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There are some weeks where no matter how much or how little you paint you get solid results. There are weeks where the opposite is true; this is one of those weeks. However patterns just flowed from pens this week. In light of these events a pattern will be featured today & tomorrow. Today's pattern is very broadly inspired by solar systems & stars. I recently learned about Dark Sky Parks & am particularly intrigued by the concept. It clearly had an impact. I am even considering adding in some more neon pastel shades to make this pattern more emulative. Let me know what you think in the comments. These items & more are available in my society6 shop.
Rachel Baldwin of Appetite Paper first caught my eye on Pinterest with her gorgeous paper flowers, or as she likes to call them "flowers that last." I promptly followed her on Instagram for a more in-depth look at the beautiful blooms. I lucked out & won a giveaway that Rachel was having & soon had lovely paper flowers in my possession. Little did I know, at the time, that in addition to making delightful paper flowers she makes amazing hand-painted invitations. Her Etsy has a great selection of seriously fun invites! I strongly recommend checking out all of Rachel's paint & paper endeavors after reading her #PaletteProject responses below. What color do you wish wasn't there?
I'd have to say the Brown, I have yet to find it useful on canvas. Though I do seem to find it in my house décor. What is your favorite brush/ tool to work with? I love experimenting with new ones, I have way too many! But I’ve been really loving my water brush lately, they give you so much control and their fluid motion is fun to play with. What is your favorite paper/surface to paint on? Since I mainly paint to create paper products, invitations, cards and patterns. I work a lot with no-bleed paper, It scans beautifully and ensures crisp lines that are easy to transfer to digital. You do have to be careful with how much water is on your brush though, the paper is thin and can ripple in an instant! What is your favorite color to work with? I've been drawn to marigold hues lately, rich yellow and oranges.
I have always loved portraiture, with particularly strong leanings towards Fauvist use of color. I forget how much I enjoy the process, & in an attempt to be less serious I present you with these faces. Which if you ask me still look pretty serious despite their vibrant colors. My senior thesis in high school was a show composed entirely of vibrant faces with bright red apples hanging on turquoise thread in front of them. The string & apples provided enough of a veil so that you would have to stand in a specific spot to see the portrait & thus the person. A lot like life, right? The apple temptation proved too much & another student tangled all of the threads by throwing the apples, not a wonderful moment. But at least it fit metaphorically. That AP Art portfolio was not graded highly & since then I have shied away from the faces. However the process is less laboured, much more free & that counts for something. I think the faces will be around for awhile now. Hope you enjoy color!
Megan Weaver of 200Lemons has serious skill with watercolor. The quality of her washes to create all manner of creatures is enviable. I highly recommend her Instagram for more painting gems. What color do you wish wasn't there?
If I am being completely honest and exposing my artistic secrets and quirks... When it comes to my palette, I am quite organized and need to have it clean and in order. The majority of the time I'm happy with each color that is there, but I don't like when I've left too much white on the palette. I only use it for final highlights and sometimes it can run into my other colors and make them cloudy and unusable. What is your favorite brush? The smaller the better. I tend to work pretty small and currently paint with a 000 Winsor & Newton Cotman Round brush. What is your favorite paper/surface to paint on? Arches Cold Press watercolor paper. I buy the large sheets and rip them down to smaller 4x6 -5x7 pieces with deckled edges. What is your favorite color to work with? Black and Indigo. They are two colors that can take an underpainting and really make it pop. First poem of the New Year & today being the Feast of Epiphany, with content that addresses both occasions: that is what I consider a win all around. I love this poem, perhaps because I heard it sung before I knew it was a poem & now I hear the song while reading it. In light of that I have included a YouTube video & recommend hitting play while reading along with the lyrics/poem. There are many phrases that bear repeating, but I will leave you to it. Feel free to comment below with your favorite phrase. In Memoriam, [Ring out, wild bells] Lord Alfred Tennyson, 1809 - 1892 Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind For those that here we see no more; Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes But ring the fuller minstrel in. Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good. Ring out old shapes of foul disease; Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be. In a world that doesn't always take time to observe natural beauty I find it very important to call attention to it. The camellias are blooming here in South Carolina & the sunsets have to be seen to be believed. The colors of both are absolutely astounding. I encourage all of you to spend time looking at the natural world today if possible, but specifically more in this new year!
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