Getting Warmer

One big difference in how I blogged before, and how I'm going to blog from now on: I'm not going to blog EVERY day. I'd ideally like to blog 4-5 days a week... but not 7. I'm glad to be out of the vicious cycle of blogger's guilt!

This holiday weekend was fun.. but HOT!!! It is too hot in Texas. Triple digits = ridiculous! I need to find a pool and park my butt in it for the the next two months.

I've been sitting outside on my computer... a cockroach just flew up and landed on my head... I threw it off... I'm proud of myself that I didn't freak out.. run downstairs and start pouring bleach on myself ... or something like that... maybe being around so many bugs last summer was good for me after all...

I did work on my paintings this weekend:

This painting was a STRUGGLE. I fought the wood and the wood fought the paint... finally I painted a very thick layer of Acrylic medium over it... I hope that will make things a lot easier.



I like this painting of a Bohemian Waxwing... but something is bugging me... I think the painting is too gray. I would like to add some texture and pattern around him... but right now I'm unsure about what colors to use. I need to add a little more yellow and red on him... I really like these birds and their coloring, so I may be painting a few of them. He's far from done...


This next piece is a generic "bird"

I gessoed parts of the bird ... but so far this wood has also been a bit difficult to work on... even though it was primered. More Acrylic Matte Medium!



I like the pattern down one side... but I'm not sure I'm liking the background color... not yet.

I've also painted another board YELLOW! and of course I LAYERED the Acrylic Matte Medium over the yellow immediately! I want to paint a HUGE hummingbird on it.

It's been a while since I've painted.... so the flow has yet to come... but hopefully if I keep plugging away at it, it'll happen when I'm least expecting it!

I was having trouble applying paint on the wood.. even after I primed the boards... I couldn't get a clear line and it was just a struggle getting the paint where i wanted it. I used the matte medium over the first bird... it dries clear... but i plan to paint on top of it.

From now on, I'm going to paint an under coat of the matte medium.... but i know you can mix it with paint, and paint over and under. it gives a much smoother surface than gesso.

One Lesson learned: Acrylic Matte Medium is my FRIEND! a much better friend than Gesso, fo' sho!