Two weeks in to the program I was in tears thinking what  have I done? I am incapable of following through at this pace. I was ready to abandon  the program. Everyone was much younger than myself, way smarter and I was  feeling so out there on my own.  I kept questioning , why did I think I could do this program and did I really want to do it? Was it merely the challenge to complete some thing new? Was it just to convince myself that , I can do this" ? What was driving my need to tackle , what seemed monumental. at this stage in my life?Why upset the apple cart?

       Life is full of moments that are life altering. I had mine 7 years ago. All of us that have had those moments, or will have, and it brings to question. Who we are? Why are we here? And for those that have been used to an even steady course, the need to shift gears and tackle the more challenging or life exhilarating , course of traversing Mount Everest, figuratively speaking. Or maybe it is just my age, the mid life crisis. who knows. Or maybe it was just me and the time was right? Either way one year done!

         Step by step, each week rolling into the next. Paper upon paper, readings  and more readings, forums that never end and unable to pause other areas of your life to allow for ease of completion.  Children at University, graduations, moving,  moving again, new jobs, and the list goes on and on.  Add on my own art therapy placements and  my own new job to  the mix and life went from smooth sailing to turbulent waters :a roller coaster ride that hasn't ended yet.

         The holidays have been a well needed rest, if not to just pause and take a deep breath. The family is all home. Life has settled for the moment. Although settled is still pretty busy and involves some catch up for the past year, from cleaning, to organizing , to preparing for the onslaught in January. Busy as I am I no longer question why I decided to engage in so many directions, but really enjoy the fact that I am here and life is great! And nice to have so many directions to take.

         Well the snow has finally arrived. A little magic in the air. Another week of rest and then back to it with renewed energy and focus!

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!