Frost on the window

It's been bitter cold out there...and I've been playing with my camera again...this time, turning window frost into something other than what it is...thought I'd post the progression...initially I was trying to line up the tree branches with the frost, but they weren't cooperating with me and it was getting on toward twilight, so I was starting to lose the light...not all pictures are from the same patch of frost, but all the same window...and I tinkered A LOT with the color saturation and contrast...all for fun...








I especially enjoyed making these last ones...

I'm working on a new large mixed media drawing in the Celestial series, on such a cold weekend, I wanted something bright to warm me up...it's in that early stage, I'm documenting the mess...it's going to be fun...

On a Winter's Night...

On a Winter's Night...January 10, 2009

Mixed media, acrylic, tinted graphite pencils, watercolor, gouache, pencil, colored pencil on Stonehenge paper, approx. 8 x 8"

Detail of texture...the paper has an acrylic/gel medium base with a variety of brushstrokes, splatters, and ridges applied, then I draw and paint on top after it's dried, the colored pencils and tinted graphite are all water-soluble so I scribble the colors over the rough surface and then scumble with a wet brush to create the wash, then more dry media (pencil, colored pencil, tinted graphite), more water as needed, then a splash here, a splash there, pencil lines scratched in...I beat up the surface sometimes...

The stars were out on Friday night just before this latest storm hit us...they were so bright and gorgeous, although it was very cold, I looked at them for as long as I could stand it...Orion was standing over our pine trees...it was all very quiet and beautiful...the Great Horned Owl was hooting across the road...one day I will treat you with a post all about my favorite night paintings by my favorite artists...I've been working on some essay sort of stuff...so, hang in there...

Another in the "River of Fallen Stars" series

This one turned out a little more blue...it was months in the making, although I "finished" it (signed and dated) on November 30th, I was living with it before I posted (just in case I needed to make adjustments...but no...it seems fine, I had feared that I worked it to death...plus the photo I took of it after I finished it was too dark and awful...and then too much happening between my surgery and the holidays to fool around with another photo...even this one isn't so hot, but the colors are better...

Lots of splatter over the initial blue wash that I made way back in June or July when I started it, there's layers and layers of paint and pastel...very crusty!

A work in progress...

I have lots of works in progress over the holiday vacation, but this one has carried on since early December before I had my surgery...and while I worked it, I've been dying to post the pictures, but...haven't because...

I'm still "working on it"...but have tucked it away to think about it...I love it. Really I do, it's doing what I wanted, it's just not done yet. Well, since I write a lot about process, why not show the work in progress...

The heavily textured surface consists of white acrylic paint with an impasto that is splattered, dribbled, and scumbled, then I scribbled graphitint pencils over it, made them soggy, brushed and washed, dabbled and splattered, then when it dried, I started drawing with graphite...I'm loving the surface, and all, but...ummm...I don't know, it's just not finished yet...and that dark fossil-like shell bugs me, even tho' I like it...it's too dark (darn it.) This will be a multiple layer piece before it's done...I have some detail shots too...

It's been a lot of fun making this one...and I'm enjoying the frustration of the struggle with resolving it too...if anything, I've always been patient and have been willing to work out the bugs that are bugging me...