Dew Drop Dollies

There's something wonderful about a doll made just for your little girl.  These dollies will be traveling north to Vermont once they are dressed.  Come back again to see them dressed and ready to travel.

 

Two more paintings

Here are the remainder of this week's encaustic paintings. They were shown in the underpainting phase on May 17, 2013. They're now posted in my shop at www.etsy.com/shop/composegrace

Snow Farm 2013

Winter Silos 2013

Put your passion on your purse

As I have been working on the grisaille wristlet, I thought I would show you the other 3 styles of handpainted, coated canvas purses I create,  The artwork on this line of purses features flora and insectia from the endangered species list. The canvas panels are joined with traditional leather lacing which is durable as well as beautiful.
  

These are available as a special order. Contact me at www.etsy.com/shop/composegrace   

Promises kept...

Here are three of the paintings I showed as underpaintings earlier this week.  I will be posting them to the etsy shop, if you see one and decide you can't live without it. 

The lighting was tricky today.  An overcast day with light from the north is ideal, but today was bright and sunny. I promised photos so I decided it would be better to get photos posted now, and retake them on a day with just the right lighting.  As always, your comments and feedback are coveted.  

Here's a link to the etsy shop.  Come and visit...www.etsy.com/shop/composegrace

Transformations

Here they are - my encaustic painting palettes.  Because the paint must be molten to work with it, I have discovered that buffet warming trays from the 1970's are the ideal work surface.  It took a little bit of experimentation with stainless steel cups and a thermometer to map out the various hot spots, and determine what the tempuratures were for the different settings on each model.  These are my two favorites because their heating elements are very reliable and consistent. 

Non-stick mini muffin pans work great to hold the paint and encaustic medium.  When I make the encaustic medium I dip it into clean tins, pop them in the freeze for an hour or so, and they come out in perfect little pastilles for use when I make more paint, or to melt in the working palette.  I keep the palette with the paints 'pure' and move color onto my working palette (the one with the brushes on it) to mix and work from.  This keeps the pigments pure, and allows me to start clean for each new painting.  I just wipe all the mixed colors off the working palette and begin anew. 

I had a good day of painting (as well as an awesome bike ride along the river...) and have nearly decided the work on the 5 I have been working on are at a good point to stop.  I will decide tomorrow if they're ready for signatures.  If so, by tomorrow evening they will be photographed and posted here and featured at my etsy shop.  Come back and see the transformation from underpainting to encaustic.

Portraits of road side trees

This is the palette I started with today for these 2 underpaintings. It's silly, but I think of these  2 seasonal studies as portraits of the tall thin trees along the roadsides of Pennsylvania.  I have the studio set up to begin the encaustic painting of the 5 underpaintings I have posted over this past week.  I'll take pictures of my studio set up, and the encaustic palette (it is unusual, and will surprise you!) when I start working tomorrow. 

I have reached the end of my energy and ability to think clearly, so it's time to bid you a good night.  I'll be back tomorrow and hope you will be, too.

Almost halfway

I had a nice day and spent some time on this little baby. The front panel of the wristlet is shaped and has a small change or lip balm pocket with a zipper closure across the front.  The next time I pick up this project I will cut and shape the back panel, create a lining out of the black sueded twill and assemble the purse with a top zipper and pull strap.  The trick with a wristlet is to attach one end of the pull strap to the zipper pull and stitch the other end in a side seam.

These are terrific little bags - you can carry it alone for errand or a date with your sweetie, or attach it to the inside of a larger purse, keeping your essentials handy. I'm even going to make card pockets in the inner liner to make it even more functional.  Nite nite for now...

  

Onto the next...

The process of creating is one of taking one step or process and continually building upon the preceding foundation until the desired result is achieved. It's never really complete because there's always more perfecting that could be done.  Rather, I choose a point in the process where I decide it tells my story well enough, and I move on. Today I have ended working on the drawings for this project in its 2 dimensional form.  It's likely I will do some fine tuning once I have cut it and basted it together but all the major shapes and value relationships have been worked out.  Tomorrow I cut it and sew it and make into a 3 dimensional purse...something to look forward to.

One of the best things about living a creative life is that every day there is something to look forward to and something to do.  Add in my many 'someones' to love and I count myself blessed.  That, my friends, is my recipe for a happy life.

Progress not perfection

This little purse is going to be lined with a beautiful sueded black cotton so I am going to leave the artwork in grisaille.  I have only a little bit of the front completed, and most of the back is done.  Tomorrow I hope to finish the drawing, then I will cut out the lining, interfacing and shell fabric and baste it together.  Once it is 3 dimensional, I can decide if the designs needs to be re-worked or more details added to complement the purse.  I love making something functional from a odd piece of fabric, a few zippers and an idea.  

Sometime the ideas are overwhelming, and I accomplish nothing because I am unable to narrow my focus.  I'm not the only creative person to struggle with this so I don't feel all alone.  When we moved into this home, I created a storage system that has worked well for me. Each project I'm currently working on is stored in its own bin. This makes it easy to move from one to another, and maintain order in my home studio.  Today, the wristlet is on the table.  When I finish up for the day it goes back in its bin.  Tomorrow, the encaustic paintings or dew drop dollies may make an appearance.  This system allows me to easily move from one project to the next and have a clean work space at the end of each day.

Time to call this day finished.  Thanks for stopping by.

Midstream changes

I
I shifted course today, and went to work on 3 paintings in my encaustic series of seasonal studies.  I thought it might me interesting to show how the paintings evolve from the hues and tones laid down in the underpainting, to the final color palette once the encaustic painting is completed. The underpainting on these 3 small works is done.  Working on unprimed hardwood panels (these are 3 by 5 inches) I build layers of watercolor washes. Once the underpainting is completely dry, the watercolor paint doesn't inhibit the encaustic paint from bonding to the panel in the final phase.  Working with an underpainting is a traditional painting technique and allows me to work out the value relationships and composition for the story I want to tell.   Next comes the fun part - heating up the beeswax medium and the palette of handmade encaustic paints. When the paintings are completed I'll post them to this blog, and on my etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/composegrace

I'll work some more on the wristlet drawings on cotton twill later tonight, and post the updates over the weekend.  

Bookmark me and check back to see these projects evolve.  Your comments or questions are welcomed! 

Progress follows persistence

Woke today with a list of tasks to accomplish.  I dressed and took care of family administrative duties, then saddled up on my 1978 Schwinn Suburban bicycle.  I road down along the river for a quarter mile, then crossed the bridge and road about 2 miles to do some shopping and banking.  Back across the river to the Post Office and grocery store, before heading for home.  1 1/2 hours later, I walk up the front steps with a clear mind, lifted spirits and energized body.  What a glorious day to be out with sun shining bright and a cool spring wind pushing me along, or giving me a challenge depending on my direction.

I came home ready to attack some business planning and goal setting, and take care of correspondence.  With that successfully completed, I sat down at the table to spend some time with my drawing project.  It seems like this floral motif is deciding to be in grisaille (a style of monochromatic painting in shades of gray.) I can always wash bright clear color over the underdrawing if I decide to later on.  I am digging the grays right now. I also drafted a pattern for turning this piece of fabric into a wristlet purse.

Thanks for visiting - see you tomorrow.

Beginnings

It has been awhile since I have created much more than meals for my family in this home and studio on a beautiful Pennsylvania river. Too many days pass without working, and it becomes more and more difficult to get back to it.

Today I began drawing on a remnant of ivory twill with a vision of making a small little purse - a wristlet or such.  I made a series of purses ten years ago with original paintings of flora and fauna on coated canvas.  This may be an updated revision of those bags, though I'm not sure about that just yet.

I am going to record each day's work on this project and see how that goes.  Check back and watch it unfold...