Pour #6

These are my pours for tonight......these are so doggone addicting.  I just finally gave up and sectioned off a portion of my studio for pour painting with all the supplies better at my finger tips and all in one area instead of all over.....  I used Blue, Orange, Red and a color called Brick which was an orange color and instead of swiping with White I used Buttermilk.  (All Americana brand).  The cells just exploded....and kept appearing and appearing and changing.  Who knows what it will look like in the morning........  The Buttermilk might be a great swipe with different shades of brown and black.  I will have to think on that one......Till next time.

Dusk

A woman on Facebook posted a photo and gave permission to artists to paint if they wished.  It had a few challenges so I decided I needed to give it a try...and I am pleased.  It is stretched canvas on a board, portrait grade with very little grain....which I really like.  I used Americana paints on this one because I readily found the colors that I felt were going to work for this...  I just finished flyspecking Glamour Dust Ice Crystal on the finished piece after first spraying with a matt sealer....and I am calling it DONE....

Houser House Creations

These are photos I took of my daughter and son in laws most recent show here in Bend, OR.  

Craft beer is a big commodity here so this was a beer fest they were invited to participate in.  

Most of their items for this event were beer related but they specialize in Harry Potter items and custom signage.  My daughter makes some awesome jewelry made from her own handmade lamp work beads as well as jewelry findings to create your own jewelry.  Check out their respective stores for quality handmade items.

With the holidays fast approaching unique items are on the top of everyones giving list and there is no better place to shop than their Etsy stores......
      
       www.houserhousecreations.etsy.com
       www.dragynsfyre.etsy.com

My Japanese Maple

Pour #5

Flip and drag swipe with black.  Tried the colors of a peacock....  not sure if I like these.  You think the colors are going to work but some just take over, some turn kinda muddy....we will see what they look like in tomorrows' light.  Used:  Brown, green, turquoise and blue.

Pour #4.

I decided I wanted to put some darker colors and see how they worked with black (dirty cup, pour and drag) and use the same colors and do a dirty cup, pour and drag with an Ivory.  Here are the results.  I am mostly pouring and learning...seeing what I like and don't like, consistency I want my paint solutions, which pour medium is my favorite, what colors don't work.  My brand of paint favorite,  colors that work well together, etc. and keeping my Pour Journal.

I am finding that there is MUCH more involved in Pouring than just choosing colors,  and tipping the cup upside down.    There are so many different aspects of the artwork...and is really pretty much what the artist pouring likes, wants to achieve.  Etc.

In this pour I for all 3 I used:  Dark Green, Beige, Metallic Copper,  Orange and a Medium Brown.

The top photo I have named:  Monarch Symphony
       middle photos named:     River of Fire

FAVORITES:
Golden GAC is MY favorite pouring medium because I like the fact that the finished piece has a sheen to it.....what I may try when I do these swipes or frostings (as I call them) is mix my Ivory or my Black with the Elmers glue mixture to be a little more conservative $$ wise IF the results are good....and this way I will get both matte and gloss in one piece from the get go....

Americana Paints are my favorite paints.  They are the closest to the consistency I am looking for without a lot of extra work.  Folk Art is too thick, and Delta is too thin, Liquitex is too thick but Americana is JUST RIGHT.

Treadmill Lubricant still remains my favorite silicone addition.

I like the canvas boards but only up to 8" x 10".  Any larger and they seem to buckle in the middle instead of lay flat.   My favorite canvas pieces are the ones that I purchase at Hobby Lobby and are no more or less than any other local art store so as long as they work the best for me I watch my coupons and buy on sale....  My favorite stretched canvas on frame size is 11" x 12" or 12" x 12".  These 3 surfaces and sizes are MY favorites.

I have two different sized lids that I paint in and I am looking to get another of the larger ones.    I save my "pour overs" so I have skins and there are times both lids are drying before I can peel off so I will be scouring our local thrift stores for a "deal"......

My Ivory and Black Pouring Colors are premixed in the large squirt bottles (like Ketsup and Mustard are found in) and I purchase them by the 6 pack at our local restaurant store.  Best price I have found.
These are premixed with the pour medium, then labeled.  I will do other colors this way as I find favorites.

I like my "frosting mixture" to be thinner in consistency than my pouring colors....again preference.
And I have found that my preference is less paint vs too much paint...  and by sticking to the same size canvas proportions are going to be easier for me to learn and I will have less waste.  I love that I can even use the run off as a Skin.

Stay Tuned for More information.

Pour #3

I am hoping that this one doesn't do any more running tonight and stays pretty much as you are seeing it now.  I used a light green, light aqua, buttermilk and gold in this one.....  Pleased and allows me to have the freedom to play when I swipe.... Black was my base.     Maybe next I will try darker colors and a buttermilk swipe....    I am afraid I'm "hooked".

Pour Skin

This is a "skin" that I peeled from the lid I did my pour in,  after it dried.  I will use this for mixed
media to obtain texture or work into the design somehow and/or for jewelry ....  Love this one.

POURING SUPPLIES

Pouring is a lot of fun....so I thought for those who are interested in learning a list of supplies
(based solely on what I use and like) might be helpful.

1.  Rags
2.  Paper Towels
3.  Baking racks 2 .... (I got mine at the Dollar Tree)
4.  Disposable Rubber Gloves  (Can buy by the box at Harbor Freight and/or Costco)
5.  Popsicle Sticks (or something for stirring your paint)
6.  Different size plastic or paper cups.  (I purchase mine at Cash and Carry  
    Restaurant Supply Store and I prefer the clear acrylic cups so I can see inside for
   easier measuring and can see what is happening inside to the colors when I layer
  them.)
7.  Heavy Duty Drop Cloth (Hardware store, Walmart, etc.)
8.  A couple of plastic straws (for blowing paint)
9.  Cake Frosting Spatula (for frosting canvas/swiping)  (I got mine at Dollar Tree)
10.  Old Credit cards "         "           "
11. Small bottle for water.  
12. Canvas Surface  (I like 12" x 12") Just a nice size for learning.  But choose your    
      own size.  
13.  A couple of storage container plastic lids.  (I have a large and a medium size) to
       pour in..
14. Pouring Medium:
   GAC 800  (Golden Brand) Amazon or Floetrol (available in hardware stores) Elmers     Glue and water 50/50, or Liquitex Pouring Medium  (My 2 favorites are the Elmers Glue and water and the GAC).  Liquitex is expensive and hard to find....and Floetrol can be clumpy/lumpy.  You can use different pour mediums in different colors if you choose to...they will mix OK.
15.  Black Acrylic Paint (I prefer Americana, because of its consistency) but any brand 
       of acrylic paint will work.  I buy my Black in the large bottle because I use a lot of
       black.  And small bottles of acrylic paint of your color choices/favorites.
16.  Silicone
       Treadmill Lubricant (I purchase mine from Amazon) and is my choice or any 
       brand of hair serum that contains the ingredient diamethicone (which is the 
       scientific name for silicone.
17.  Eyedropper for measuring out Silicone
18.  Push pins (to make legs when pouring on wood framed canvas...one in each 
       corner.
 19.  Small Butane Torch and a High Efficiency Butane  High efficiency will result in
        longer lasting torch ... less expensive butane will clog your torch.  You can 
        purchase a torch at Harbor Freight, or I sell them on my website at:
        www.artisticrenderings.etsy.com OR a chefs butane torch will also "work".
    
CLEANING SOLUTION RECIPE:
I keep a wide mouth jar of "cleaning mixture" beside my sink with one of my soft bristled brushes to clean my hands.  I just stick my hand(s) in and use the brush to 
scrub "me" clean.
1/4 Proportion of Murphys Oil Soap
1/4 Proportion of Rubbing Alcohol
1/2 Proportion of Water
Depending on how often it is used determines "new batch".  I normally keep mine a couple of weeks and add to it if I need.   
**This is also the cleaning mixture that I use for cleaning my brushes when I paint.

          Soft bristled brush is available on www.artisticrenderings.etsy.com 

*****  The photo at the beginning of this is a small framed canvas board that I laid in pour run off, laid a rubber stamp in, left until it was dried, and then dry brushed black acrylic paint lightly over the top to bring out the design.   

Thrift Store Find

I scored big time on 2 of these at a local thrift store.....brand new.  They measure 9" in diameter but only about an inch deep.  Lidded box.  I am pretty sure a landscape will get painted on these....  Perfect for jewelry, loose change, trinkets, etc.   One of my favorite surfaces to paint on.  

Lampwork Pens

These are 2 ink pens I have designed with handmade lamp work beads,,,,and the top one has a
ceramic handmade bead in the center.  I love the little frog on the bottom one with butterfly lamp work beads on each side.  The very top knob can be glued on or you have the ability to leave as is
(and check and tighten the knob as needed) if you want to change your beads.  They are a bit on the heavy side .....  I wouldn't want to write pages with them but a notecard, checks, etc. would work great....  A neat, unique gift for the person who thinks they have "seen it all"....

POURING #2

This is a pour from this evening.  The top Photo is the entire piece and the bottom is a close up of an area I really like the effect of.
I am finding that for me, it is best to use less paint.  I like the results/effects I get.
I DO NOT like these colors and have more mixed so I will layer in a different order.   Maybe as it sets overnight colors will change...but I am liking how I am getting a black outline on the bigger colored cells.
I added the colors to my pour cup and then a few drops of silicone, next color, 3-4 drops of silicone and repeat layers of color/silicone.
I turned my cup in the corner area. then frosted around the cup with black/pour medium mix,  pretty thin and this one I actually swiped with my spatula.
This is a 12" x 12" canvas panel.  

Evil Eye Necklace

A friend gifted me with the focal bead.  It is cool and smooth and reminded me of an "evil eye" to maybe protect me from evil but JUST IN CASE I added a Buddha head.  The beads are a pale green
because the one inner circle of the eye is this same, pale,  green color....so the choice was easy.  The bead is black so I have used a black nylon cord knotted at the top and bottom of each handmade lamp work bead, a glue in bale by Tierra Cast and then several jump rings so I can change the length of the necklace with the clasp...and I wanted it a tad longer than the cording I cut.....but there is always a solution....well, usually.  I really like the way it turned out....elegantly simple.

Pouring

Lately I have been obsessed with "pouring",  This one really turned out to my liking and as a result others followed as I mixed up a lot of each of the colors...and I am glad I did.  My favorite size canvas so far are those that are 12 x 12 .... seems like a pretty nice size .... especially since I am new
to this technique.  It will help me to get a feel for things if they are all the same size.  Judging paint, water, silicone, pouring medium to paint ratio, etc.  I like the colors so much I am going to get a new bottle of each one.  Kinda reminds me of hydrangeas for some reason......I guess the colors.  Which makes me wonder how a dark green would be instead of the black.  I am finally getting close to what I think I want to concentrate on.  I want a technique that is a bit more playful than just turning the cup upside down and letting happen whatever happens.....takes all the fun out of the art form and doesn't allow the creativity I desire when I am "art-ing".   This dried just as beautiful as it was shen it was wet and that was a success in itself.    I like that I got big and small cells, a blending of colors the web -by look, the ability to draw the black thin crevice  down through the painting... and the uniqueness of the abstract designs......  The photos below were done with the same colors.  #1 and #3 are 5" x 7" canvas boards.  Photo #2 below was a an upside down canvas in run off....and the last photo shows how beautiful the runoff itself is which is going to be a gorgeous Skin.   It amazes me how different each piece is...depending on the "pour" itself...the ratio of colors used, and the way things run.  There is definitely a learning curve.  I going to get a couple of frames and see how these look framed...

Horizon Tree

I took the photo (bottom) and decided to try my hand at a painting using it as inspiration and reference.  I thought I was "done" but as I look at it there are some things that I want to do to embellish ... darken some grassy clumps, lighten some areas of the grass, do some line work, add some shadows to the tree foliage, brighten the sky, highlight the clouds and add another to the left. shadow the tree on the grassy area, etc.   Finishing..... refining......  The canvas is 12 x 12 inches, Liquitex paints, Dynasty designer series brushes, and my old stand by scruffies.....

For whatever reason (artists' license) I changed my painting........The new rendition seems to be more
interesting.  What time of day is it?  What is the light behind the tree?  Where does the pathway lead?
What does the painting signify to you?  I like paintings that connect to others....  Still not sure if this is "DONE" so will wait and see.....I think I want to do a bit of work on the glow behind the tree....we'll see what happens.

Rubber Stamps

I have finally found the time to play with a couple of the rubber stamps that I sell on my Etsy site.  They are used in so many different mediums, techniques, etc.  The artists imagination creates.

The top is Cave Maze on black cardstock.  First I laid down a layer of paint and pressed the stamp down on top.  When it dried I used the same color and did a slip slap with the same color.  I am not sure just what my next step will be....

The bottom is a small canvas and the colors are from an acrylic pour that I did.  I laid the canvas in the runoff and then laid the stamp on top of the canvas and let it dry there.  This stamp was Deco Dimension.  Two totally different looks.....  I need to look for a frame for this one.

I have buyers who use the stamps in so many different ways.  Paint, ink, pastels, gelli, soap making, cake decorating, cookies, clay, ceramics, metal etching and even one woman has used them to make a quilt....imagination.......

I have stamps designed by Lisa Pavelka, Christy Friesen, Helen and Mike Breil from Canada, and a design team which is where the majority of my stamps are purchased from and they provide 3 different sizes from small to Mega.....

Acrylic Pours

My newest endeavors have been in acrylic pours   Sometimes the results are good ....  sometimes they are bad.  Some you can save with a swipe of white or black and others are just doomed for the trash can.  You just NEVER seem to know how they are going to turn out.  Here are some of the best ones I have done so far but a far cry from the gorgeous ones I have seen being done by others.  Color is not my forte' so I think that is why so many fail.......muddy.

Driftwood Necklaces

2 of my newest driftwood necklaces designed with pieces from Latavia.  The top necklace is made using handmade lamp work beads and the bottom one with tribal trade beads.

Stone Necklaces

These are 2 of my newest necklace designs made using beach stones....I love the way they turned out.

Labor Day 15% discount

Today through Labor Day ONLY..... 15% discount on all orders $25 or greater.  Use coupon code
LABORDAY.  This is a new stamp I just listed today called Mehndi Borders which is a continuous rollable stamp, laser cut for intricate transfer of design whether using on clays or card making.  These are high quality top of the line stamps ....  you will be delighted.