Black Cat - OSWOA

"Black Cat"
watercolor
copyright
Jan Gibson

I've been hearing a lot lately about OSWOA's (Original Small Works of Art) and wanted to try one. Actually, the Japanese Magnolia that I posted a couple of days ago is an OSWOA but that was sort of an experiment. This painting was intentionally painted as an OSWOA and I was determined to paint it to the best of my ability.

One of the specifications for an OSWOA is the size - 4 inches by 6 inches. As a matter of fact, that's about the only specification other than the work has to be original - no copies or prints except for some very stringent rules for prints.

It's the size that I want to comment on though. Four inches by six inches is pretty small and therefore very hard to achieve much detail on them. I've done a few ATC's (Artists Trading Cards when traded with other artists) or ACEO's (Art Cards Editions and Originals when sold as original artwork to the general puplic) and it's extremely difficult. ATC/ACEO cards are even smaller than the OSWOA's at only 2.5 X3.5 inches and it's very hard to do them with the mediums I use. I thought the OSWOA's would be a little easier but it's still difficult to get a brush or a fat pastel pencil into such a small space and come away with something recognizable! Not only are the brushes/pencils almost too large for detail, but your hand is always in the way so you can't really see what you're painting!

So, I was pretty pleased with the outcome of the cat painting above. I belong to a group of patrons of my favorite pet store who get together once a month or so and this month we're having a small gift exchange. This kitty will be my gift for this occasion. I hope whoever gets it likes it and isn't disappointed at all. The plan is to put all the gifts (wrapped) into a large container and let everyone draw one out. So, no one knows who will get what gift. I debated about painting a cat. I know about the dogs everyone has, but somehow, the cats don't get as much discussion time. I didn't want to paint a dog as most everyone has a rescue dog or two who certainly aren't purebred and it would be almost impossible to please someone with a dog breed painting. And, not knowing who would receive my gift also made it hard to paint a specific animal. I actually wanted to paint a wild animal but figured I'd be safer painting a cat. We'll see if I change my mind and paint something else before the exchange! lol

But this cat photo spoke to me plus I wanted to try a black animal again to see if I could give it enough life to make it interesting. I'll let you decide if that's been accomplished!

Meeting the Art Challenge

I'm still catching up on work leftover from my boss's vacation but I did manage to paint a couple of ATCs or Artist Trading Cards. For those who aren't familiar with ATCs, they are small (2 1/2" by 3 1/2") paintings/drawings/art that are traded with other artists. There are some artists who also make these cards to sell (called ACEOs when sold), especially on eBay and other auction sites. They are a good way for the ordinary person to collect art without having deep pockets and I have seen some stunning little pieces of art.

It's difficult to get much detail into such a small space but I enjoy trying! The first painting was for a WIP (work in progress) demonstration for Let's Make Art, a site especially for self-taught artists. I don't consider this one of my better efforts but here it is.

The second effort is one I like better. I think that may be because of the subject. This is the Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, Outer Banks, North Carolina one of my most favorite places!



Both paintings are the same size but I resized for uploading and did not size them equally. Also, both have been done with the Inktense pencils from Derwent. These pencils are a water-based ink in pencil form. You use them as you would colored pencil but you can make the color brighter and more intense by dampening with a little water on a brush. I waited for months for these pencils last fall and by the time they arrived, I was busy with other things and am just now beginning to use them. So far, I really like them but need to find a support that I like to use with them. Because we're so rural, most of my art supplies have to be mail-ordered so I like experimenting with materials I can get locally. But, no matter where the supplies come from, I do insist on archival, acid-free materials.

Well, my first posting of any art and I did post one painting that I'm not particularly proud of so maybe I am a little courageous! We'll just have to see how it goes as I experiment with other mediums and subjects that aren't exactly within my comfort zone!