Yesterday I finally got started on a painting trying the impasto technique. I’ve watched several videos on it on YouTube which really got my juices to play flowing. Here’s one –
Jennifer Funnell Visual Arts
“Impasto is a painting technique that uses thick layers of paint. When you apply the paint thickly, it produces an incredibly beautiful effect on the canvas.” (using pallete knives.) Since I love to play with color, and I love lots of texture, I’m having great fun.
I decided to stop yesterday and let the paint dry before adding more. I’m looking forward to experimenting more today. Even if all I end up with is a hard canvas board with a lot of thick paint layers on it, I’m having a blast!
I have been having a blast playing in my art room, experimenting with my new ‘bleeding tissue paper.’ I’ve tried to do something a bit different with each picture, and I think I’m starting to get a feel for it.
One big lesson – ‘bleeding tissue paper’ is, indeed, different from regular tissue paper. I don’t know how it’s different, I just know that regular tissue paper doesn’t work. I have ordered some different shapes online, and have gotten distracted by trying to find the SHAPES and gotten some UNbleeding tissue paper in really nice shapes…. :0( I ordered correctly enough times, though, to have a reasonable supply to work with. I also am delighted that my sister-in-law encouraged me by sending an assortment of sheets of bleeding tissue paper so I can cut out whatever shapes I want, as well.
The tissue paper works a bit like watercolor. You wet the canvas, paper, or whatever you’re working on. (I use a tiny spray bottle). Then you choose one piece of tissue paper, place it where you want, and then use a paint brush (or the spray again) to wet it down in place. When you have done enough, you let it dry, remove the tissue paper, and see what you have. You can keep adding and enriching until you get the colors you like.
Today I’m starting one where I’ll use rectangular shapes, and then overlay some circular shapes to see what happens. The main part of the pic is a kitty. As soon as I finish my elliptical trainer time, I’ll head upstairs to play. :0)
The weather forecasters were right – it’s gray, rainy and cold, with another cold front coming through today, possibly bringing some snow. Not my favorite weather.
To add insult to injury, the motor that controls the rotation of the plate in our microwave died suddenly last night, right at dinner time. My husband is taking the microwave apart as I type, seeing if he can fix the motor. We are in ‘discussions’ about what to do if he can’t. I think the rotation aspect is important. He, of course, disagrees. We will see. :0/ Update: He has the microwave apart and the motor that controls the rotation of the plate in his hand, seeing if he can get the old motor to work. (He did – and is trying now to put it back into the microwave. I have just ordered a replacement motor from Amazon. (Isn’t THAT amazing – we bought the microwave in 2004.)
YouTube
I’m having a truly wonderful time playing in my art room with my new bleeding tissue paper. I’m trying to do something different on each one, seeing how it works. My poor brain has ideas rattling around, pushing to come out and be tried. I LOVE it.
Photographer Unknown
Tomorrow morning is DAY ONE of ‘stopping-the-splurging-and-indulgence-that-has-marked-our-holidays’ and starting ‘eating-like-an-adult and exercising’ – which will last until further notice.
I hope that YOUR Wednesday is a productive and enjoyable one.
THING ONE:FOOD-DIET-EXERCISE – I raked myself over the coals about stuffing too much food into my face and not exercising enough. My sister-in-law kindly told me to give myself a break and make little changes on a regular basis to get back to my better habits. My husband is determined wait to go back on our diet on the 6th – or maybe 7th – we haven’t completely hashed that out yet. I don’t know why we’re waiting. I guess it’s because we still have some wonderfully delicious bad stuff to eat our way through, though I am determined not to buy any MORE of it for myself. I got the makings of beef stew in the slow cooker this morning. We’ll have a bowl of that with a roll this evening. I will do my yoga stretches this afternoon.
THING TWO:WEATHER – Arkansas ran the gamut on weather this past week. We had sunshine and spring-like weather, as we’re having today, with sunshine and low 50’s. We had sleet and rain and gusty wind. We had drizzles and gloomy gray days. We had a PERFECT snow – with HUGE fluffy flakes coming down while we fixed lunch, making us feel we were in the middle of our own, private snow globe. (This was perfect because that gorgeous snow, though heavy, melted as it hit the ground and caused no trouble. :0) )
THING THREE: PLAYING IN MY ART ROOM – I discovered an art form that is new to me – bleeding tissue paper art. The effect is watercolor. The sky is the limit on what you can do with it. I found it on YouTube and watched some demonstrations, drooling. I found some people who do mouth-watering art with it, giving me some really high goals to try to reach as I practice. My sister-in-law sent me a package of large sheets of the special tissue paper to get me started. I ordered some pre-cut shapes in different sizes today that will be delivered in the coming week so I can concentrate on playing, saving the sheets for larger, more complicated shapes. I’m having a BLAST experimenting. :0)
Another thing for which I am setting up is painting some wooden fridge magnets. I can play with my Unicorn Spit paint for these. I can also see what happens with my alcohol inks, my new bleeding tissue paper, and more. I have the magnets, and my wooden circles should be delivered sometime next week.
THING FOUR:SUNDAY CHORES – I don’t have a lot to do today (translated to mean that I CHOOSE to do), but I WILL spend some time cleaning my aquarium so my fish can start the new year with sparkling clean water and some different decorations, just for giggles. I wish I knew what they THOUGHT about the decorations they have. I really wouldn’t mind it if the two of them held their noses when I started to put something in the aquarium they really don’t care for. They don’t say anything one way or the other. The only thing they DO that shows me they are really interested is both of them get into the corner of the tank, wriggling their bodies and opening and closing their mouths to HINT that they would like to be fed yet again. (Seems like they, too, are on a SPLURGE eating push until the 6th or 7th…. )
This is my first piece with tissue paper and other mixed media. The possibilities are endless. There are people who are doing truly breathtaking things with this. It’s a lot of fun and the sky is the limit. :0)
I told you that my wonderful sister-in-law read about my new interest in bleeding tissue paper art, and that she immediately sent me a large package of assorted colors. (I found out that BLEEDING tissue paper is different from regular, wrapping tissue paper. I have no idea HOW. I just found out that regular stuff doesn’t bleed – except for one sheet I had of blue…)
I decided that today was the day to get started. I have a drawing sketched out and just finished putting down the first layer of tissue paper pieces. I’m going to let that dry, remove the pieces, and decide what comes next. There is no real ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ about this – another thing I really like about it. You just do what you like and see what happens. Since I love watercolors, I like some of the effects you can get. I also really like mixing media, so it’s possible to get 3-D, textures, etc.
Anyway, I’m having a blast experimenting. :0) If I don’t end up with a COMPLETE mess, I’ll share it when it’s finished.
I just had the joy of chatting with our son. He lives in Thailand, and so is 12 hours ahead of us. He said the fireworks were starting there.
I also went ahead and started my 2021 calendar, needing the boost of another gorgeous Australian firefighter with sweet animal to start my day. I figure with the way the world is, YOU might need a boost, too –
So, here are Richard and Abigail to welcome us to January 1st tomorrow. :0)
Our weather sucks – it’s 33 degrees F. right now with heavy rain and local flooding forecast for this afternoon through tomorrow. It’s a very good day to have a warm, dry house on top of a ridge line.
I am enjoying watching YouTube video demonstrations of the bleeding tissue paper art technique. I’ve watched two very different techniques, both with stunning results. My wonderful sister-in-law sent me a big package of large bleeding tissue paper sheets in assorted colors, so I spent last night dreaming of things to try with it. I also received 1″ round magnets I ordered that I’m going to try to paint and sell at our local booth. I’ll spend some time watching a few more videos and then go up and start getting my act together to try some new art!
My husband has requested I make chili mac tonight for dinner. I’ll do that – kind of as a ‘last hurrah’ from our ‘hang-the-diet’ eating splurge of the last few weeks. I am talking to myself (I know) – trying to get ready for a new day, new year, ‘new-motivation-for-diet-and-exercise’ frame of mind for tomorrow.
Enjoy your New Year’s Eve celebrations wherever you are. I wish you the very best for 2021.
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