New Backgrounds

Here is a sneak peek at the new backgrounds I have been playing around with. I have been trying out a different technique. Not sure how much detail you can see on the computer screen but I left the pics large for a closer look. I still think I might add some text as it seems to have become one of my trade marks and I do love text whether it be printed or hand written.

For the blue background I plan to paint some red poppies on the top. Of course they will be larger than life. This canvas is what I call my small size 60.9x50.8cm (24"x20").

The red one doesn't seem to show all the detail that can be seen in real life. This one is for a painting of cutlery. A fork, a knife and a spoon with their all important shadows, much larger than life of course as the canvas is 50.8x76.2cm (20"x30"). Again some text still needs to be added using the image transfer method.

With this heat we are having (42.9 degrees Celsius yesterday, thats just over 109 degrees Fahrenheit) I have just been working on backgrounds. Backgrounds are about splashing paint and stamping etc. Its more like intuitive play and that seems to suit these hot days where concentration levels are at a low.

Backgrounds

Another background ready for painting. On this one I've decided to paint a pair of well worn work boots as soon as the weather allows. It has that kind of grungy look that I thought would work well with some old boots. I won't paint them too big because I want a lot more of the background visible. I don't want to cover some of my favourite areas. This one has a lot of layers. I kept painting and then sanding and scrubbing back to show different layers through and then painting over some of the ugly bits to cover them up and then more sanding and scrubbing. As its been too hot to paint detailed things its meant I've spent longer on the backgrounds. More layers and a combinations of different techniques has been fun to do.

60.9x60.9cm (24"x24") canvas

Now this background below I've posted before. Due to popular demand hehehe I've decided to do a peach painting on it. Not a bowl of peaches or a basket of peaches like the photo in an earlier post but a section of a branch complete with a few leaves and a nice big fat juicy peach dangling from it. Its all drawn on and ready to paint next week when the weather is cooler and I can open up the curtains and let in some light.

60.9x60.9cm (24"x24") canvas

I have one more canvas this size and I've just started work on the background. I'm planning to paint a section of a sunflower on that one but that could change depending how the background turns out. I do plan things but I also like to let things happen so sometimes the background turns out a little different and then doesn't suit the image I've chosen to paint on it. That happened with the work boot one. It started out with colours and patterns that would suit a harlequin but now it has evolved into something else.

I've just found some GAC200. Been on the hunt for that for ages and finally my local art store is stocking it YAY. I want to play around with aluminum foil in my collage/mixed media backgrounds and a little GAC200 mixed in my acrylic paint will ensure that the paint sticks to the aluminum. It gives a lovely metallic look as the aluminium shines through the paint. Can't wait to see what happens with that. Aw, one lifetime just doesn't seem long enough to try out all the things I want to try.