You're Kidding Right? I Didn't Seriously Do this Did I?

Last night i decided to do a quick background for a painting I want to do. I know I want it mostly red and since the gesso I used was white I thought I'd just slap on some red acrylic paint as a foundation so that I could paint over it tonight in oils. 

I thought I was being SOOOO smart! HAH! I have three jars of solvent, one is water which I rarely use, one is baby oil which I use to clean my brushes, and the third is linseed oil which I use for thinning. I've thought of labeling these jars but decided that I'm smart, I can tell the difference between them...apparently not. I'll put that on the list of mistakes not to repeat, "never think you're smart". You may be able to tell where I'm going with this one...

Yup! You guessed it! I used baby oil to thin the acrylics instead of water. One might also think that I'd have copped on by the fact that the large quantities of paint I was putting on my brush kept sliding off and slopping back down on the palette. Oh no! I didn't cop on then! I just chalked what I thought was weird paint behavior up to the fact that I'd gotten used to oils and didn't remember this from my acrylic painting days. I just put my hand under the brush like you might a spoon full of liquid and slapped in on the board. It wasn't until I got all done and noticed that the first corner I painted was kind of shiny and slick that it finally dawned on me and I smelled the "water" and realized what happened. I will definitely be labeling those jars! 

Here's what I found this morning. A slick and shiny painting with baby oil oozing out. :S

Here's a close up of the drips. Nice ehh?

Well, I guess if anyone was wondering what would happen if you mix baby oil and acrylic paint, I've solved the mystery! To continue the experiment, next up is to see how the oil paints go on over the top. I'm holding my breath!

Callaway Gardens Building - Oil Painting

Callaway Gardens Building

12x12

Oil

Here's a painting of a building at Callaway Gardens. This building has a restaurant upstairs on the opposite side and a shop and something else on the lower floor on the side that's showing. I was bummed because by the time we got here the shop was closed and I missed an opportunity to browse.

The photo I took seems to have spherized the image a bit, I guess the same thing must have happened on the other paintings I've photographed (vs. scanning) but the subject matter in this one seems to have accentuate it. I swear, the roof doesn't bent like that in the original. I'll probably scan this and the others when they get dry enough.

Callaway Gardens Butterfly - Oil Painting

Butterfly

12x12

Oil

This is an impasto painting which I've never done before, well, on second thought I guess I have, it's just been an incredibly long time. Anyway...I had so much fun slathering the paint on!

Callaway Gardens Patio Overlooking Pond - Oil Painting

Callaway Gardens Patio

12x12

Oil

Here's another painting I did from the photos I took at Callway Gardens here in GA. I was able to get several great shots while I was there so there will be more to come :)

Another Sketch

I was able to get another sketch of Mr. Roo (Riley that is) the night before last. He sometimes will stand on the deck outside the french doors on the opposite side of his ottoman perch and the chair that goes with it, which I was sitting in at the moment when I caught this. He stands quite still for long periods of time just staring at the world so it was a great time to sketch him. I think I'd like to turn this into a painting, I'll have to keep my camera handy and snap a reference shot then next time he takes the position.

My First Abstract

Abstract

5x7

Oil on Masonite

I want two large abstract paintings for my family room and have decided to try to create them myself. I decided to start really small and see what happens and hey, if by some miracle I create "the one(s)" then maybe I'll just scan them in at really high resolution and order them blown up on canvas from ImageKind.com. Here was my first attempt, well, actually truth be told, it's my second attempt but the first attempt is going in the trash.

Award

Thank You so much Adriana for another award!

There are so many great blogs to pass this on to but I'm going to need to come back to this later.

Sketches

Here are some sketches I did last night while watching Runaway Jury on tv. I saw the movie before so it didn't take all of my attention and I was able to scribble a bit.

This is Riley, he's a greyhound/pointer mix, or that's the guess anyway. He came from a puppy rescue in Colorado. He is a very slender and sleek guy. Here he's in one of his favorite places, laying on the ottoman looking out the window at the birds, squirrels, neighbors, and anything else which may float by. He kept changing position (darn him) hence all of the starts and stops.

Here he's moved to the chair to settle in for a good nap. Yes, the dogs are part of the family and do get to sit where the humans do. Thank God it's microfiber, that stuff is wonderful!

Here's a sketch of Morgan and Riley, they were sleeping in separate locations, they just happened to fit like puzzle pieces into each other on the page. Morgan is another rescue dog, she came from a humane society in GA, her mom was found wandering the streets pregnant, was brought into the the humane society and gave birth to the most adorable litter! The guess is that she's a boxer/lab mix.

I couldn't possibly have gotten sick of the dogs...they must have left the room at this point. They were getting a bit self conscious having me stare at them so much. I know dogs don't get self conscious but by the looks they give one would swear that they do.

The final sketch, this is of Morgan who has claimed the ottoman, one of her favorite evening places, though she's not quite as slim and flexible as Riley and sometimes it takes her a couple of turns and landing attempts before she gets herself positioned so she feels like she won't fall off.

Oil Painting of Girl for Windows to the Words

Girl 

10x12

Oil on Illustration Board

Here's the painting I did for James Parker's Windows to the Words blog.

Flower in Oil - Final

Flower

Oil

14.75x7.75

Here is the final of this painting. I can't quite get the colors in the scan correct, the flower in the painting is actually a bit more orange but this is pretty close. I finished a portrait for James Parker's Windows to the Word blog, as soon as it dries enough I'll scan that in and post it. I also have a few paintings which are in the sketch stage, I'll try to get those scanned and posted in the next couple days as well.

Lovely Blogger Award

Adriana, author of Arthur Simo, the Outside Artist gave me this award. 

Thank You!

Here are the seven blogs to which I pass this award on to:

Sheila Tajima

Art for Shelter Animals

South of North Studio

Joan Sicignano

Feathered Friends Momentos

Camille Larue Olsen

Michael China

Flower in Oil - Work In Progress 1

I've been working on this painting here and there for the last couple of weeks. It's another flower I photographed when I was at Callaway Gardens last summer. A good friend of mine and I were debating what kind of flower this is and we decided that it looks like an Iris. For some reason I feel it should be something more exotic than that...oh well, I guess I should have written it down. This painting is oil on gessoed poplar plywood and is 14.75"x7.75".

Sunflower in Oils - Final

Sunflower 2

Oil Paint

11x14

Here's the final scan of the sunflower painting.

The Lemonade Award

Joan Sicignano has given me the Lemonade Award. Thanks!

The Lemonade Award given to bloggers who show gratitude and a positive attitude. I would like to share this award with the following artist with generous spirit.

The Lemonade Award goes to the following artist :
James Parker
Carrie Jacobson

Olga Wagner

Lorie Rowe

Elizabeth Pearson

Johannah Racz

Kim Denise

The Lemonade Award rules:
1. Post the logo on your blog
2.Nominate at least 7 blogs that show great gratitude and or/attitude
3. List and link your nominator in your post
4. List and link your nominees in your post and let them know they're recipients.

Sunflower in Oils - Working 5

I went back and put more details in the flower, I think I may be done with this one. I've been having a hard time getting good photos of it so when it's dry enough I'll scan it in and re-post it.