Experiments in Abstract Watercolor

I've been taking an abstract watercolor class which is challenging for me because I am a realist and not an abstract painter at all. But it has been fun experimenting and loosening up in my work. Seeing abstract work doesn't come easy to me, I found a good starting point is to take an image or scene and attempt to abstract it. These two pieces are from reference photos I took at an aquarium of jellyfish swimming in a tank. The sepia toned top piece is by far my favorite of anything I have done in this class. I like the shapes, dark and light values and the lines I have added. 

As a class we are focusing on: 

Composition • Value • Color • Line • Shape • Form

As well as techniques using watercolors, acrylic inks, watercolor pencils, watercolor papers, yupo papers, 

The lionfish is also a reference photo from an aquarium. I have experimented with just the patterns of the fish itself. Not sure what I am going to do with the bottom piece, the negative shapes of the lionfish. I am still contemplating changes. 

These next two pieces are also the jellyfish swimming around at the aquarium. The top is the first layers of color and the second piece is after more colors were added. I like seeing them together, both are really fun exercises.

This watercolor is of seaweed flowing underwater. I played with four color schemes (clockwise): Monochromatic, Analogous, Double Complementary and Complementary. I think I would like to try this one again but without the dividing lines, letting them flow into each other. 

For this exercise our instructor brought in slices and leaves of green and purple cabbages. We looked at shapes, how lines intersect and form shapes and patterns. In my experimenting and painting, I am finding that I often use colors right from the tube or slightly mixed with other colors. Apparently I like a bright colorful palette.

 

Last one for this post is working on Legion brand Yupo with acrylic inks and watercolor added afterward. I am still trying to figure out this Yupo surface which is very slick. It accepts inks and watercolors very differently than regular paper as it doesn't absorb and takes a long time to dry.

Working in Ceramics

I am taking classes in ceramics at Lighthouse Art Center while spending the winter in Florida. I am working mostly with handbuilding and underglazes which utilizes surface design. I really enjoy exploring another medium, especially creating images on 3D surfaces instead of using flat papers. I feel this stimulates my creative growth. 

The top pieces are created from slabs and the technique I used is image transfer where I paint the design on newsprint with slip and underglazes and print it onto the wet clay before it is fired. 

This technique is again working with underglazes but using stencils cut from newsprint, dampened and applied to the wet clay. I layer my underglazes and stencils to produce the shapes. I did learn that I need to use like colors, the blue over the orange neutralized because (orange and blue are complementary colors) creating some grays instead of the nice light blue I was trying for. 

This piece is also hand built but a small pinch pot. I first painted it in the Bermuda Green slip and let it dry. Then I carved into the wet clay to create the designs and then hand painted them with underglazes. 

These small cups are built from slabs and formed into cups, I added hand built handles. The green has Bermuda Green slip applied and the orange cup has Orange slip applied. I then hand painted the designs with the colored underglazes. 

I created this little dog who later lost his collar unfortunately because the clay was too brittle. He isn’t finished yet, I am looking for a special glaze for him. Here he poses with the studio cat Cheeto.
 

Working with Acrylic Inks & Gouache

I have a beautiful handmade sketchbook that was given to me and recently decided to start putting artwork on the pages. I have been a follower of Dina Brodsky on Instagram and like her method of creating small paintings or sketches using gouache over acrylic inks. Dina's work is amazing and she teaches workshops and classes on sketching and painting birds. 

I decided to try experimenting on my own. To begin, I created a small drawing in pencil then went over it with black ball point pen. 
 

I have plastic wrap taped under this page in order not to get the acrylic ink on subsequent pages. I wet my page with water on a brush, then randomly add drops of acrylic ink. I am using Ultramarine Art Spectrum Liquid Ink  because I had it in my studio. I push the random drops around with a paint brush and then spritz the ink with a spray bottle of water to create the starbursts and patterns. Its really fun just to play and see what kind of outcome I get. 

Using my Winsor Newton brand gouache, I paint the bird and berries using small brushes. Dark to light, applying dark colors first then adding lighter colors on top. 

For the Bluejay painting I drew him in black ball point pen and added some journaling in the background, writing about Bluejays and their characteristics. 

This photo shows more of how I have put plastic wrap under the page, secured it with clips and tape so the ink doesn't get on everything (which it did anyway). The clips help keep the pages from curling but I have to move them around so I get an even distribution of inks. For this piece I am using a mixture of Golden High Flow Acrylics in Green Gold and Golden Permanent Violet Dark. I wet the paper with a brush and water and then randomly add drops of the two colors. I move the colors around on the page with a wet brush and then added table salt for the texture. 

Next I paint the bird and branches in gouache. I really like the purples coming through behind the Bluejay.  I'm not really sure I need the writing behind, I think the texture of the colors and salt is interesting enough.

For this painting I drew the Cardinal and branch in black ball point pen and again added some journaling about Cardinals. I then used Burnt Umber and Prussian Blue Liquitex Acrylic Ink for the background. Misted with water before painting the Cardinal and branch with gouache. If you would like to see a more detailed video of this process, I found Marianne Vander Dussen's video Gouache Sketchbook on YouTube. She explains this process more in depth.

Varnishing Colored Pencil - Part 2

I wanted to use the water based Golden Gloss Waterborne Varnish to varnish my artwork but found it is quite different from the previous Golden UVLS Varnish. I emailed Golden to ask questions after making a few mistakes (they are pictured at the end of this entry). The Golden rep was very helpful in suggesting the best way to add isolation coats the artwork before applying the Waterborne Varnish. 

My colored pencil drawing shown here is mounted on a small Ampersand Cradled Claybord. I first sprayed my drawing with 4 light coats of Krylon UV-Resistant Clear, allowing each coat to dry in between applications. The Golden Rep suggested using the Golden Soft Gel (I used Gloss) as an isolation coat because it is softer bodied than other gels and goes on smoother. I diluted a small amount of Golden Soft Gel Gloss 50% equal parts with water. I mixed it very carefully with a small whisk to be sure there were no lumps and few air bubbles. 

Be sure to use a soft nylon brush. The brand I have been using is Gold Taklon by Craft Smart that I purchase at Michaels Craft Store. They are inexpensive and I throw them away or use them for other things when they get older and stiff.

I applied The gel with the soft nylon brush with horizontal strokes over the Krylon UV-Resistant sprayed surface in one application. I did not go back over once I had the surface coated. I let the gel dry for 24 hours (although I'm not sure you would need to leave it for that length of time).

I mixed the Waterborne Varnish: 5 parts varnish to 1 part water. Next I took a clean damp lint-free cloth and gently wiped the surface with the dried gel medium. This removes any particles and the dampness seemed to make the surface easier to accept the varnish. Now I applied the diluted varnish with a soft brush moving horizontally across the piece and not going back over any of the areas. 

Below is my little cupcake drawing with this varnish technique. I took one photo with the piece tilted so you can hopefully see the smooth surface. I am happy with the outcome! You can read more about working with the Waterborne Varnish here.

What Not To Do!

In the photo below, I mixed the Waterborne Varnish 3 parts to 1 part water and tried to brush it on over my surface prepared with Krylon UV Resistant Clear spray and Kamar Varnish spray as an isolation coat. The Waterborne was too thin and puddled on my drawing. Fortunately my drawing was well isolated with the sprays and I could easily wash off the Waterborne Varnish. 

In this photo of the leaf drawing I used Golden Regular Gel that more stiff than the soft gel and it left brush strokes when applied. 

Varnishing Colored Pencil - Part 1

 There are times when I like to mount my colored pencil artwork on a cradled panel or present it in a floater frame as opposed to framing the art under glass. In order to do this I need to varnish the finished piece. Up until now I had been varnishing my colored pencil work with water based Golden UVLS Polymer Varnish. I wrote about my experiements with this particular method in a blog post, link here.

 However, Golden has discontinued the Polymer Varnish and replaced it with a new product (also water based) Golden Waterborne Varnish. I thought I could apply the Waterborne varnish the same way as I did the UVLS Polymer Varnish and found out the hard way both products are completely different. So I have decided to do some experimenting with different methods of varnishing my work.

These are the various products I using in my testing.  I first spray my drawing with a coat of Krylon UV Resistant Clear, let it dry for about 15 minutes and gave it another coat. I always spray my colored pencil as an isolation to fix the color so the color won't move or streak when I apply any kind of varnish. 

First experiment: 

I recently watched a video in which the artist is using gel medium as a varnish over watercolor so I decided to try it over colored pencil. I mixed the Golden Regular Gel Semi Gloss diluted with water, equal parts of each. After the second coat of UV Resistant clear was dry, using a 2" wide flat, soft bristle brush I brushed on a layer of the gel medium mixture carefully going in one direction only. As it dried I noticed  streaking and brush marks in some areas no matter how hard I tried to apply evenly (as indicated above). 

So I contacted Golden company and the customer service person suggested the Golden Open Acrylic Gel or Golden Soft Gel are better options for varnishing as they are both softer bodied and lay down smoother. I also found that using a newer soft brush works much better, the older ones either seem to stiffen up with use. There is good information on using Golden gels here.

Second experiment: 

I tried the same application but using the Liquitex Acrylic Gloss Varnish (after fixing my drawing with the UV Resistant Clear spray). The Liquitex varnish seemed to brush on smoother although I still got a few brush marks no matter how hard I tried not to. It is best to apply the gel in one direction and not go over the top again. I like the way the Liquitex looks after it dries, if I can get this method to work I would use this product. 

Third experiment:

 Using the Krylon Kamar Varnish spray as the final varnish. I fixed my drawings first the same way with 2 coats of the Krylon UV Resistant Clear. The two drawings above were then sprayed with 2 coats of the Kamar Varnish, allowing the first layer to dry (at least 30 minutes) before applying the second. As you can see, the Kamar varnish leaves a textured or mottled effect on my drawings that you can particularly see in the white area on the lobster drawing. It isn't so bad on the leaf drawing in which the entire surface is covered. 

In the next post I will write about my experiments with the Golden Gloss Waterborne Varnish. 

If anyone reading this has any feedback or has tried their own experiments, please contact me as I would like to hear about it. 

Mounting a Watercolor on a Panel

I taught a colored pencil workshop this week and was explaining to my students how I often like to mount a drawing or watercolor on a panel rather than framing it with a mat and under glass. It is a bit complicated so I thought I would put it on my blog for future reference. I have been using DaVinci ProPanels as a surface in which to mount my artwork. This acid-free archival panel is coated with a textured gesso. I haven't tried the smooth textured panel but I'm sure it would work too. I have also used Ampersand Art Claybord or Gessobord in the past. To adhere (or glue) my artwork to the panel I use Grafix Double Tack Mounting Film which is also archival and non yellowing. I sell my artwork so I want to be sure that I use the best quality materials that will last many years.

Today I am using a 16x16" DaVinci Pro Panel and a watercolor painting of a blue crab on Arches 140 lb watercolor paper. I have cut my watercolor painting to about 16.5 x 16.5" so I have a little bit of extra paper around the edges. I found out the hard way not to cut my artwork exactly the same size as my panel because it can move while being pasted down and the mounting film is not repositionable. Then I cut the piece of mounting film the same size as the artwork.

Next I pull off one side of the backing paper and carefully adhere the sticky side of the mounting film to the back side of my artwork. 

I lay my artwork face down on a flat clean surface and burnish the mounting film with my bone folder. I start in the middle and move the bone folder outward to the edges to remove any air bubbles and make sure the mounting film is securely glued to the back of my drawing. Now I have the mounting film on my drawing and have to adhere the drawing to the panel.

I lay my DaVinci panel on a flat surface and make sure the surface of the panel is clean and free from any debris. I peel off the other side of the backing paper on my artwork and, starting with one side edge, line up the panel and edge of artwork while paying attention to the top and bottom edges then lay down the mounting film as carefully as possible. It is not repositionable once stuck to the artwork so be very careful. (When I first began this process, I practiced using a small panel first.)

Now I turn the artwork right side up, take a piece of waxed paper or one of the waxy sheets I peeled off the mounting film and put it on top of my drawing. Again, burnish with the bone folder from the center outward to make sure it is firmly glued and to alleviate any air bubbles. 

Seeing that I cut my drawing a little larger than my panel, I have to trim the sides to fit. Turn the piece back over. I use a sharp X-Acto knife and carefully trim the excess paper close to the edge of the panel. After cutting, if the edges are jagged, lightly sand with a piece of fine grit sandpaper. 

 Here is what my piece looks like when mounted on the panel. It is completely flat and professional looking. Erase any marks or sand any edges that aren't even. The next step is to apply a varnish or fixative to the drawing and I will show that in the next blog post. 

Two Upcoming Summer Workshops

I have two in-person colored pencil workshops scheduled this summer. The first one is two mornings in July at Portsmouth Arts Guild in Portsmouth, RI and the other is a weekend workshop at Cape Cod Art Center in Barnstable, MA in September. 

We will create vibrant drawings with the simple tool of colored pencil by layering, blending, burnishing and creating rich darks and color. We will have discussions, demos, practice and then work from still life subjects or reference photos. Finishing the workshop with a review and sharing of our work.

See both websites for more info or to register, you can always contact me with any questions too.

 

Featured Artist in Endangered Exhibit

 I am excited to have been chosen to be the Virtual Artist in Residence for the exhibit Endangered promoted by the non profit group Art4Apes. Link to my bio and information is here. Link to the virtual gallery is here.

Endangered is "a team of art and photography lovers who believe that art, in all its forms, can reach people all over the globe and win hearts and minds for the cause of preserving all forms of life and the environment. To this end, we organize exhibitions, contests, and other events to focus attention on all that is ENDANGERED in our world.

We believe that reaching out to Young Artists and encouraging them to express their concerns for the environment and endangered species through art is important if we are to safeguard the future of our planet."

The Center for Great Apes is a non profit corporation whose mission is to provide a permanent sanctuary for orangutans and chimpanzees who have been rescued or retired from the entertainment industry, from research, or who are no longer wanted as pets. The Center provides care with dignity in a safe, healthy, and enriching environment for great apes in need of lifetime care. Please visit the website to learn more. ALL donations go directly to support the Center. 

I am also thrilled to have won 2nd Prize for my colored pencil drawing Endangered White Rhinos and 3rd Prize for my colored pencil drawing Majestic in the Endangered Exhibit. 

 The members of 19 on Paper artist group are celebrating our 35th anniversary with an exhibit at Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI. A selection of past members with be exhibiting with us. Exhibit opens Sunday November 12, if in the area please join us for the opening reception Sunday, November 19, 2-4 pm.

Included below are three of my works in the exhibit. The Invitation is a colored pencil drawing of stacked tea cups with inspirational sayings on the tea bags. Fly Fish Round Up is an altered book sculpture featuring a fly fishing book with embellishments. Shell Swirl is a colored pencil drawing of a variety of shells in a circular pattern.

Holiday Little Picture Show at Providence Art Club

I am exhibiting at Providence Art Club Little Picture Show & Sale on until December 23rd, 2024. There are over 160 artists exhibiting and all artwork is priced at $350 or less. Here are a few of my artworks that are available for purchase in the show.  All are colored pencil on paper except for the lighthouse which is watercolor on claybord. 

 

Portrait of Murdock

 This is Murdock, I drew a portrait of this sweet dog for his owner. I don't know Murdock's whole story but I do know he was a rescue who ended up losing one eye and lived a short life. In every photo I saw, Murdock looked so happy and I know his owner loved him very much. I think Murdock loved his owner very much too. I was asked to draw a portrait of him and given several photos. In one of these photos  Murdock was standing in water on the shore looking very happy, so I chose that pose. I found inspiration with seafoam-y water flowing onto the beach and surrounding shells so I chose to draw Murdock in this serene environment. I often don't add backgrounds to my pet portraits however I realize the surroundings can give character or a sense of serenity to the composition so I may try this now. RIP little Murdock, you have been loved.

Art Fluent Award

 An artist friend suggested I enter the Art Fluent Animalia exhibit so I sent in a few of my safari drawings. I was really excited when I learned that this drawing Majestic won one of the two Director's Choice Awards!

We met this beautiful elephant in Amboselli National Park in Kenya. We were riding in our safari jeep when he came out of the bushes and stood in a field not far from where we parked to observe. This elephant proceeded to put on a show for us by throwing dirt on his back to cool himself off as well as swaying and moving around. We must have stayed right where we were and watched for at least thirty minutes. I had plenty of time to study and photograph this beautiful creature. 

Image size is 13x14", colored pencil on rag mat board.

My Exhibition 'Into the Wild'

Here are several photos from my exhibit Into the Wild at the Providence Art Club Dodge House Gallery. The exhibit ended in mid April but was so rewarding to me. I spent over a year preparing and pretty much spent the last six months drawing, painting and framing. It was quite a journey, at time frustrating but in the end, very rewarding!

The opening was well attended by family, friends, colleagues and new friends. I was so thrilled to talk to the guests about my work and my safari travels to Africa. 

The last two photos are of my artist talk a few days before the exhibit ended, which was also well attended. Again I enjoyed talking about colored pencil, my work and my experiences on safari. 

I was thrilled to sell eight pieces during the exhibit and I am donating a portion of my sales to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy  Lewa focuses primarily on conservation of the white and black rhinos, Grevy’s Zebra and elephants. Lewa also promotes things like education, healthcare, clean water and youth empowerment for its community.

I thank everyone who came and supported me and my work and also to you reading this post!