Sunday, September 28, 2014

Painting Hollyhocks on Antique Cabinet Door

Painting Hollyhocks on an Antique Cabinet Door
 
The door when it came to me was painted this lovely shade of golden. I describe here how the colour palette was chosen to work with the background colour.
To get started with the floral painting, first I searched high and low to find a piece of chalk in my house. Finally I resorted to my tailor's chalk. It worked perfectly to sketch in the position of the three stalks and their flowers.


The painting in acrylic began with titanium white (opaque). With the greenery lightly identified with a light golden-green. Note the blue painter's tape to mask of the cross bar ledge to avoid paint drips. 

Adding colour to the blooms in successive layers from lighter to darker closer to the centers. The leaves required some back and forth with light and dark values of greens to identify their positioning.

 
Focusing on the blooms for a bit, the individual blooms were arranged in a pattern of randomness. The two outer hollyhock blooms were painted with a muted orange-red palette to push them behind the center of interest, central stalk. 


The hollyhock blossoms are close to completed.



With the blooms close to done, time to switch to the greens. The paint palette is sitting on a trial piece that I first did on paper. Working there I discovered NOT to go with cool reds but rather the warm Scarlet and Cadmium reds that harmonized with the golden cabinet door.


You can't really see it but an orange glaze was added to parts of the leaves closest to the center of interest.   Okay, I went back and took a picture for you.



Completed 'Hollyhock' painting.  A 'stopper-by' in the studio yesterday said that hollyhocks being a flower often grown in gardens in the past suits the antique shape of the door. Nicely put, I thought.


Technical detail: A top coat over the painted hollyhock section with Krylon's Crystal Clear acrylic coating will provide the painting with protection for when the door is reinstalled in the client's newly renovated kitchen.
I'll try and get you a photo.  Thanks for stopping by and thanks to those of you who comment. I love comments.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

How Do You Choose Colours to Accompany Orange-Yellow?

How do you choose colours to accompany a 'mother colour'?
In this case it is a long, narrow antique cabinet door painted golden that I am painting a floral on. I thought I would share with you how I go about choosing a colour palette. You may have your own ideas and I would love to hear about them. Joen Wolfrom's 3in1 Color Tool is shown in the photos.

Watercolour Painting - Clothesline Series: 'Kaslo Campground' is off to it's new owner!
A complementary colour scheme was used primarily here with much of the painting having  a variety of greens along with the pop of the red here and there.

Antique cabinet door

Identifying the colour. 23-5 on the orange-yellow colour swatch. It shows it having some white added to the pure colour.

Complementary colour scheme.

Triadic Colour Scheme. Note the three colours that have the number 5. 25-5, 15-5, and 7-5. They all have white added to them. Wouldn't they be lovely in a quilt. Amounts of each colour? The 'daddy bear', 'momma bear', 'baby bear' guideline works for me. Have mostly one colour with a medium amount of another colour and a small amount of the last colour.

The Orange-yellow is central and for a harmonious colour scheme the colour on either side of it are added. 5 colours makes a nice combination so two others in succession could be added.

Split complementary identifies the colour opposite on the colour wheel which is the central blue. Leaving it out, the 2 blues on either side could be included.

This is the colour scheme I have choosen, a harmonious run of 6 colours that are side by side on the colour wheel. Note that the yellow and chartreuse, when black or grey is added, give a variety of greens.  

Can you see the new green-gold tube of Golden's acrylic paint? I can't wait to try it!
I best put blogging aside and get started. How do you choose your colours? Many people describe using an intuitive style and some people say their spouse picks out the colours!

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Do You Ever Do Something Just For Yourself?

Have you ever done something just for yourself? Recently I went to the Rocky Mountains to plein air paint for 5 days. Wow, the whole experience was enriching, from:
  • meeting a very generous couple who hosted us,
  • meeting the farm couple who invited us to their ranch to paint,
  • witnessing the changing autumn colours throughout the week,
  • being in the company of dedicated plein air painter friends,
  • to experiencing the vast views of the foothill area of the Rocky Mountains.
This will be a week to remember for life. If you can organize something like this for yourself, I would highly recommend it.

One of several watercolour paintings that were 90 percent completed on location

The view that was my inspiration

Thread & Fabric. A textile person couldn't resist that sign! Although I didn't have time to paint this on location, I still might paint it.


Blue and yellow, big sky prairie sunrise.


Yes, this is a REAL photo. Those wind-tortured tree trunks made intricate patterns. I did two paintings at this location which will need some details added in the studio before showing you.
Textile Art: Can't wait to paint this image on textile with dyes. Can you imagine it?

Check later for the rest of the paintings from the trip or you can follow my Eileen Gidman, Watercolour and Textile Artist, Facebook page by going here and clicking on 'follow'. If you prefer email notification of new posts, enter your email on the upper left near the top of this blog. Thanks for stopping by.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Mono Printing Backgrounds for Watercolour Painting

Preparing for 5 days of plein air painting, I thought I would mono print some backgrounds before leaving home. Sticking to neutrals as the watercolour paints will add the color, I monoprinted some leaves.
  1. First I placed a thin layer of acrylic paint on the gelli plate surface using a brayer to even out the layer.
  2. Secondly I laid down an arrangement of leaves. With the maple leaves I added some marks simulating branches.
  3. Next I laid a piece of 90 lb Arches hot press paper and rubbed on the back to transfer the image.
  4. If the shapes seemed to stark in contrast I removed the leaves and pressed them into the white shapes.
  5. Then I laid another paper on the gelli plate to get the reverse print. Magic happened.
These may be to dark for the backgrounds I envisioned painting landscapes on but they are intriguing nonetheless and I am looking forward adding other media to complete them.

Mono printing with a gelli plate. Maple leaves.

A small section of the second pull of the maple leaves giving a 'ghost' print.
 In the dark area between the leaves, I pressed down lace in several places to remove some of the colour and to add texture. First print.
Second print

Same technique as the above but with burnt umber acrylic paint
 
Second print. This one has enough white space, I may be able to add a landscape in the background.
Textile. Do these prints call out to you, as much as me, to be printed onto fabric? I can't wait to try it. Over dye after? To many ideas to sleep well at night!!! For a post on gelli printing on fabric click here

Friday, September 12, 2014

Art, Autumn and Abundance

Opening night of the Core Matters: Farm and Food, art show.

The opening was hosted by the Creston Chamber of Commerce. Click  here for their website.
Abundance: I met a woman this week that came especially to visit Creston because of the valley's ability to grow a wealth of food. To be reminded through this visitor's eyes how special that is, was delightful. The nine artists of this show are also paying tribute to the abundance of agriculture we enjoy here. The show is up at the Creston Chamber of Commerce until Oct 3. Please visit if you can.

The opening was well attended giving us artists a chance to mingle with people who support the arts. Thank you.
Check here for Creston's Newspaper. http://www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/  which featured the Core Matters: Farm and Food art show. Thank you to the Advance staff for your coverage of Creston's art events.

 
 
The air is filled with exciting art related experiences for me this fall. Check future posts for full details. Here is a sneak preview:
  • Note that the two palettes, that were just refilled, are different and I will be needing them both!
  • An antique door painted with a 'Sunlit Piazza' colour.  
  • Low immersion dyeing of men's Tshirts. 
 


Monday, September 8, 2014

Warm Fall Colours Dyed

 
 
Have you ever made a textile book? This was my first one and there definitely was a learning curve. Thank you to the quilter on Pinterest who showed the front and back covers with a wide book spline between them. Adding that inch between the front and back cover allowed me to sew the additional double pages down individually to the back 'spline'. Therefore the pages were all even when the book is closed.
Front cover
 This little book so fits in the with art show 'Core Matters: Farm and Food' theme I am currently in. I will post about it after the opening tomorrow night.

A is for Apple

Cherries and a Pear

In a tree: Apricots and Plums


We can't forget Blueberries
 
The 'onesies', (next to the 2 orange fat quarters) are ready to send with the book for a baby gift.

A living wall of Scarlet Runner Beans is gorgeous in my perennial bed right now.
 
 Yellow, orange and red prevail through this post. It must be autumn.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Baby Book with Textile Art

Baby Book:  I looked to see what I had for hand painted textiles that a toddler might like. These brightly coloured fruit might work. I've edged them in some fun commercial textile and I am in the process of free motion quilting the layers together. I am a bit puzzled as to how to quilt the front and back layers together as they both contain pictures. Next post I'll let you know what I have come up with.
Low immersion dyed baby 'onesies' are cute! You'll have to wait for the next post as they are in the washer rinsing. 

This is as far as I've gotten on the baby book.

Cotton natural batting for between the pages.
  
Adding fun fabrics for edgings
 

Free motion stitching details.

Free motion stitching: I've sewn 1000 meters this summer!

'Creston Valley Fruit and Berry Series'
Core Matters: Farm and Food Art Show
9 artists
 Creston Chamber of Commerce, Sept 4 - Oct 3, Mon - Fri 9-5.
Opening reception Tuesday Sept 9th from 7 - 8:30pm
Yesterday looking at the paintings of the other artists, I was astounded at the fine quality of the art work. Also the subject matter is a tribute to the finest of living in the Creston Valley and I am very proud to be in this art show. Please come to the opening reception if you are able to.

Hiking with friends in the mountains. Life can't get much better than that!

A hidden gem of a lake in the mountains of the Kootenays

10 min sketch at the lake. A sketch brings back so many more memories than a photo for me. I will have to add colour in the studio.