Ending 2011 ...

I like how 2011 is ending... as far as my art is concerned:-)
A few days ago, I finished my first acrylic painting which also happens to be my first abstract. This painting was commissioned by my daughter who had chosen the following colors: black, white, grey, silver and red. I gave her the painting, The Gift, as a Xmas present. And she likes it...ouff, what a relief:-)

It is 20" X  24" on a gallery wooden panel. I used regular acrylic paints, silver metallic acrylic paint, gloss medium and semi-gloss gel. The texture and the  colors, especially the grey, don't show up accurately on the picture, but enough to give you an idea of what it looks like.
My daughter is lending me the painting for my upcoming show at the Foyer Gallery...if the painting happens to sell, I promised to paint her a larger and better one:-)
What do you think? 

Red Bubble also gave me a nice way to end the year with a double feature in their grand 2011 finale of the Painters' Universe permanent feature gallery; both my recent Into the Lion's Den as well as my Golden Arch painting were featured.

I wish all my blogging friends the very best for the rest of 2011 and throughout 2012. I get so much joy and encouragement via this blog...thank you so much all of you!

Upcoming Show, Red Bubble Feature, etc.

I currently have several paintings in the Xmas Show at Foyer Gallery. My next show will be at the same gallery starting the first week of January and it will be entitled "The Art of the Matter".  Here is the poster for this show:

You will recognize my watercolor "Into the Lion's Den" at the bottom right. I have just received this painting back from the framer and it looks very good under glass with a white mat and a black metal frame.
This painting has just been featured on the Red Bubble site in the group The Best of Red Bubble:

I have not been posting new works in the past few weeks; I have been experimenting with acrylics, collage, pouring and abstracts and have nothing worth posting so far:-) Today, I am starting a 20" X 24" acrylic abstract for my daughter. It is a commission from her, but if it turns out ok and I can get it all down this week, it will become a Xmas present....There is a lot of wishful thinking here since I am a realist painter by temperament and experience and have never been very happy with the results I have achieved with acrylics...Wish me luck:-)

In case I don't have a new post before Dec. 25th, I want to offer all my best wishes for the Holiday Season to all my blogging friends.

Into the Lion's Den - finished and featured; also, upcoming show

Into the Lion's Den ( or, as my daughter calls it, Stephen King's Door Knocker:-) is finished. I accentuated the shadows and darkened some areas.  It is 12" X 16" and I will probably frame it under glass rather than varnishing it.

The background color is closer in real life to the color in the previous post. I hope that you still like it.
It has already been featured on the Red Bubble site:

Now, it's time to move on to another project:-)

I have a new show starting next Wednesday at the Foyer Gallery. It is a holiday show of smaller pieces and it's called: Art to Go.  I will be displaying 5-6 paintings in that show until the first week of January. This will be my last show of 2011.

Enjoy your weekend!

WIP Update: Venetian Door Knocker almost finished

I have not posted in about two weeks! I was busy last weekend with a 3-day show and it's only in the last few days that I had time to work on my latest watercolor painting, the scary Venetian door knocker. It is now almost finished.
Please note that the shadow at the top of the picture below is not in the painting - I took the picture inside.

 It is 13" X 17" on Fabriano SP watercolor paper. I have not decided yet if I will frame it under glass or put it on a cradled wood panel and varnish it.

As for a title, I am currently playing with the following:
-Into the Lion's Den
-Home, Sweet Home

What do I like about it?
- it gave me great practice painting texture of flaking paint over weathered wood
- I am rather happy with the metal, especially on the knocker itself
- The theme will be perfect for a Feb. 2012 show, "Fantasy of Reality", where I have to present 2-3 paintings.
- It is for me a great reminder of the several lion head door knockers I have seen in Venice.

What detract from this painting?
-it's somewhat scary, don't you think?
-it's not what your average art buyer is looking for:-)

What do you think?
I wish all my American friends a great Thanksgiving weekend.

New WIP and update

I have started a new painting. It's 12|" X 16" on CP Fabriano Artistico, my new favorite watercolor paper. The painting represents a metal knocker on an old Venetian door with the paint flaking off...
The knocker has the face of a lion, one of the main symbols of Venice. I was attracted to this picture by Ruth Archer ( used with permission) because of the great textures of the door; I have my own reference of what I think is the same door, but in my photo, the knocker is not shown entirely. My husband thinks that the lion looks rather diabolical:-) It is still too early to tell, but I hope that he is wrong...My artistic objective is not to scare anyone:-) I hope that you like it so far.

I have a busy week coming up: appointments, framing, painting, sitting at the Foyer Gallery on Thursday and getting ready for the Nepean Fine Arts League  3-day winter show starting Friday.

Have a great week!

Award at the Ottawa Art Association Fall Show

Last night, the Ottawa Art Association held its annual Fall Awards Show at the beautiful newly-redecorated Ottawa Little Theatre. Ottawa Art Assoc. member artists get to pick their favorite painting in 4 categories, WC, Oil, Acrylic and Mixed media.  A total of 88 artists, with 1 painting each, were represented.


The first prize for watercolor went to fellow blogger Alain Godbout for his painting Sisters: ( upper painting in the photo below):

I was thrilled that my first Mascarone, The Gate Keeper received a 3rd place ribbon!

 The Gate Keeper will be on display and available for purchase at the Ottawa Little Theatre until January 7th.
If you are in the area, try to drop in at the Little Theatre to see the 88 paintings in the show.
Thank you to the Ottawa Art Association President, Brian Seed, for taking these pictures.

The Protector - WIP - Last part

The Protector

My new mascarone is basically finished...some fine tuning left to do. Do I like it? Hum...he is somewhat colorful and busy with the play of dark shadows on his face...his eyes are somewhat eerie... I think that he reminds me of a lion:-)

The more I look at him, the more I like him...It's hard to forget his eyes...I wonder what he has seen over these last four hundred years:-)


He will be framed under glass with a white mat to a final size of 20" X 24".He is painted on 300lb CP Fabriano that I was trying for the first time. I love that paper - it allows very easy lifting and takes a lot of abuse.

I am calling him The Protector ( my daughter's idea)  in part because of the latin word appearing on the right hand side of the arch "custodiat" - probably for something like "May the Lord ( the master of the house etc) protect ....He will be part of my "Memories of Venice" series.

Well, I had lots of fun painting this and I am sure that I have learned something at the same time. That is what is really important.

Your opinion?
Have a great Sunday evening.

Upcoming Art Show

The next two months will be quite busy for me with several very interesting art shows. Here is a preview of shows in which I will be participating in  Ottawa, Canada:

#1 Memories at the Foyer Gallery from Oct. 26 to Nov. 13. My painting " Where is My Gondola" is on the poster below.

#2 The Ottawa Art Association Members Awards Show:
This show is held at the Ottawa Little Theatre from November 8th until January 8th. The reception will be on November 8th. I will be showing one painting, The Gate Keeper ( one of my mascaroni)

#3 The Nepean Fine Arts League Winter Sale:
November 18, 19th and 20th at the Hellenic Centre  in Ottawa

 #4 "Art to Go" at the Foyer Gallery   

Dec. 7 – Jan. 2

ART TO GO

Group show: small pieces

 I should probably stop playing on the computer and get painting:-)

Enjoy your weekend!

A nice Red Bubble surprise!

My recent small waterlily painting has just won a challenge on Red Bubble in the Aquatic and Hydrangea group.  This fun painting has also received three features in the past two weeks on that same site. Thank you, Red Bubble :-)

This 8" X 8" watercolor is on paper adhered to a cradled wood panel and then varnished. I am presently offering for sale online unframed - its edges are painted black and it can be displayed as is. However, I think it would look fabulous in a black floater frame...if I decide to go that route, I will probably remove it from my online gallery because of the extra shipping weight.

How do you feel about shipping framed paintings?

New WIP and update

Here is the painting I am currently working on. It is another Venetian mascarone ( sculpted head found over arched doorways of Venetian palazzos). In fact, it is from a picture of the same mascarone as my last one, but from a different perspective and the pictures were taken a year apart:-)
I am just starting to work on the head itself and I am realizing that it is going to be very difficult and I am not sure that my color choice was a good one :- ( I  was hoping to get this painting finished successfully by the end of this coming week in order to enter it in an upcoming show at the Foyer Gallery called "Memories". I am keeping my fingers crossed.

My Silent Venetian, my favorite of all my paintings, has just sold...it would be nice if this WIP turned out to take its place as a companion piece for the Gate Keeper, my other mascarone....A lot of "if"s :-)

This is on a watercolor paper that I had not tried before: Fabriano  Artistico 300lb CP. So far, I really like it! And it is a lot more affordable than the Arches. The painting will be approx. 16" X 20" and will be framed under glass and matted to 20" X 24", the same size as my other two mascarones.

 I will be showing my "Where is my Gondola?" at the Foyer show...if it comes back in time from the framers. I may also bring one my Venetian doorway paintings to have a trio of "Venetian Memories".

I have not been posting much in the past ten days: my daughter moved back from Manhattan and spent a week with us before settling down in her new apartment in downtown Montreal. It was great having her visit and we even spent time in Montreal with her and our son who is at McGill's University...It was so nice being all together! But...little painting was done during this time:-(

I now have a bad old, but I want to push myself to get this painting out of its ugly stage...hopefully, it will turn out ok. Let me know what you think of it so far even though it's hard to tell at this point what it will eventually look like.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Small fun painting and Red Bubble feature

After my detailed painting Where is My Gondola, I wanted to work on a small, fun painting. I have just finished a 8" X 8" watercolor, a fairly stylized waterlily: it is on SP Fabriano glued to a 1" cradled wood panel. I will be painting the sides black and will be varnishing it.

This watercolor is adapted from a picture by Ellen of Ontario on Wetcanvas. I have realized that the SP Fabriano, at least when it is glued to a wood support before painting, does not readily accept much lifting...I have several panels  ( some quite large) already prepared with the Fabriano; I will certainly want to try this process eventually with my faithful Arches 140 lb CP.

I was very pleased to see that RedBubble has featured my Where is My Gondola in its Painters Universe Group. Thank you, Red Bubble!

Next week, I will be working on a new Venetian mascarone. It is already sketched on 300 lb SP Fabriano - I have not used this paper before - I am looking forward to this new experiment.

Have a great weekend!

"Where is my Gondola? " ready to be varnished

"Where is my Gondola" is ready to be signed and varnished. It's a 14" X 14" watercolor on paper glued to a 1 inch cradled wood panel. I know it's terribly busy, but Venice is terribly busy:-) I had been looking at the photograph of that scene since I took it in April 2010 and really wanted to paint it. I really thought that its complexity was way beyond my skills...nevertheless, I wanted to attempt painting it.  What attracted me so? The beautiful lantern, the gondolas with their wonderful blue covers, the colors, the multitude of poles in the water...well, it's Venice:-)

Please let me know what you think.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

New WIP and photography show at Foyer Gallery

Do you find that days go by faster and faster? I have started three paintings since my last post, but have made sufficient progress to post on only one of them.  I was distracted partially by worries about my daughter in Manhattan: first, because of Irene, then with the terrorist threat last weekend. This is not conducive to painting:-(

This is again from my Venice photo references, but it is something quite different for me...and it includes water, which is not my strong point...and if you look carefully enough two tiny human figures ( again, something new for me:-). It is a super busy scene: after working on this painting for a few hours, I wondered why in the world  I had chosen this scene with all the poles, the boats, the five hundred windows..It was a moment of artistic insanity, I suppose:-) Nevertheless, here is a picture showing my progress so far...the painting should be finished within a day or two and I will then post the final version.
It is on paper glued on a 14" X 14" cradled wood panel. I will be  varnishing the final painting.

The Foyer Gallery now has a new show: a photography show.The gallery includes several excellent professional photographers with awesome work. I was allowed to enter a few pieces:-) Here is one with some photoshop manipulation...it represents an anchor chain I photographed at Perkins Cove in Maine. All matted and framed, it is rather nice:-)

Great Show Opening at Foyer Gallery

Thursday night was the opening reception of the show "Pure" at the Foyer Gallery of the Nepean Sportsplex.  The show featured the seven artists recently juried into the gallery as permanent members. I was very proud to be part of these seven. Several of my friends came to the opening to view the varied artwork and to show me their support. Thank you so much to all of you who came: your presence meant a lot to me!

The above picture was taken at the opening in front of my varnished watercolor, The Two Sisters. I am the second person from the left and am shown here with some dear friends.

The show continues until Sept. 11 and the gallery is open from Wed. to Sunday. ( check the times on their website).

New Show at the Foyer Gallery!

A few posts ago, I announced that I had been juried into the Foyer Gallery of the Nepean Sportsplex in Ottawa as a permanent member. Today, my first group show in that delightful gallery opens and will run until Sept. 11. This show, called Pure, is to focus the work of the 8 new gallery members. Please have a look at the slideshow showing a sample of the work of the new gallery artists.You are all invited to the opening reception on Sept. 1, from 7 pm to 9 pm. I have 5 of my paintings in the show.

Experimental Painting Finished and Varnished

The Two Sisters

I have varnished my orchid painting and I am showing it here with a thin black frame that I have found for it. I have to admit that I am very pleased with the results. I took this picture inside tonight, so the colors may not be quite accurate, but I find the colors brighter and nicer than before the varnishing.

In case you have not read my previous posts, this was really an experimental piece since I glued the watercolor paper to a .75 inch thick cradled wool panel before painting.  I had some worries about the paper coming unglued at some edges when I used a lot of water, but all seems nice and solid now. The colors remained brighter on this surface than on my regular paper...hard to say why.

I was in a rush to find a frame for this 16" X 16" panel :I have an art show on Saturday and then, if this does not sell, it will be part, as of next Monday, of my first hanging in the Foyer Gallery ( Nepean Sportsplex) where  I have been juried in as a permanent member. For the time being, I have just put the frame over the painting; tomorrow, I will try to convince my framing shop to frame it while I wait ( I usually frame my watercolors myself, but I am not familiar with this type of frame). 

Would I use this technique again? Absolutely!...Unless some major problem develops with this painting in the next few hours ( heaven forbid!). I love the idea of not having to frame under glass!

What about " The Two Sisters" as a title?

Your thoughts?

Experimental painting almost completed...next - the varnishing!

Untitled for now

Here is the almost completed experimental watercolor painting on a 16" X 16" X .75" wood panel. I glued the paper to the panel before painting instead of gluing the finished painting to a prepared wood panel as I have done in the past.

Observations so far:

• the paper remained glued...it separated from the board at a few spots near the edges when I used a lot of water. However, everything seems fine now. I will nevertheless put a fine line of acrylic medium all around as a precaution.
• the Fabriano 140 lb cp paper behaves differently when  used this way: it dries very quickly - blendings and soft edges are thus more difficult. The paper did not seem receptive to any scrubbing or lifting - I usually use  Q-tips for lifting as I paint and blend  - this did not work ( this damaged the paper somewhat and since it dried so quickly, the technique did not really work)
• I really liked the firm, flat surface. 

Next steps:

• After putting in the finishing touches, I will spray the painting with fixative ( I've used Krylon fixative for pastel in the past and it worked.) Will it behave differently on this surface? The fixative is to ensure that the watercolor does not run when the varnished is applied.  I will let that set overnight.
• I will spray Golden acrylic varnish on it tomorrow.  I don't want a thick plastic layer on top of my painting...I will try to apply only a few layers of varnish instead of the 10 or so that I have used on some of my strawberries. I find this part scary...I could ruin the painting if I am not careful:-(
• I found a black frame that will fit this panel ( imitation wood only, but it will do for now). The frame will hide a bit of the right-hand flower ( my error...I should have left more space), but it will ensure that the edges of the paper are better protected. No glass will be required ( that's what I'm after!!!)

 Have you tried something similar? Any suggestions? Insights?
Any suggestions for a title for this painting?

A small, fun painting!

Berry Lonely II

 I have taken a little break from my experimental orchid painting ( previous post) to paint a small
 5" X 7" watercolor.  I sold out of " strawberry" paintings at my June show. With a show coming up next weekend, I hope to find the time to paint at least one more! I am really having a lot of fun painting these strawberries - each one  seems to have  its own personality:-) This one is called Berry Lonely II - a variation of Berry Lonely I that is already sold. It is shown here  double matted in white with a black inner mat that really sets the stage for this lonely lady.

If you are in the Ottawa area next Saturday, come to the Ottawa Experimental Farm for a great outdoors art show organized by the Friends of the Farm.

New Experimental WIP ( picture rev. 11 Aug.2011)

WIP: Orchids in Glass Plate

As mentioned in my previous post, I am working on a new experiment with varnished watercolor. This time, I've attached the paper (Fabriano  Soft Pres s- 140lb) to the16" X 16" X 1" wood panel before painting. I prepared the wood panel the same way as I prepared it for my strawberry panels ( sealer, gesso, acrylic medium as glue).  I have hours and hours of work left, but there is enough painting done to give you an idea. Naturally, once completed, the painting will still need to be varnished. It could then be displayed as is or, perhaps, framed in a floating frame ( I'll see what I can find to fit the panel).

The reference picture is from WetCanvas. It is sometimes difficult to see in the picture how the glass plate/bowl should be painted. When in doubt, I invented shapes and colors:-) So far, I find that the painting looks a bit too busy...once all the yellow petals are put in, maybe this impression will decrease...

Why the change in process? 

• I wanted to see if the paper and paint would behave differently: they certainly do! Painting this way is very similar to working on the Canson Arches board I used for my Gate Keeper, but the effects are somewhat accentuated in this set up: the paper dries very quickly; it is hard to do smooth blending and even lifting.  

• I wanted to know if the paper would remain glued down during the painting process: I had some issues with paper lifting around the edges where I had to do several dark washes; however, the paper went right back down. In one case, I added acrylic medium with a toothpick. Will the painting remain glued over time? I think the varnishing will help seal the edges; I will also try to put a thin line of acrylic medium around the edges as an extra precaution.

Do I like the process/results so far? Maybe I should simply start working with acrylics:-)

• To tell you the truth, I'm not sure:-) This method provides a super strong and flat surface to paint on. The colors really keep their intensity a lot more than usually. However, there may be a decrease in the transparency of the resulting painting..or is it because I used so many layers?   
• I am finding it harder to have nice blending of colors.

What do you think? Does it look like a watercolor? Do you like the effect?

Christiane

Update: What I am up to this week.

My last post was exactly a week ago.Time goes by soooooo quickly!  What have I been up to?

• I am working on a new experiment concerning varnished watercolor. This time, I've attached the paper to the wood panel before painting. So far, so good....This painting is on a 16" X 16" panel, 1" thick; I've painted the sides black. I still don't have enough painted to post a picture:-(
• I am preparing for a show on August 20th at the Ottawa Experimental Farm where I regularly go to photograph flowers. This annual one-day show is an outdoor show that is usually well-attended. I still have to purchase my canopy tent for the event.
• I want to paint several small  "strawberry" paintings for this show.I have taken the photos -all I now have to do is get down to sketching and painting:-)
• Red Bubble continues to be kind to me -two of my recent paintings were featured this week:

• My cherries and lace painting  " The Independent Trio" ( see previous post) was featured today  in  the "Just Watercolours" Group.
• My "Silent Venetian" was featured yesterday in the Time Gates Group.

t is still hot here in Ottawa, but less than the last few weeks. I am trying to get most of my art work done in the morning  when it is still relatively cool. We have central AC, but I don't like using it all the time...I hope that the heat is not making you feel lazy like it does to me:-)

Something fresh in this heat wave

Cherries and Lace II

This is the hottest summer in Ottawa in the last decade at least. The heat and the humidity make me feel really lazy...even though we have air conditioning.  I wanted to paint something quick, fresh, easy.  So, here is a small 8" X10" watercolor of cherries and lace on Arches CP.
I still have a bit of tweaking to do: one of the three cherries on the lace has too much white; there is some white space between two of the cherries on the plate; on the left hand side, on the plate, the highlights are too lined up.
I like the overall painting, but would change a few things if I redid it: I would probably try to improve on the highlights on the plate ( I followed my photograph and used some grey and it looks too flat. I would probably add more color. The top right portion of the lace is too blue - I painted that tonight...l never like what I paint at night.
I hope that you like this little painting and that you are not suffering from the heat wherever you are.

The Silent Venetian - A Mascarone

I have had the pleasure of a  visit by my son for the past 10 days and during this time had very little time for painting.  Now, it's back to work!
I consider my latest mascarone painting finished, at least for the time being. I really enjoyed working on it, but I feel the need to move on:-)

I have already cropped the picture a bit at the top. In matting and framing (20" X 24" frame, matted to 14" X 18", I may crop a bit more. The colors are not quite right on my monitor...there is more golden sand color in the face, I would say.

This should make a great companion piece to my "Gate Keeper", another mascarone. The title " The Silent Venetian" is still only tentative - it does not quite convey the nobility of this face.

What do you think?

Red Bubble has just featured this painting ( Satruday, 23 July). Thank you, Red Bubble!

Great News!

I am so thrilled to announce that I was juried in today as a member of the Foyer Gallery situated in the Nepean Sportsplex.

This is an artist-run gallery operating under the auspices of the city of Ottawa.  Shows change about every 3 weeks throughout the year. There are group shows, shows of up to 4 artists and members may have a solo show every 2 years or so.

I will probably hang my first paintings in the gallery in early Fall.  Wish me luck!

Red Bubble and other updates

 Since my latest painting, the Venetian mascarone, is not yet quite finished, I thought it would be timely to post an update of my recent Red Bubble  activity.

First, my Gate Keeper was featured  yesterday in the Time Gates group.

 

My posterized portrait of Abraham Lincoln, done for a Daily Paintworks challenge, also received a feature about a week ago in the group Freedom to Shine.

My clematis, Garden Kaleidoscope, finished in the top ten  yesterday out of 129 entries in a "single flower" challenge.

As you may have noticed in my side bar menu, I have very recently joined another online gallery. Since last December, I have been a member of  Daily Painters International Art Gallery and of the  Artists International Gallery. Now, I am also a member of the Daily Paintworks online gallery.

It is very hot and muggy here in Ottawa, Ontario. I hope that you have nice painting weather wherever you are:-)

WIP Part 2

I have made a bit more progress on the mascarone "Watching Over" ( tentative title:-).
The picture was taken outside this time.

Let me know what you think of it so far.

New Work in Progress and Varnishing

I feel that I have not posted anything new in such a long time: first I had the pinched nerve ( getting much better), then I had to prepare for shows etc. I have started a new piece, about 16" X 16" on Arches 140lb. It is a Venetian mascarone again ( stone sculpture over an archway). I  painted this one in a small format a few months ago, but wanted to try it again. I don't think that it will create the same impact as my recent Gate Keeper, but at least it's getting me back in the painting mode:-)

I have also painted a new strawberry painting, Gossip Time.  It is attached to a gallery wood panel and varnished, this time with varnish applied with a roller, instead of sprayed on. I really liked the colors of this painting, but  the result shows a few imperfections unfortunately where the medium used to glue the paper to the panel oozed out onto the painting...lesson learned! I will therefore keep this painting for myself and will probably redo it.

Great Show Opening

My two-women art show, Two Friends, Two Artists started last week with the official opening reception on Sunday afternoon. The turnout for the reception was great and in the past week I have sold 6 paintings....how happier could I be? My strawberry paintings, including the varnished watercolors, are now all gone...I will do my best to paint one more for next week end:-)
Here is a varnished painting that sold before I had time to even put it on my blog; the colorful reference was from WetCanvas.

A Berry independent Couple

Varnished on 1.5" deep wood panel

The show continues next weekend.

Upcoming Art Show

I am very pleased to announce my upcoming two-women art show with a great friend of mine, Carol Penny, a very talented oil painter. 

ART SHOW:   Two Friends, Two Artists

 CAROL PENNY ( oil painter)
CHRISTIANE KINGSLEY ( watercolour artist)

Two weekends in June

Friday, June 10^th :  2 pm to 5 pm

Saturday and Sunday: June 11^th & 12^th –1 pm to 4 pm

 Friday, June 17^th: 2 pm to 5 pm

Saturday and Sunday: June 18^th & 19^th –1 pm to 4 pm

OPENING RECEPTION

June12th, 1:30- 3:30

Location

Clarence-Rockland Arts and Culture Centre

 1500 du Parc avenue in Rockland -Next to the Jean-Marc Lalonde Arena

(Same location as Galerie de la Rive)

·        OIL AND WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS, ART CARDS

                                              

                                          

For more information:

chris_kingsley@hotmail.com

carol.penny@bell.net

Christiane's online gallery at Artists International

http://carolcolour.webs.com

.

Varnished Strawberries and Sore Shoulder

 Note:  Some of the comments left for this posting disappeared when Blogger went down this week. I apologize for this inconvenience and thank all those who had left comments.
I mounted my "Fun Strawberries" onto a cradled gallery wood panel ( 8" X 10" X 1.5") then varnished the painting. I am very pleased with the result. I will probably use a wood varnishing gel in natural color to finish the sides. On one of my next varnished paintings, I think I will try staining or painting the sides black before I mount the painting.  I have not screwed in any hooks at the back of the painting...it does not need a hanging wire to hang on the wall; however, for some of my upcoming shows, I probably will not have a choice.

I am quite pleased with the results. I am sure that I would not use this approach will all of my paintings ( one is not sure if is a watercolor), but I think I will enjoy having this finishing /displaying option.

What do you think?

On another note, I am currently slowed down tremendously by pain in my left shoulder and arm; the only time the throbbing pain seems to go away is when I am lying down:-( My doctor gave me some anti-inflammatory meds yesterday and hopefully this will relieve the pain quickly. I am now typing with one hand:-) I want to be painting and gardening!!!!

Fun Strawberries

I am a member of a wonderful online group called Painting Friends. Although I don't contribute very often to it, I check out its forum regularly. This week, I could not resist trying  out a painting demo by the wonderful artist and blogging friend, Mollie Jones.

Her demo was for loosely painted fruit and plate...but, after painting the plate as loosely as I could, I automatically returned to my tight, detailed style for the berries ( individual seeds painted with their own individual shadows) :-(

Nevertheless, this was such a fun painting to paint. And the fun is not over since I intend to mount it to cradled board and then varnish it. Stay tuned to see the results of my experiment.

8" X 10" on Arches 140 lb CP

NFS

Gate Keeper - Finished at least for now

 The Gate Keeper

My Venetian mascarone ( head carved in stone) is finally finished for now. It is painted on Canson board with Arches 140 lb CP paper. and it is measures 16" X 20".

I had thought of varnishing this painting, as Krista Hasson has done with her latest paintings on this surface. However, I think that I will practice my varnishing some more on smaller paintings. I will mat this painting following the sink mount method recommended by Deb Ward .

I photographed the Gate Keeper inside under artificial lights; consequently, the colors are probably a little bit off. His face is not that reddish:-)  Here it is again with a mat dropped on top of it:

And, again, but without a flash this time. IRL, I would say that the painting is somewhere between the two versions: a bit more golden than below, but with less of a red face than in the fist picture:-)

I really enjoyed painting this guy! I have grown very fond of him:-)