Colour Schemes

Colour Choices

As you start to develop your work you may find you are drawn to a certain style, certain medium and or certain colours.  These are all in Acrylic and the similarity is in the colour scheme. Do you find certain colours dominate in your work? 

Why do these colours work together ? Complementary colours . Whether I am working with orange or orange-red /or red-orange I will use blue, blue -green or green -blue changing the emphasis. 

Trying to look at my work and see other similarities in use of colour.

When we are not sure we have a particular style , it may be in the colour choices , that colours that resonate in your work.


Have a Super Day!

Landscape with a Little more Light

 

Acrylic on Canvas 

16 x 20

I have been working with a Palette knife for a few years now.  Starting to get a little more comfortable with application but my  paintings, although full of colour,  light and shadow have been absent.  I am a super fan of Julie Dumbarton's work , which  not only explodes with colour but her application of a strong light source is  fabulous. This was my push to try to capture the play between light and shadow. 

My first attempt started off as trees in a fallen forest , one of my favourite subjects: love the natural landscape when walking through a forest. 

What started as a forest soon took on the look of water reflections  and so I modified my painting. This meant changing the reflected angles of the trees . So I basically redid the bottom two thirds but tried to do so without making too bold a change and losing some of the original light. I don't like to fiddle too much as you lose the spontaneous  fresh look achieved  with the palette application.  As I gain more experience with the palette knife, the fear of losing what was more spontaneously created will lessen...I think anyway. 

Have a Super Weekend! Keep  Learning! Keep Practising!

Art Classes

I have started designing some art projects  for children and adults: projects that are designed for those that may have little experience in painting but would love to try.  I have started with a fanciful design of a kitten that would be a class for any age. 

 

This example demonstrates a graded background wash, blocking in colours (kitten) highlighting, shading, detailing and some simple brush strokes to create flowers and leaves.  

This design can be adapted in teaching a young class  or as a birthday event.

For the more experienced painter one can focus more on the detailing. 

I will be creating a few similar designs for sale and as a design for teaching.  I am already thinking of a patchwork kitten....

New design in the works ....Hedgie . I have to do a hedgehog as ordered by my daughter. lol

Have a Super Day!!!!  

Oh yeah...if interested in Bangles check out my designs on my Facebook Page.  Jo's Art Studio. :)

This particular design is sold but I will be painting another Jelly Bean Bangle. 

 

Keeping the Balance

A simple collage but fun all the same.

Keeping the balance  of trying to maintain the excitement felt when creating art and yet make it as necessary as brushing teeth. In other words don't wait for inspiration  but make the routine of painting feed an existing source of inspiration.  I follow through social media some  very successful artists and what I see is that they make sure that they are at the drawing board daily. I admit to struggling with that, balancing the pull I feel in other directions.

I read an article The Painter's Primer by Irwin Greenberg  and the first line is "Paint Everyday". Of course there were 100 words of advice but this was the first.  So we Paint everyday.

 Today I am running an Art Therapy Group which is a source of great pleasure  for myself and the group and an opportunity to challenge my own creativity in designing a  particular group format.





I am excited by recent Jewellery designs, painting Bangles.  I want to take my time with them. Another tip "Throw yourself into each painting heart and soul" and this includes painting Bangles.  So instead of quick designs , take my time to explore unique and interesting patterns and challenge myself.

Have a wonderful Day! Balance your energy and make time to Paint! 

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Time to Paint

Art Matters

This is  a fresh start. The past year and a half has been an exciting yet exhausting adventure of new ideas , new friends, and so many challenges.  In my 50's going back to school was a major  challenge. I often have crazy ideas , I think big , but when it comes down to it, practicality steps in and takes control.  This time I didn't allow the forces that reign in all my ideas take charge.  I am so close to finally receiving a graduate diploma in Art Therapy and pretty damn proud of that. My next step is a Thesis.
In the mean time I have worked in time to do my own art work. I must admit it has been difficult this past year but we must carve out time for things that matter ...and Art matters.

So what has been on the Easel????? Well after a lovely vacation in Gaspe, Quebec,  and over a hundred or more photos of Ganets , I  decided to paint them.

Bonaventure Island has a Ganet Colony that is unbelievable. What a gorgeous bird.

So here are a few smaller paintings I also worked on.                                                                                   

                                     

Continue to dream big, paint every day and remember that art really does matter. 

That is my mantra. Please leave a comment or sign up to follow blog.
Have a super day!

Daily Painting Challenge

I have been unable to keep up with daily painting challenge but I have been painting.  I do art work weekly for my art therapy course.  had two commissions that took up alot of time so I was consistently painting.  So I don't feel so bad.  Here we go .

Daily Painting No. 12 

Acrylic on canvas board 8 x 10

Commissioned work 18 x 24 

Sugar Shack

Art Therapy  Project 

Trigger  Acrylic on watercolor paper. 

Acrylic painting on gallery wrapped canvas
24 x 36



















So these have been the projects  that could be Panting 13 through to 15  I guess . Still behind but just received my order of paints and canvases so away I go.

Daily Painting Challenge # 9, #10 and #11

Daily Painting Challenge No. 9, 10, 11

Acrylic on canvas board  8   x 8 inches 

  Acrylic on canvas board  6  x 12 inches

Acrylic on canvas board  6  x 12 inches