inspired by a book

live life - oil and mixed media on canvas

I used some Christmas gift money yesterday to pick up a few things at the art store. I have been reading Kelly Rae Robert's Taking Flight and have been really inspired. A few months ago, before picking up her book, I pulled out my water-soluable oils {an awesome product I discovered in college -oil paints that don't require turpentine}. So I played around with a painting...

...and added to it a little at a time the past few months. But mostly it just sat on my desk. I walked by it everyday trying to figure out what to add. I added two birds. Iridescent dust. Stamped some words with Staze-on black ink. Added some rhinestones. Last weekend I collaged the edge of the canvas with some dark green rice paper. Called it finished. But...it still feels like something is missing.

-Fast Forward to today -

I bought some acrylics a few weeks ago...and some heavy body gel medium and clear gesso yesterday...and love them. They dry so much faster. I had forgotton how much I hated that oils take forever to dry. That is advantage with some paintings...but I like immediate gratification and want to jump into the next part of the project.

I tried some background techniques today from Kelly's book. You will see many similarities in what I did to a few of her background examples. I combined a few techniques she outlines. Used paper towel like a brush. Played with household items {corrugated cardboard from a shoebox} for texture. Spritzed with water and blotted it off to reveal the base color and more texture. Used a bottle cap dipped in white acrylic mixed with heavy body gel medium and stamped circles. I played! I am having so much fun with it! So much more interesting than my first painting...her techniques for building up layers and texture is fun to do and makes for a really interesting background.

-now-


I need to decide where to go with it. I have never been one for drawing/painting people. Was never my thing. I used to love drawing realistic objects and landscapes. I moved away from that in grad school and since because I am such a perfectionist it was hard and felt like work sometimes. I still do love doing that type of art at times but with so much going on have needed more freedom when I'm doing art.

If you have seen Kelly's work you know she does these thoughtful, whimsical girls. I'm liking them. Wondering if I could do that? I have never been one to like copying someone else's style of art. But...that is how you create new art I guess. Every artist has been inspired by another. I might try a figure or a face on this painting. I think I'd like to do this piece for my one little word of 2009. A self-portrait of sorts would be a nice visual for this concept. The idea of coming up with a word to live by during the year was an idea I really connected to in 2008. I had my 2008 word "balance" in an art peice in my office and in a frame on my art desk at home. They helped to serve as reminders and I really worked on living up to that word.

I hope to get some more time to work on my 2009 one little word painting tomorrow and next weekend. I'll post it as I go along....hoping to play around with some more techniques and stop worrying about perfection!

I highly recommend this book!