Oh ... This and That ...

The tugboat has been bought - YAY - and will be sailing off this afternoon to its new home way east of here, in the prairies. The purchaser wishes to remain anonymous, but I thank her very, very much!

Green wave parrot tulip

I am working on ideas for another tulip painting. A friend of one of my sisters fell in love with the one I had done for my aunt, and bought it. As my aunt found the painting a bit overwhelming with its dark background, I will try to restrain my inner drama queen, and keep the painting more in the pastel color range. I have found some interesting references for a parrot tulip called the green wave, and will compose something with those in mind.

Four of my paper mache beasties are ready for gesso. I'll get that done today. But I had to start the horse for the third time - just not right. I wanted to recover the wire I had used for its leg armatures, so I tried to pry the legs off. The paper mache dries SOOOO firmly, I finally had to resort to using a hammer ... HARD! Wow, that stuff dries beautifully! I am still loving the paper mache. Somehow, I find it so calming at those times when I let myself get too wired up. So for my next therapy session, I am making a rather large goose - it will probably stand about three feet tall. Then I have in mind a pig, maybe like the painting I did of the singing pig ... and then ...

Thank you so much for visiting! Your comments are always welcome. 

Looking for a Forever Home ... or ... Auction

My friend, Pat, prefers the greens, so ...

... I have decided to put this first of the tugboat paintings up for auction.
The painting is unframed, and the size is 18 x 12.5 inches/ 46 x 32 centimeters.
It is on Arches 140 lb. CP, done with transparent and permanent pigments.
I am starting the bid at $95.00 Cdn., and the price includes shipping anywhere.
Every day, I will check my blog here, and let you all know what is the latest offer. I will keep the auction on for one month. If you wish to make a bid, please leave me a note here, or on the facebook post.
Let the bidding begin ...
Latest bid is $105.00

Thank you for dropping by! Your comments are always welcome!!!!

... and Now a Word from My Paper Mache Friends ...

Here's my Basset hound, with her ears attached.

I have her posing in front of the blue version of the tugboat painting for contrast.
As Pat prefers the green version of the tug work, I will be finishing this blue version soon, and offering it up for auction on my gallery page. Stay tuned ...

Horse, with hoofies attached ...

I have also finished with the paper mache part of the frog. He is sitting on a pile of newsprint that was part of his armature while I worked. Yes, I eviscerated him! ACK!!!

... hole cut out with exacto knife ...

... covering back in place.  The frog, owl and possum are ready for some gesso applications. Then I will paint them, and apply some sort of varnish to seal them. As I work with these structures, I am amazed at how very strong they are - probably at least as sturdy as clay work.

Thank you for visiting! Your comments are always welcome!  

The Seaspan Pat Has Reached Home Port ... or ... the Tugboat Painting Is Finished

It was all detail work ... painting the mast, darkening the shadows, indicating the ports and hatches ...
I also darkened the hull, and gave it more of a working tug appearance with some dry brushwork.

Here she is ...

Now it's off to play with the paper mache menagerie, and think of what next to paint!

Many thanks for dropping by! Your comments are always welcome!

I Don't Like to Toot My Own Horn, but If I Don't Nobody Will ...

I entered "I'm Free" in the latest Federation of Canadian Artists show, called "Works on Paper". I was very surprised and pleased to find out that it won 2nd place, and also sold.

I submitted "Steph's Hollyhocks" to the previous FCA show, and it sold as well.

Maybe things are looking up!!!

Many thanks for visiting! And your comments are always welcome.

The Paper and Paste Menagerie Is Growing ...

I start with a few sketches to get an idea of pose and proportion.

Then I scrunch up some newspaper into balls, and tape with masking tape.  Legs, fingers and toes, I usually use a wire armature of some sort - craft wire, coat hanger, twist-tie. Then I wrap the wire in paper, too, and tape it.

My next step is taping all the body parts together, and making sure the figure stands solidly, and is in proportion.

Meet Mr, Przewalski, ready for some paper and paste treatment. The Przewlaski horse is believed to be the progenitor of all horse breeds. I think there are still some herds on the Asian steppes, and in sanctuaries world-wide.

Sketches for the dog figure.

It's supposed to be a Basset hound, but I'm not sure if it will be long enough.
Now to get REALLY messy with some flour and water paste!!!


Many thanks  for visiting! And your comments are always welcome.

The Tugboat Is Still Out at Sea ...

I think when I last posted about this painting, the boats and gulls were still under masking fluid.  At this stage, I think I have done a decent job of portraying the British Columbia coast. [Yay ... there is hope for my painting landscapes.]

Masking gone, edges smoothed and cleaned up, and I have started the tugs. I am using my favorite black mixture - quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone. For the reds, I am using mixes of alizarin crimson and quin. siena, adding phthalo green [blue shade] for the shadows of the reds. Just a lot of nit-picking work to do on the ships, then assess the overall image.

Thank you so much for dropping by! Your comments are always welcome.