Friday, April 18, 2014

The Outdoor Studio

I paint around. Alice's Wonderland is, according to Bill, a garden shed (after all, that's what it was sold to us as) but to me it's The Playhouse I didn't have as a child, the one we couldn't afford for our daughters when they were little and the one I await our granddaughters having sleep overs in. When the weather is cooperative, it's an excellent workspace alternative to The Anne Frank Room. I took advantage of a perfect spring day, April 8th, when the thermometer reached a high of 20ÂșC. The very next day it snowed.




Wonderland is a grand place to be on a sunny, warm day. With the door wide open, letting more sunshine pour in, I have shelter from the wind (which we are famous for in these parts) and yet it feels as though I am outdoors.



Lily Flare in progress


Sometime ago, I made the relief patterns, on the canvas below, using stencils and molding paste.  When it was dry, I employed the cobwebbing technique but it didn't take very well on all that texture.  At this stage this background was rather incipid looking ... 




My favourite combination of Daniel Smith's Duochrome Oceanic mixed with sap green and a splattering of iridescent copper gave it a deep richness ...
  



An orange lily was what I felt was needed, tucked in just a little behind the fern leaf. Oils are what I reach for when I want luminosity and they are what I used to paint the flower.


LILY FLARE acrylic, mixed media and oil   10" x 8"   framed $250.  SOLD

Lily Flare is currently part of the Claresholm Artists and Artisans Club's 6th Annual Spring Show on display, from April 16th to May 16th, 2014, at the Claresholm Public Library.



4 comments:

  1. Oh, those results are just mouth-watering. I love the combination of that vibrant orange lily against the rich green background. I think that Alice's Wonderland inspired you to greatness on this one.

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    1. Many thank, Win, I do like working in Wonderland! ;-)

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  3. Magnificent as usual! I actually like the background when it was pale. There was a lovely, subtle, softness to it. Not saying that I don't like it darker too. The lily is also stunning.

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