Focus on Learning To: Paint "Mixed Media Lilies" Soft Pastel Episode 6b

“What am I going to do? I’m not happy with this painting, not necessarily because it is bad, but because it didn’t turn out like saw it in my mind.” This will sound familiar the more you paint.

Pull out another medium! What’ve you got? Acrylic? That is a good solution…you can use opaque paint over the areas you don’t like and leave the rest. Oil? No, sorry. Oil will eat the paper in time. You could alleviate that by putting a couple coats of clear gesso over the watercolor. Encaustic? Perfect, if you mount the paper to a panel so it won’t crack off. Ink? Probably, if it is opaque. Gouache is opaque.

I chose another opaque medium, one I’ve been neglecting lately. Soft Pastels! One of the reasons I chose Soft Pastels is because the rough paper will allow the pastel stick to slide over the high points of the texture. You can accomplish a layered look quite easily with them.

If you are in the market for soft pastels, be sure to download a copy of my master supply list. I’ve got options and links that will save you money, until you decide to keep collecting.

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C’mon! Get dirty with me!

Redo, Reuse, Recycle

While looking for my prismacolor set...you'd be surprised at what other things I've found during the search...I came across this calendar from 2008 that was filled with high quality full page prints of notable Arkansas artists. It was a project of the Govenor's office and was signed by Ginger Beebe, former first lady.

Storage is a premium, and everything has to have a reason for taking up space, but this was too good to pitch. I brought it into the studio for some creative thinking. Fifty-Two weeks/pages, and my art could be in there along with the others who only got one page.

I did a video talking about my process, although basically I painted over the calendar pages and picked up a brush for the first exploration. There are some current images below because I add one or two a day to the book. Enjoy!

How I took a very nice printed calendar with 52+ pages of full color art and turned it into a journal for play. Too good to throw away, and signed by Ginger Beebe to boot (former first lady Arkansas). www.VickiRossArt.com blog post:

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xxoo

Art Journaling is the bomb!

My evolution as an artist has brought me full circle. Almost every painting I did for 13 years was suitable for framing and competitions. When I figured out this mindset was doing me no favors, I drifted into mixed media. That art community was having so much fun...and the products designed for them were fascinating.

I had to completely change my direction, it seemed at the time. Playing? Not in my vocabulary. Turns out that was exactly what I needed to add. I've had a ball, and now have four+ journals going...when one dries, pick up another, turn the page and keep on going. I've been studying techniques learned in workshops and from tutors I always meant to delve into. 

Attendance in a class or workshop is great, but you cannot learn in a few hours what a particular tutor has taken a lifetime to perfect. You have to go back to your own studio and practice until the something different becomes part of your vocabulary. I did so much study I never took the time to do the real work.

Slowly, I picked up watermedia again. Always liked doing faces, and now have a journal devoted to watercolor figurative works. Here are a few:

xxoo