"Ocean,Kelp,Sky"

"Ocean, Kelp, Sky"
Acrylics and mixed medium

on Birch Panel
24" X 24"

I started experimenting with mixtures of Blues on a Birch Panel a while back.
The beauty of this method is that one never knows what the actual end result will look like.
You end up with what the paint gives you.

on this one I applied Gold leaf across one side on an diagonal
Let the whole thing dry, placed it on the shelf.

I then promptly forgot about it

until the other day.

While flipping through the Rack
I came across this one and thought
"Would a fish ever look great on this!
so I penciled in a fish.

I was at complete odds with myself as to how I would paint in a fish 

so it would look  like it was in actual water.

Not as if it had been applied atop the already prepared  background.
As a mixed media Artist, I collect things.

I collect a lot of things

and 

like a Raven or a Magpie, I especially love shiny things.

yep, Blue foil.

I then got the insane idea that I would cut out individually each strip of foil 

and compose the flowing fins as individual pieces.
Affix them to the background and have wonderful movement.

And I set out.

three days later I had a reasonable looking  Beta Fish

that actually had movement.

The next photo show the progress of this endeavor!

When the Fish was done I taped off the board following the Gold leaf

and

poured Liquitex pouring medium on the blocked off area.

You don't want to know how long it took the medium to dry.

You can see in the photo below 

on the upper Left corner how the area is now like Glass.

(reflection)

 I then  (again )waited for it to dry more.

after the Pouring medium was totally dry I rubbed a deeper blue over the Gold leaf

(Blue and yellow make green)

and had my kelp

the top right hand corner is a matte finish as opposed to the Glass like bottom with the Kelp as a separator

a rather poor detail of the beta Fish.

"Seasons"

"Seasons"

(Taken at an angle to show the varied sheens)

16" X 20"
Acrylics and Mixed media
on Canvas

Recently I had the pleasure of being gifted trial sizes 

of 

Liquitex products.

among these were two trial sizes of

spray paint.

so, of course I had to try them.

I had begun a canvas with tree trunks , 

intending to let my imagination run with whatever happened.
What better than Leaves?

This was the Partially finished canvas I started with.
Birch tree trunks atop Gold and Copper Metal leaf.

Obviously, this was not anywhere complete,
and
for some reason I just didn't tune into what I had.

Stuff was sorely missing on this canvas.

 So, I grabbed one of my Stencils and started out with the Gold paint

then added leaves of Silver on top of  them.

and the shape and form began.

I notice that I had left a serious gap in the middle of the canvas

So I added more Gold & Silver leaves in the middle,

toned down some more  of the Metallic paint

by washing the canvas with a very light leaf green

and scrubbed it off,
I then faded some of the leaves in and out.
The Seasons of the year fade in and out with grace.
and so do the leaves on the trees.
I wanted the leaves to look like some were emerging and some were fading away.

and ended up with this;

I like the Liquetex Metallic sprays, you can paint Acrylics over them.
(Something that is next to impossible with other Metallic Spray paint.)

I will always hold the actual  Gold and Silver Leaf dear to my heart.
I love working with leaf.
That said, the effects of these sprays is great!
They are almost too bright (Shiny) for my liking, 

but that can always be toned down 

with an overlay of acrylic wash or paint.
I hope you enjoy this painting

and how it came about.

It was fun experimenting with new products.

~~Kathleen

 "The River"
Acrylics & Mixed Media
On

Canvas
12" X 18"

It is not often that a person can create a work of Art 

on a canvas that looks like a painting

but is not one.
This work was composed entirely without brush work.

The sizing used to affix the Gold,Variegated,

 and Silver leaf was painted on by brush.
That put an end to the actual use of any brushes.

The background on the Canvas was painted a Matte Black.

I applied Goldens Light Molding Paste to form ridges that would represent
 tree trunks 

on the Upper right 1/3 of the Canvas.

I did the same to the lower left to denote bushes.

Then I  I randomly laid down the leaf in a rough

pattern

and left it to dry.

At this stage I had not used the Copper leaf yet.

 You can see the black areas where, after the leaf had dried fully,

 I had taken a very stiff brush and scumbled areas of it to distress the Leaf.

That was it for this part of the background.

Once the base was dry I poured Goldens Green gold

atop parts of the leaf, let it sit for 20 minutes and started buffing it off.
leaving the  shiny leaf with a green undertone.
Next,

I decided where I wanted the water to be.

 I  painted sizing where I wanted the copper strips to be.

(I did not take a photo of this step, so the one above is just after I started defining the trees.)
Once the Copper Leaf dried, I then painted sizing in between the copper
and 

randomly affixed Gold and Silver leaf slivers randomly.

This gave the "Water" a visual  flowing movement.

My next step was to decide where I wanted trees to go on both sides of the River banks.
I dropped small splotches of Jenkins Green paint where I thought trees would be most pleasing and then formed them with Saran wrap.

This is a method that I learned a long time ago and I still use it a lot for shaping abstract trees on my Art.

Laying the wrap on the wet paint and manipulating it to form groves and branches is very effective. and once dried  leaves a very pleasing effect.
You can see on the tall lower tree on the right

The the detail is achieved by laying the wrap on the paint,

and  pinching the Saran wrap over the over it.
The darker lines are where the paint goes into the creases of the wrap

and are very defined when they dry.
Example 1

Example 2

The end result depends so very much on how the initial laying of the Leaf ends up,
and

what a person "Sees" in a work.

I saw, from the very beginning that this would be a landscape 

and have water running through the middle of it.

Here are a couple of close-ups of the work

this shows the Molding paste formed ridges to shape the trees.

this is a detail of the layers on the river.
You can see as well, how the Manipulated paint works with the wrap.

If you have any questions on working with this method (Saran or Cling wrap)

please comment below or send me an email.

ptunys@gmail.com

Hope you like it

~~Kathleen

"Larches in the Rain on a Late Autumn day"
16" X 18"

Acrylics & mixed media on canvas

I love Larches.

They are tough as nails, capable of almost bending in 1/2 during a wind storm,
and
straightening right up once the wind has passed.

Beautiful green, and Spruce like.

They have needles that turn gold in the Autumn and drop before the Winter sets in.
(Unlike Spruce and Pines.)

My children are fortunate enough to have a shelter-belt of Larches fronting their property.

Larches in  Canada are also called"  Tamarack"

'Tamarack' is from the Algonquin word 'akemantak' which means "wood used for snowshoes".
        Historically, tamarack was widely used in wooden ships, for timbers, planking and to join ribs to deck timbers. Native Americans used the roots to bind seams of birch bark canoes, the wood for arrow shafts and the bark medicinally.
http://www.larchwoodcanada.com/what_is_a_larch_tree

They have a "Special" feel and look.

They are quite unique in that they are
deciduous.

Most coniferous trees are evergreens, but some deciduous trees are evergreens as well. Evergreen trees keep their leaves in all seasons, lose them gradually as the weather cools

 The needles on a Larch are never quite as stiff as on an Evergreen.

This painting is  done on a base covered  randomly with molding paste to denote trunks .
It is over painted and the trees emerge.
 The photo below highlights the ridges of the paste after painting.

I hope you like this.
I kinda do!
~~Kathleen

"Fourteen Trees on a River Walk"

Acrylics on Canvas
12" X 12"
(SOLD)
An exercise in light where you have a daytime painting with no sun!
No sun means no obvious shadows, not an easy task.
But with variances in colours (blue & white only)
I did it!
Actually in this painting I have used only three colours.
Phthalo blue (Green Shade)
White  & Paynes gray

"There is always Love"

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE.

I have been working on this pair for a while now.
I am very pleased with how they turned out.
A very different style from what I usually do!
"Tryst"
12' X 12" AND 12" X 14"
ACRYLICS AND MIXED MEDIUM
On canvas.
"SOLD"

This pair is unusual as the background of both paintings is very 
defined and not smooth.
I chose to place the shiny gels atop a Matte painted canvas for contrast.
The end result 
is
striking.
(A real statement of love)

Side by side

~~Kathleen
All comments welcome.

"How on Earth was that done?"

"The Beginning"
Acrylics And Mixed media
Birch Panel
24" X 24"

Today's entry is not about my art.
It is how the art forms of others make me better at what I do.

It is about the wonder that surrounds those of us 

that ask

"How on Earth was that done?"

A lovely friend of mine is an author.

She is dedicated to her work and has worked 

(sometimes agonizingly)

passionately on her manuscripts.

Through her, I have learned that if we do not take time

 to appreciate the intensely dedicated work of others to complete a project,

we will fail to complete the roles we have assigned ourselves in any good fashion.

For any Artist, be you a Baker, a Shoemaker, a Nurse, a Teacher, or an Author,

unless you realize and appreciate the trials and tribulations

 of others creations, craft, or profession,

you cannot appreciate the fabulous standards your own works have to live up to.

The people surrounding us (often unknowingly) are all artisans in their own right.

I put paint and other mediums on a canvas.

when I am finished one I am either pleased with the work 

or

 so dissatisfied that I will completely change it, 

or  junk it and begin anew.

Without the proper tools we use to craft in our chosen profession

we are left floating in nothingness.
Sometimes the proper tools are what we see
when we look at other people going about their daily life
 and completing certain tasks.

Everything we do goes way back in time to when someone said,
"I have an idea on how to make this work, 

I will craft it and share it with others,

 so they can utilize it and create something new with it."
We, in turn use the tool, improve on it, 

and often turn it into 

 something totally different.

I cannot tell you how many times that the end result of an  Art-work

 that I present to the public is a totally different concept from what I had in mind at the beginning.

Authors revise, edit, revise and edit more.

Nurses  & Teachers are constantly improving on their profession.

Everything changes constantly

and

if we do not stop and ask
"How did that ever get done?"
The true meaning of  the tools we use in our everyday lives

are useless,

and what we do becomes meaningless.
~~Kathleen

Wasted Leaves, Resurrected"

"Wasted Leaves, Resurrected"

Acrylics/mixed medium

Birch Panel
24" X 24"

The other day, while taking out the garbage, I tripped over something in the snow.

I used my foot and uncovered the object.

I was saddened to see a part of a book.

Looks like someone, for whatever reason, tore the pages out of binding
and
ripped it into sections..

I had tripped over one of the sections.

The pages were in reasonable shape, it was too cold for any moisture to 

damage the leaves.

I picked it up kinda slapped it against my leg to knock the snow off what was left.

Such a waste.

The beautiful words inside were lost ,
The binding was lost, a tree was lost.

Nothing good would come of it ever again.

I took it inside with me, lay it on my work desk and let it dry for a couple of days.

All the time wondering how I could do something to

make it better.

A hopeless task to be sure.

I love books.
 They were my constant companions when I was young,
And all throughout my youth. 

They were my refuge.

I owe Books so much.
 As, who I became, how I acted, and what I knew,
 came from reading books.

When the pages were dry, somewhat stiff and marked,
I saw them as an artwork desecrated, and incomplete.

The idea for this work of art formed slowly in my mind 

and

Kind of came together on its own.

I was saving some of the pages, and reforming them.
I gave them life with colour.

This work of art emerged slowly.

I documented my progress and present it to you here.

I hope you like it.
I have saved the rest of the unused pages.
For another time, another use.
All is not lost, and in my mind,
I paid homage to a once beautiful book.
and helped it become something incredible again.

~~Kathleen

 The cut outs from the pages in the first application of colour.

Final paint and the leaves drying.

Detail of the words on the Leaves

Rough arrangement of the leaves

Glueing each leaf down

Drying after the top glaze is done

~~

"Red Flowers"

"Red Flowers"
Mixed Media 

on
Cradled Birch
20" X 20"

 I love experimenting with new things, and I love taking these products out of their comfort zone and making them work for me in different ways.

The other day I was at the Art Store....
And, I noticed a product by "Pebeo"

It is a glass paint with a high shine, (like glass) LOL

so I picked up a couple of bottles of it.

If it shines it is a perfect product for me.
Yes I purchased a few things while shopping.

More gold leaf,
some new paint colours ,  Pipettes that drop paint where one wants it.
So much stuff, so little time.
Then on to the hardware store to get 1/4" birch panels.
(One 48" X 48"  panel cut in quarters)

at one tenth the cost that they would cost in the Art store.
and finally,

a Palm sander (to finish of my substrates smoothly)
One is never finished adding to the supplies needed to produce Art.

When I got all my new treasures home I really wanted to dive into using the Pebeo colours.
I prepped a 20" X 20" Cradled birch board with Grey Gesso.
Once the Gesso dried I took some Molding paste and spread lines of it down the board from edge to edge with my flat edged palette knife to cover the board with uneven gaps between the lines.

I let the paste dry until almost tacky and applied  Gold Leaf randomly on the bottom  2/3 of the base.
I left 1/3 untouched at the top.

After everything was dry I got my Pipette out (I really like these little tools),
And started drawing lines of Pebeo Apple green Vitrail over the whole board smoothed it out with a very soft brush and let it kinda streak so I had light and darker colours of green.
(Darker where the substrate was not touched by the molding paste)
I used Tar gel to draw  various sized lines dropping from the top to a little more than 1/3 of the way down.

this is what the panel looked like at that point.

I then drew on random "Flowers"  with the Tar gel and let that dry
once dry I started filling in the flowers with Goldens fluid Acrylic in Pyrrole Red.

As you can see from the glare on the painting so far , the Vitrail dries incredibly shiny (like glass LOL).
The yellowish areas on the bottom is the Gold Metal leaf overpainted with the Vitrail.

the above photo shows how mottled the background is with the differences between where the molding paste is and just the Grey Gesso is.
Here, as well you can see the red paint puddled inside the shapes of the flowers.
I, as well added one flower that has fallen to the bottom of the painting.

 The Red flower on the bottom with the stem.

Almost finished, but it did not seem balanced, so I added a bud on the bottom stem and a row of gold leaf pieces (not over-painted),  just above the fallen flower completed the painting.

 Notes:

Working with Pebeo Vitrail is fun. it is very adaptable to any substrate, and a little goes a very long way.
The colours are intense, and very fluid, actually very much like coloured water.
It did not sink right into the molding paste and never lost any of the original colour.
It is highlighted very well depending on the colour it is placed on top.
(In this case Paynes Grey & White molding paste, as well as Gold leaf)
I did buff some of the colour off places where there was Gold leaf, and while it did lift, left a hint of the green.
The colour is very intense.
I can see myself using this product a lot in the future.
I hope you enjoyed my journey with this painting.
~~Kathleen

The light scattered

"The Light Scattered"

Acrylics & Mixed Media
On Birch Panel
24" X 24"

I find that working on Birch Panels  more pleasurable than on Canvas.
Every Artist has their own preferences.
One is not necessarily better than the other, it is just a matter of personal preference.

I like painting on wood because the substrate is  less likely to move under pressure.

Again a personal preference.
I have painted many works on Canvas, and am sure I will do more paintings on Canvas, for now I will stick to the Birch Panels.
The above painting  is depicting a star that has blown up in a Galaxy far, far away.
What appears to be White, in actuality 

Silver leaf.
The effect is quite pleasing, I hope you like it.
~~Kathleen

"It is Just a Matter of Time"

Acrylics and Mixed media

On

Birch Panel

24" X 24"

(These photos are not enhanced/Photoshopped in any way)

Many times I have posted photos of my Art and followed the picture up with the comment 
"It really gleams".
Of course we all realize that shine and gloss do not show up in a photo without looking like glare.
Because of this, photographs never depict what a painting really looks like in person.
And that is a shame.
I worked on this piece for almost three weeks
 Laying down the silver leaf, over-painting that, and buffing the paint down to a thin film that allows the shine of the Silver leaf below to push through the colour.
Using many many layers of greens and blues. each buffed to a beautiful finish. 
Paint reacts on Leaf in a very different way. While you can buff off the greater part of it,
in itself, a hint of colour is always left to shine with the Silver leaf  underlay lifting it upwards.
I have posted two photos of this painting that were taken at different times of the day to show how interactive

 using Silver (or Gold) leaf is and how it reacts to different levels of sun.
Hopefully this will help you understand my often commented....
"This painting just gleams."
Thanks all
~~Kathleen

"And Then Came Fall"

"And Then Came Fall"
Acrylics and Mixed media
Birch Panel
24" X 24"

The Seasons change and life goes on.
There are beginnings and endings amongst these times.
We have new things to look forward to and old things, now to be remembered.

Time passes and each day has many wonderful and sad things to offer us.
How we deal with these things is up to us.
I am a positive thinker, I always have been.
I look forward to the seasonal changes.

Fall has always been my favorite season of the year.
It is crisp, warm, colder and fresh.
There are less bugs/insects, and the air is always refreshing.
And the Joy of colour it offers us.
Nothing can beat the beauty of Fall.
I hope you like this one.
A simple reflection of how I feel about September this year.
~~Kathleen.

"The Sun Rose Behind The Trees"

"The Sun Rose Behind The Trees"

Acrylics and Tar Gel
Birch Panel
24" X 24"

The Sun rises Behind the trees, and the whole scene lights up like they were illuminated with Gold.
In Northern Manitoba along the lakeshore, for the most part, the trees are Poplar and Birch.
They are never so thick that they cannot be walked through but in all tend to be pretty dense.
When looking East one often can see patches of the sky behind them, and the trees while fully grown,

 often have very tall trunks before the branches spread outwards.
The tops of these trees reach for the Sun.
Those that don't get that high die off.
When the Morning Sun appears it casts a glow and enhances the green leaves on the canopy, and highlights the trunks.
It is almost magical.
I hope you can see what I was trying to express in this painting.

"...And then there were Flowers."

"SOLD"

..."And Then there Were Flowers."
Acrylics and Mixed-media on Birch Panel
24" X 24"

I have always loved the muted colours of the Impressionists.
I love abstract works that have wonderful colour.
That being said, I love Art-Deco.
With this painting I have tried to combine all three.

This is a

 multi-media work that took a very long time to complete because there were so many stages to it.

Initially I saw the woman on an Art-Deco site that I frequent.
She was a pen Line drawing in black on white.

 I knew that I wanted to do something with her so I printed her off in order to make a gel 

overlay of her.
(With permission)
Once the overlay dried and I removed the paper backing, I painted in the background of the gel and then

re-applied a few more coats of gel so as to give the image some depth.
The gel of the woman took four days to dry in all before it was workable and able to be removed from the glass substrade.

I then cut her out on the edges, lifted her carefully from the glass,
and rolled her in Parchment paper so it would not stick to itself.

I began working on the panel for a background.
Initially I painted the background all silver.

Paint does not readily adhere to any  metallic background.

My intention was to create a background of soft muted colours that ran together and pooled in some areas.

so after I poured washes  on the panel, and dropped Blue and Ochre spots,
i waited for them to dry a bit.

 I leaned the panel on a block so one edge was much higher than the other and sprayed it all with a fine heavy mist of water so it would drip down taking the colour with it.

When I had the background as I wanted it, I lay it flat and

let it dry.
Then I coated the whole background with an Acrylic Glazing Liquid  (satin)

 and waited for that to dry......

I then added strings of coloured Tar-gel to represent stems and flowers.

and let that dry.

I then over-painted the flowers and adjusted the Ochre tar gel.

I let that dry.

Finally I added the woman to the painting.

I find the end result of this work very pleasing.
There was an enormous amount of time spent waiting for the mediums to dry between each step.
It is a larger work and shows beautifully.


I hope you like it.
~~Kathleen