On A Roll

While the fascination with mixed media continues, I'm currently adding more of my traditional painting to the mix. The iris below is an example of where I have used oils to paint the flower on an acrylic, mixed media background. 

  

ROYAL QUEEN   oil flower on acrylic background 6" x 6" on cradled wooden panel (2" deep painted sides)
$150. SOLD through Sunny Raven Gallery

As a result of the TURNING THE PAGE exhibition, in July at Sunny Raven in Canmore, the gallery has accepted my small paintings. I'm delighted to say that they are doing well there. Surely it helps that I am no stranger to Canmore, which was my home from 1986-2008.

  

SONG SPARROW   framed 6" x 6" canvas, bird painted in oil on an acrylic background $150. SOLD through Sunny Raven Gallery

Still available at Sunny Raven Gallery are ...
RAZZLE DAZZLE (left) oil painted iris on an acrylic, mixed media, "cell" textured background unframed 9" x 12" cradled panel with 1" painted sides $295.00 and
PAINTING SUNSHINE (right) framed, acrylic, mixed media painting 8" x 10" on canvas $295.00

  

CREATION   unframed canvas (painted sides) acrylic painting 8" x 24"   $150.00 available at Sunny Raven Gallery

TIME IS ON MY SIDE   unframed acrylic mixed media on 12" x 16" cradled panel (1" painted sides)  
$175.00 available at Sunny Raven Gallery      

It's also with great pleasure that I report other, recent, mixed media painting sales ...

 

BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE (left) though Sunny Raven Gallery, PEACOCK PRIDE (centre) at the Claresholm Willow Creek Art Sale and FANCIFUL FEATHER (right) through Willowtree Designs

And last, but not least, I finally completed and delivered this commission ...

DANCING QUEEN   framed oil on MDF panel 5" x 7"   $150.00   SOLD 

What Happened?

Last year, as some would say, I went over to the dark side by being seduced into mixed media.  Some would say something in me snapped four and a half years ago when I walked away from a reasonably successful painting career, a real studio and moved from Canmore, a small town with a large thriving arts community, to Claresholm (where's that?).  You can't call it a mid life crisis, I'm not going to live to 120 years old, but right after the move I turned 60, became a first time grandparent and became a snowbird.  My focus changed.  Now, to quote a friend's mother, I paint for my own amazement.  I have became a dilettante!

Oh, I could blame all this mixed media mania on Win Dinn, but clearly there was a shift coming down the pipe because when the student is ready the teacher appears.  I've rattled on before about how much joy we find in each others company and the pleasure we take in working together. Win and John came to stay with us in November and she wrote a delightful summary of that visit here.

After that tandem painting blitz I conceived the notion that there ought to be more such side-by-side paintings.  Maybe one day we'll have an exhibition of them?  We could call it Seeing Double or maybe Double Trouble would be more appropriate?  Last month, Win and John returned to Claresholm and here is what we got into this time...

Inspired by Veronique Bottaro's work we decided we'd paint a feather 

There was plenty of  paint splattering and my new found technique which Win has coined  paint feathering

Now paint feathering is when you spritz water on wet paint then wipe the beads of water off, using a brush, with the most delicate feather touch.

I'M CLIPPING YOUR WINGS   16" x 12"  in progress

Win had me demonstrate the cob webbing technique which I learned from Ursula Reynolds last October.  It involves a lot of random paint dropped on wet paper that you have strategically stretched store-bought, artificial cob webbing over, letting the colours flow into and around one another. Splashing, splattering and in the picture below double fisted spray-spritzing more colour!

When it is dry, you peel off the webbing and look at the delightful paper you get!

I cut this sheet in half so that, another day, we can each paint a sea turtle.

Since giving her mixed media workshop in Claresholm last spring, Win is somewhat of a celebrity in this town.  We all want to play with her!  Just know that Win is back for a return engagement, her next mixed media workshop is May 4th and 5th.  Email me at alice@artbysaltiel.com for details. 

We spent an afternoon at Judy Dahl's studio where Kerry Hart joined us in making ever more messes

We do remember to eat, and of course, drink.  One night I made what I call the artist's dessert ...

Bosc pears poached in red wine.

... and to spend time with our spouses, who are incredibly good at understanding as well as indulging us in our need to paint so much of the time!

Breakfast on the morning of the Dinn's departure

Last week I learned that I'd sold my first mixed media piece out of Willowtree Designs.  Pretty exciting!

A Peacock Called Win

Some of you reading this will know that I have a thing both for peacocks and collecting rubber stamps. In my travels I found an amazing overall-patterned peacock feather acrylic stamp measuring almost 5" x 6". By using a cradled panel I could continue the pattern around the edges and the piece can stand as shelf art. To compliment the colour of the peacock head I chose Golden's quinacridone/nickel azo gold for the background.

A PEACOCK CALLED WIN   acrylic painting on a cradled wooden panel 8" x 8" x 2" deep

I use StazOn stamp pad inks because they are acid free, archival, fast drying solvent inks and the only brand which is permanent. They don't smear when made wet, as in painted over with any water media.  I'm not sure if the other colours will do this but the purple bled through the white which I had used to paint over the area that would be the head. It took many, many coats to stop that. For months, I left this background with a ghostly white head but today I finally finished it!

A PEACOCK CALLED WIN   acrylic painting on a cradled wooden panel 8" x 8" x 2" deep

Yesterday, I consigned several of my small gems (oil paintings) and a few mixed media pieces, including the two below, to Galleria Inglewood. I am proud to say that this Calgary store has been carrying my work since 1988. The selection at Galleria is by far the most extensive and unique you'll find simply because they are the largest independently owned retail arts and crafts store in Canada. And now, fully decorated for Christmas, they are a sight to behold. I strongly recommend you pay them a visit!

             FLY AWAY  framed 8" x 6" $100.                                 WE'LL SING IN THE SUNSHINE  framed 12" x 9" $250.