Sometimes an idea works....updated and final

The other day I was practicing with Metal leaf on a rather small canvas.

(12" X 18")
Painting over the leaf is hard, unless the surface is prepared to accept colour.

Acrylics (if very watery as I choose to use here) will bead and clump but not stick.  

So I experimented with a variety of colours atop the Gold/Silver & Copper leaf.
I dropped the colour and then inserted other colours inside the larger drops and let it all dry.
When almost dry I sprinkled Gold dust randomly over the semi dry surface.

(New work)

I, was actually pleased with the outcome.  While some thought it could stand alone as it was, I wanted to add a dash of contrasting colour somewhere.
Because the  (now) background suggested a floral garden to me, I felt that maybe a Red Flower would be just the thing to bring this canvas to light.
Maybe a Poppie?

And I remembered....A while back (actually in an earlier post here ) I had painted three Poppies on canvas. 
While removing it from the stretcher bars for shipping, I noticed that somehow a very fine white line ran through the middle of the painting horizontally.
The line was visable only in the darker area, but very visible.
So that sale was off, and the painting stayed rolled up for a couple of years on the shelf. 
I could not bring myself to trash the painting, as I had done some of the finest brush work ever on these flowers.
So there it stayed.

Until last night.

I got the idea, that if I could cut the flowers out of the canvas and somehow superimpose them on 

the new canvas I would have the Red I wanted, the floral I wanted, and save a painting as well.

Now cutting any fine line out of a Canvas is not for the faint of heart.
It shreds, Will not stay in place, and is just about impossible to do.
But I did it.

 

 (The original painting) 

The next problem was how to affix the cut-out to the canvas, attend the loose threads at the edges 

give it some stiffness and bring it all together.

I decided to make a base with Goldens semi gloss gel, superimpose the cut-out on that,

 let dryand then cut it out again.  

This would give the cut-out some substance and stiffness as well.

I got my trusty pane of glass layered the gel on it, and lightly dropped the cut-our atop it face up.

(Bottom view of the gel process)

Then with a paint brush handle I gently pushed the
Image into the gel so it would adhere to the gel.
And now it is drying.  A long process to be sure, but when dry I will have to trim it again and decide where to go from there.
More to come on this.

( top side of the imposed flowers )


Well I got the Poppies mounted on the gel, cut out (again)
and mounted on the canvas.
I LOVE IT!
I do have a bti of detailing to do on the over-lay, but I can see this work is going to be just what I imagined.
Yes, I guess I can (sometimes) actually follow through on an idea!
I am a happy Artist this morning.
steps below.

 What it looks now!
The overlay is on and looks wonderful.

 you can see the white lines of the edges of the cut-out canvas here, I used a #0000 brush to
paint over the white, and I am pleased.

 Close up of the final work.
SOLD
Later all
Remember clicking on any photo will enlarge it for better viewing.
~~Kathleen

Night Skies (detail of Moon added)

I love the Night skies.
Here in the Northern section of North America we have beautiful skies.
We have wonderful cloud formations/deep blues and an ever changing vista when we look up to the Heavens.

My favorite, has always been the night skies.

I live just a few minutes from Calgary,Alberta, Canada,
We are still we are in an area where our skies are not marred by the glow from the urban centers.
The Nights here allow one to star gaze, watch the Northern Lights when they dance above us, and to enjoy the ever constant changing blues of the night.
My Latest:
"Night Skies"

Acrylics and mixed media on cradled Birch Panel

20" X 20"

Detail of the glistening snow below

The electricity of the sky amid the "Northern Lights"

Detail of the Moon

Hope you like it.
Comments/critiques always welcome

Later all
~~Kathleen

But, then again....Finished:)

For weeks I have been working on a painting that will entail the Northern lights.  They are wonderful and so magical.  Initially I wanted to paint  something that described a wonderful passage from a book I had read, but the Author never answered my request to use her words as an inspiration for the work.
As in totally ignored my request.
Sei la vie.
At least I cared enough to ask permission, where many would not.
No loss though.
So I had to take another look at how I could do it.
I had everything done, Birch Panel prepared and was ready to paint and assemble the work, but something happened to my idea.
It seems that a brush in my hand has it's own idea of what it will do, 

and,

 I started with a wonderful Green hue that had no business on a painting that would depict the night skies.
Then some Molding paste and a template over took me and then some Copper foil, and then Yellow.
A little bit of Silver leaf, and round indentations on opposite sides of the panel.

Yesterday while browsing my computer, I came across a wonderful site named

Paper Street Supplies.

http://collagesheets.paperstreetsupplies.com/digital-collage-sheets.html?limit=24&p=2

And I saw a couple of pages of Mushrooms and thought immediately of Spores and I bought them.
Making any sense yet?
It did not to me either, but this is a prime example of how some of my paintings actually happen.
I swear, there is something inside of me that takes no direction from any idea I may have,
It makes me produce Art works that are (eventually) pleasing, colourful and balanced in the end.

It is now all coming together now.
I am beginning to see the direction of this work and it, while being rather unusual, is going to come together wonderfully.

I have attached two photos of the actual base for the completed work and when there is more will up-date this post.

Acrylics/Mixed mediums on cradled Birch Panel.

20" X 20"

 The whole Panel
showing the different medias used so far.

A close-up showing the "spores" floating and the use of the molding paste used to get the effect.
Yep, this will eventually embody Mushrooms....
And if you were to ask me how I managed to come up with this idea, I would have to truthfully tell you.....
"I have no idea!"
~~More to come :)
Later all, Kathleen

HEY ALL, ADDENDUM:

 I have now applied the Mushroom applique.
I like the contrast in colour and the meaningful way the "spores" relate to the image.
Many touch-ups are needed at this stage so, again, I will up-date this post when finished
Have a good one all
~~Kathleen

So here is the final work.
All dry and looking wonderful.
Hope you like it!

On to the next one.
Later all
~~Kathleen