Shape Up Your Abstracts

Summer Daze Hello!

To the new subscribers and students, I’m BEYOND excited that you’re subscribed here on my newsletter! If there’s one thing I know about being a creative, it's that having support and a tribe of peeps who really get you makes ALL the difference. Creativity is a bold act in itself so CHEERS TO YOU on this ride. I’m here as your biggest cheerleader, encouraging you to make the most honest art you’ve ever made and giving you the skinny on how to make it happen with some tools that are helpers. So glad we’re taking this ride together! So here’s some good info on how I am making my ride so much more fun in the abstract mark making world of creating my art. Even if you just love looking and collecting art, you will appreciate this too. 

How ‘bout these New Tools! Yasssss, I love hardware stores. I get a lot of my hard surface tools to paint with from hardware stores. Of course art supply stores are my favorite happy place, but hardware stores are definitely a second thrill. Amazon is a real help when exploring tools.  From window squeegees, wonky trim brushes, to brayers, to putty knives and trowels, to rubber spatulas and pipettes that do things to paint and make plaster and drippy effects....that make marks on paintings or on paper... are amazing tools to gather and are definitely gnarly! Go outdoors and find feathers too. Sticks work too. Get your imagination in the form of a tool belt on and drive this pony! 

So happy I found this rubber one.  It’s called a Colour Shaper by West. When you’re thinking of playing around with paint (or maybe you are already, and are right in the zone) and need to get that paint on there fast, it’s THE best feeling! To get out there and just play. Make it even more fun and add a few colors all at once.  My favorite one is the one inch wide Colour Shaper, but it comes in 2 or 3 inches as well. It SHAPES the paint so cool. It also SCRAPES gently somewhat if you are covering up something for effect. I like to let some parts of my paintings dry and then use the rubber part of the shaper to go over some of the places that I want to calm down or change or “veil.” Veil is a great word for putting a transparent layer of paint over dried paint that makes that dry paint underneath look ghostly,  or even like a stain glass window. Otherwise, known as misting to change areas of color. For more info on color choices, read my blogs on my recommendations on buying oil paint choices. The Shaper changes the dry area of any paint in value or in color so slightly. It’s the coolest! 

And, remember the brayer? 

So in art school, we learned to make screen prints, block prints and collograph prints and learned to attach collage papers with a tool called a brayer. It is a roller with a handle to manipulate it every whichaway. It’s back! It’s useable in painting. So now I use it on making marks and stencil type areas in my abstracts. Easy to find in the print making art supply section. Just roll it over areas to make fun passes of paint. You can directly apply paint with it or pull paint up allowing what is underneath that paint to pop back up, by using a paper towel to make texture. Try it all kinds of ways. Fun versatile tool. Try it! I can show you more tricks to use in landscape as well as abstract painting. Wowzer! 

There is is still a more couple of spaces left in my Lake Logan class September 27, 2021. We will, be doing all these tricks while enjoying the scenic lake and accommodations there. Tap on my workshop and mentoring page here on my website to tap on the links to learn more. Arrive on Tuesday before lunch and depart Thursday after lunch. Great two day immersion at a stellar conference center area in Waynesville, NC. The first time I arrived at Lake Logan, I felt like I was a young girl again arriving back at Camp. I get there with my gear and check into a cabin in the woods, and go back into time for a couple of days with delicious camp like meals right from their gardens. It makes me happy to have this experience. There will be no cell service in my room or internet, but as the intensity of this unspoiled nature calls me to deeply breathe, I embrace the invitation with the other artists in residence and participants for this opportunity to have a working respite. 

Here’s a link you will enjoy reading:

https://www.pixpa.com/blog/art-jobs

Keep checking in on my new works and other workshops/book/a personal private sometime. Cheers Ya’ll.