CARDS WITH A FISHY/BEACHY THEME!

Here are some more cards - this time with a fishy/beachy theme.  The red netting in the cards above is actual netting, the kind that fruit comes in.  I stuck it on with acrylic gel before collaging on the fish.  The top two cards below have photocopied images from one of my sketchbooks added to the background.  I do love using the beach and sealife as inspiration...

BEACH HUTS SOLD

I have just sold this small seaside picture which I did for an exhibition a couple of years ago.  This summer, to go with our seaside theme in the gallery, I took in the beach pictures that I had left.  They are part collage, part assemblage and use a variety of materials. This one uses paper, tissues, plastic projection slide covers, Crayola Model Magic, real shells, acrylic paints and alcohol inks.

The Model Magic, an easy to use lightweight, air-drying modelling medium was used for the roofs of the beach huts and to stuff inside the shells. After drying overnight it is ready for painting or, in the case of the shells, to glue onto the canvas board.  This design has also been used for a greetings card which has proved popular.  The image is 7 x 5 inches and the writing says, 'close my eyes and lie on sun-drenched island'. A lovely thought as our summer in the uk has not been the best and today it is pouring with rain!

'CATCH A WAVE'

Here is my second abstract on a wooden panel - it is good to have at least two paintings on the go when working with acrylic paints to keep the colours fresh.  When working in layers it is important to let the paint dry before adding the next one so working on another painting is ideal.

After a couple of layers of randomly applying different coloured paints, I started to sort out some large simple round shapes using a graphite stick and then went on to develop it using additional layers of colour - some fluorescent paint was used which was then scraped and sanded until I was happy with the result.  The beauty of working on wood is that it can take rough treatment, such as sanding.

The shapes started to take on the energy of the sea and the colours the excitement of the surf scene so I gave it the title - 'Catch a Wave', a surfing song by The Beach Boys.

'Catch a Wave' - mixed media on board (50cms x50cms)

BEACH HUTS

I had a request for an artwork which combined beach huts and daisies.  I have always loved the look of beach huts and take photos whenever I see them.  However, this summer I haven't managed to get to the beach but have had to be content with the local outdoor swimming pool, Shepton Mallet Lido. However, it has had a bit of a makeover with the painted facades of beach huts!  It certainly looks brighter and takes away from the industrial look of the factory next door. We can't complain though as it is this drinks factory that heats the water of the pool through a heat exchange system.

For the first layer of these two beach pics I stuck down pages of a very old racy paperback, the type people used to take on holiday in the days before Kindles and other electronic reading devices.  After this was added layers of tissue, patterned napkins and decoupage paper.  This was followed by layers of acrylic paint and gesso and then cut and stamped out flowers. The words were cut from old magazines and extra details added with felt tip pens.  The pictures were finished off with a layer of gold paint spattered with a toothbrush and varnished with a UV protective finish.

'Get Away' - mixed media (30cms x 30cms)

'Big Fish' - mixed media (30cms x 30cms)

THE BOTTOM LAYER

For me there are three different ways of starting a layered artwork - using text and/or images, colour or texture.  Sometimes it may be a combination, as in this example. Here are some close-ups of the painting featured in my last post, which you can see if you look at the blog, began with bright yellow acrylic and torn out pieces from a vintage magazine.  I often start by covering the whole surface with my old letters. However, this turns out to be quite time consuming as I cannot resist reading them and bringing back memories of people long forgotten! I like the idea that they are going to be part of my artwork.

I try to take care that this first layer is not totally obliterated by subsequent layers as I like the serendipity of what can be seen, especially the odd word of text or a recognisable bit of an image.   One of my friends once saw her name in one of my pictures!  If you want to control what can be seen, areas can be protected with things such as, paper, masking fluid, tape and petroleum jelly.

I don't often use colour on its own as a bottom layer, but when I do, I put contrasting acrylic paints on top, and partially remove them.  This can be done by scraping with an old credit card or dab them off with a rag and water. Alternatively, stencil, stamp, roll paint or colour wash glazes over the first layer of colour or colours.  The aim is to let some of the colour underneath to show through.  I will often then start collaging paper and adding more semi-transparent layers.

Here is a picture of a textured acrylic painting of the Dorset coastline I did some years ago.  It is 80cm x 30cm and hangs on my landing. It has a bottom layer of texture consisting of tissue paper, packaging and cardboard. This was glued to the canvas which was then primed with a wood primer, a cheaper alternative to gesso for larger canvases, before painting and stamping with acrylics and other mediums.  The thing about using texture as the bottom layer is that, unlike colour and text, the aim is cover up the materials used completely.  The texture can be highlighted by dry brushing white/ black paint or silver or gold gilding on the top.  Alternatively, dilute paint or inks can be rubbed in and rubbed off leaving colour in the crevices. 

There are other ways of creating texture - acrylic modelling and texture mediums, crumpled tissue, stitched and manipulated fabric, glue gun,  thick layer of gesso or paint, to name a few.  Another form of texture can be created with filler, mud rock or plaster.  This is what I used for the artwork below.  The twig-like structure is actually a dried piece of nature which was attached to the canvas with plaster bandages. It is important with all kinds of 'wet' texture that it is allowed to dry thoroughly. I always leave it overnight before priming and then painting.

'Nature reclaimed' (46cms x 36cms)

MODEL MAGIC

'Seashore'  (30.5cms x 30cms)

I was working in the gallery yesterday and talking to customers about my beach pictures, which are part collage and part assemblage. I was asked what I had used to model the various elements, such as, the seagull, mermaid and the lighthouse in this artwork.  It was Crayola Model Magic, which is a soft squishy modelling material which is easy and fun to use and, unlike normal modelling clay, does not stick to your hands.  When I have finished sculpting the design, I leave it to dry overnight and then paint it.  It is lightweight and spongy, even when dry, and can be easily joined to the finished piece.  I also found it extremely useful to stuff inside shells to create a surface for attachment.

'I do like to be beside the seaside'  (34cms x 26cms)

In this work, the sun and some of the beach huts are created in Model Magic. The huts were punctured with holes before drying so they could have string put through them.