SOFT GERANIUM CLIPBOARD

This weekend I wanted to try out a modification of a design by Patricia Rawlingson in the Quick and Easy June 2009 magazine. I just love the softness of her design and want to do it on some vintage metal chairs and a vintage kerosene stove to transform to a table. I had a small clipboard so decided I could use a little bit of "beauty" on the drab brown board.

When I finished and was taking a picture I decided to take an element shot (small photo) and will use this somewhere along my creative journey. I love the impressionistic look and geraniums are one of my favorite flowers. I learned a lot with this "piece" and thank PR for the inspiration. Now I feel a bit more confident as I think about painting the chairs and stove.

I am thinking of having this photo of the clipboard element enlarged to poster size and framed. I think it would just be perfect for a focal piece in a room.

Reflections of Bamboo

In my dining room I had an artificial bamboo plant in a pot. It was in a "not so good" location but I loved the way the reflection "played" on the wall so I "put up" with it.

Tonight I decided it was time I take brush and paint and use the reflection as a pattern and paint in the stalk and leaves. Then I could get rid of the tree ... kinda like having my cake and eating it too....lol...

Although my camera didn't catch my wall color correctly it is a pale green (the other 2 walls are a much darker green) and the paint I used was Wedgewood Green in Delta. I chose Delta because of its' thinness and felt it would give me less coverage which I wanted. Now that it is done it is very impressionistic
and neat. I should have done this months ago but a procrastinaotor I am.....I am. I can hardly wait to see it in daylight vs the artificial light.

One weekend project accomplished and it took me only about
30 minutes. Quick and Easy..

Artists are Magicans / Jerry Yarnell

My favorite landscape/scenery artist is Jerry Yarnell. I have taken several of his seminars and have walked away every time with a better understanding of what I want to achieve when I paint. Jerry says artists are illusionists...through paint and brush we magically put onto paper an illusion for the viewer...to finish. We bring them in to the painting and then they can walk around and enjoy what they see, getting lost in their own personal thoughts of what is "not" there. I love the impressionistic flair of painting with just a touch of realism and my goal is not to provide the viewer with a picture but an illusion they can finish to their own hearts content.

Jerry is an artist who can paint, teach and is a wonderful sharing person with his art ex-
perience. He holds nothing back and shares as much knowledge as the students are able to
absorb. Knowledge is wonderful but he provides the "how to use" techniques he has learned through the years to accomplish his wonderful pieces of art. Anyone can read
information .. and I am appreciative for his hands on way of teaching and seeing.

Small Works of Art Quiet Time

This is a "small piece of art" matted and framed. The painted picture (done by me with acrylics) is on a piece of black mat board that is ACEO (Artist Card, Edition or Original)
2 1/2" x 3 1/2" but has been matted and put into a 5" x 7" frame for a lovely piece of original, affordable wall art. The design I have used is NOT my design ... but an adaptation of a design by another artist. I used Matisse Paints, and the Dynasty Micro Mini Brush set for painting. The pointed flats were awesome for doing this design....

Brush Basin P.S.

I was using just a paper towel in the lid of my brush basin but I took my lid to
a near by glass shop and had a piece of clear acrylic cut to fit inside my lid. This allows me to "lay out" the colors in little puddles on the acrylic and I blend on my paper plate. Periodically throughout my painting session I use a mister
to spray my acrylics to keep them wet. With the acrylic palette my paints do not bleed as they were doing with just the paper towel. It works more to what I am
used to now, and like.

When my acrylic gets bad I just soak in my utility basin in hot water and the
paint peels off so I can throw it away. What doesn't; I use one of the Pampered Chef plastic scrapers...works wuuuunderful and my palette is clean as new.

One of my students says she uses one of the shamwows with a piece of the Masterson palette paper.

Different strokes for different folks....

Small Works of Art

These artistic pieces are ATC sized that I have made for a current exchange I have participated in. The rose is called "Aspen Rose" and the other piece is called "An Artists' Day". The rose is painted using Matisse acrylic paints and the other ATC is painted with the addition of altered art items depicting items of daily consideration. These little works of art are fun to do and spark the creativity within us all.... These were done on archival mat board and are 2 1/2" x 3 1/2". Frames and mats are also available for these ATC/ACEO's so that they can become a true piece of "hangable" art.... Makes having an artists' original affordable...

On the back of each piece is a label with my name, the date and
the title of the piece.

Pieces for sale can be seen on my etsy site: http://www.smallworksofart.etsy.com/