Magnolia WIP 1- ColourFix Suede

 

I finally got started on the magnolia painting and thought I'd share the steps with you along with my thoughts on this new paper.

 

First of all, I'm just blocking in color and am working left to right since I'm right handed.  I'm using a full sheet of the white ColourFix Suede paper (14 x 18 inches in this case) and am sort of "feeling" my way with it so it will probably take a while to finish.  It works a lot like PastelMat and feels somewhat like it also.  I'll probably have to do more than one painting to really decide if I like it though.  It took me a while to get used to PastelMat but since this is so similar, I hope this will be easier to learn to work on.  One thing, it's not at all like working on actual suede paper and it's too bad the name of the paper leads you to think that it would be.

This is the first time I've ever worked on such a large painting in pastel and what everyone tells you about working large is right - it's much easier than working small as you have room to maneuver!  When I ordered the paper (which is actually a card and a very nice weight), I also ordered a set of Rembrandt 60 half sticks of pastel.  I've always liked Rembrandts and am glad I have them for this painting since they're firmer than some other brands.  I'm also using Pan Pastels but I don't have the greens needed for this painting in that set.  One of these days, I'd like to have more of the Pans but for right now, I'm just working with what I have.

I started just blocking in colors with the Pans where I could then using the Richardson and Conte' hard pastel sticks that I have.  Again, the colors are very limited in both of those sets but I've layered and blended as much as possible to get the colors I want.  It's pretty time-consuming and I can understand pastel artists having huge collections of pastels!

Anyway, like PastelMat, it helps to put down a good base of pastel and build the layers before trying to blend.  You have to sort of push the pastel into the paper and that's where the Pans, hard sticks and the semi-hard Rembrandts work well.   It could just be the way I work, though.  I've found that everyone works differently and the tools used surely make a difference also.

There are a lot of tight places in spite of the size of this painting and, while I do like the Sofft tools, I find myself using the Loew Cornell Style Styx more often.  I'm very glad I found these and plan to stock up on them the next time I go to Hobby Lobby or Michael's.  The Style Styx seem to be firmer without being rubbery like the color shapers.  They're a really dense, firm foam rubber and I think they were designed to use with water media but they've been an exciting discovery for me.

Well, let me get back to it - I'll try to post another WIP as soon as I can.  My DH has tomorrow off work because of the MLK holiday and it's sometimes difficult to work with another person in the house!

Prize Won Put to Use

Magnolia
Acrylic
copyright
Jan Gibson

Last month I entered a contest with my "Intense Pride" lion painting and won! I entered the contest mainly to prod me into actually painting a reference photo that had intrigued me for ages but I just didn't have the confidence to start it.

Anyway, I received my prize a couple of days ago which was a set of acrylic paints from Frank Clarke, Mr. Clarke hosts a painting show on PBS here in the US and I'm sure he has similar television programs in other countries.

Of course, I had to try out the paints and the magnolia above is the result. I have sooooo much to learn about acrylic painting but at least I've started! (See Teresa's post about procrastination on her Blueberries, Art and Life blog to understand why I said that!)

I've never really gotten into acrylic painting because of the issue of their drying time. It's incredibly fast and once dry, the paint can't be lifted or manipulated like watercolors can. The quick drying time also makes it very difficult to blend. Those are issues I'll need to come to grips with and resolve if I continue with acrylic painting. There are mediums and retarders and the like to use though and I do have some of them. I also have some of the Golden Open acrylics which stay wet, or "open", much longer than traditional acrylics.

So, considering the traits of these acrylics and the fact that I don't have much experience with acrylic painting, I hope you'll cut me some slack with this painting of a magnolia! lol I know it leaves a lot to be desired but I'm fairly pleased with it as a first effort!

Projects

Because my project is to be a gift, it was deemed prudent to wait until after it's all finished and delivered before posting any more about it. So I removed the last blog post.

I assure you I'm working very hard on it and it's going along at a good clip.

Posting here may be a little sporadic as I also have a couple of other things I'd like to fit into my schedule if at all possible.

One is the lone surviving puppy from a litter picked up by our local dog catcher. Soon after the pups were taken to a rescue organization foster home, all but one contracted Parvo and died. Such a heartbreaking thing to have happen! I saw photos of all of the puppies and they were sooooo cute!

The other project is a painting of a magnolia blossom. Our hot, humid climate is made bearable by the fragrance the Southern magnolia bloom releases under such oppressive (to us) conditions. We had to cut down 2 relatively large Magnolias last year when we built our house but we have one large one left down by the barn and it's in full bloom right now. We also rescued 2 seedling trees from beneath the trees we cut and replanted them in a better location. Magnolias are messy because the large leaves are tough and leathery and take forever to decay once they fall. Even though the Southern Magnolia is evergreen, the older leaves will fall from time to time to be replaced by new ones. It's kind of like human hair, I guess, & I'm glad neither the leaves or the hair fall all at once! lol

Anyway, I like working on my big project but if I need a change of pace, the puppy and the magnolia are next in line!