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Sun Shower 04
May 23, 2008
May 30th: Today I’m starting to remove miles of rubberized masking medium. It’s so exciting to unravel the results; they look a little like Batik, where wax or resist is applied then removed.
Sunshower 04, 49 x 85 x 3 inches acrylics on canvas. 29th: Starting to build thin layers of acrylics, gel medium and water. As previously posted, when painting is all finished I plan to remove all of the masking medium and reveal the original colors underneath. Paint catching on the textured surface gives the look of 3D raindrops…very interesting, and in retrospect I don’t know why it wasn’t obvious that this would occur.
I was mostly thinking ahead about the atmosphere and negative spaces. There are so many things that you can’t anticipate or put into a plan, that you only discover by doing, even the obvious. As the painting changes you have to keep changing your plan along with it. Preconceived ideas are a must, but you have to be willing to let go of some and stay open to others. This is what I love so much about painting..how one thing leads to another; planning and surprises working together. Now this will have multidimensional surface of every grade from watercolor-like washes to thick applications of paint.
May 28th: Anxious to finish placing the raindrop patterns and get to painting the light rays. The next layers of paint will resist those raindrop areas. I’m usually content to go with the flow, following how the painting gradually comes together. With this painting I have to think ahead, visualize, and plan the completed piece more than usual. As the canvas fills in more with the resist, mark-making is more strategic. I can’t wait to see how it will look when the resist is removed.
May 26th: …am on the third bottle of masking medium. Soon the surface will be ready to start painting light and dark sun rays, layering color washes of acrylics and gel medium.
May 23rd: As I fill in with streaks of masking medium to block off areas of rain, progress is slow because of the painting’s size, but I work a little on it every day. Toothpicks keep breaking, and my hand gets cramped and numb after a few hours, so I bought some of the smallest paper pencils usually used for smudging graphite, and those are working out much better. I devised a sort of brush with a few toothpicks taped to a brush handle, but this is awkward to use, and there is not much control over mark placement. One streak at a time.
Categories: acrylic painting, experimental, mixed media, Seasonal, semi-impressionist, summer, trees, work in progress | 4 Comments »
4 Responses to “Sun Shower 04”
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May 27th, 2008 at 11:06
Nikki,
I love to read about your process and materials.
Chris B.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:06
Hi Chris – there are advantages to blogging and seeing the work on-screen from a distance rather than up close and personal: details blur, and areas that need change (or no change) can suddenly seem obvious; describing the process and progress is so helpful, especially for the larger experimental pieces..
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:06
WOW! that’s gorgeous! and it’s huge! – this is just exquisite!
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:06
Hi Virginia – thank you for the compliments – I welcome critique as well if you have any. Yes, the large 3 inch-deep frames certainly have presence. My husband and I built 3 this size, intended to be my best Show-stoppers. Built with highest quality kiln-dried clear pine, they’re solid and sturdy but heavy and awkward to maneuver into position – don’t even ask how fun it was to stretch the canvas! It’s good to have a few XXL sizes that will draw some attention to all the other work.