Saturday, June 5, 2010

Days 17-21 of 30/30 project

Well, here it is, all caught up! At least for a few more hours until it's tomorrow... I've been working hard on my Layer Love class with Julie Prichard. I fell behind one day because I had to let the paint dry. So to make up for it, I painted two paintings at the same time. Hah! Take that, wet paint! Shall we begin? 


Day 17 was Lesson One from the Layer Love class "The Red Page." It is a background for a mixed media painting. (Don't ask me what... I have NO idea yet!) We are learning how to layer the paint to create depth. There are about 6 or 7 layers here of different colors, from blue to red to black. And what does Julie say? Blend blend blend! I tell you, it looks MUCH better in person. My scanner doesn't do it justice unfortunately.
Day 18 was a day of journaling in my watercolor book. One of my favorite songs is called "Ugly Side" by Blue October. I decided to see if I could come up with some images for the lyrics... my apologies to Barbie. (Seriously, doesn't the "pretty" side look like Barbie Doll?)
Day 19 was back to Layer Love, lesson 2 "The Old Sea Calls to Me." It really reminds me of the deep sea. The light part of the canvas seems to glow from within. Again, a million layers and blend blend blend. I think this one is my favorite one so far. Probably because I love the sea... dream about the sea... want to live by the sea. 
Day 20 was Layer Love lesson 3. "Old World Golds" I really like this one too. We played with texture using gel medium. Yummy. I love texture you can feel as well as see. I love the color palette. And the weird thing is, there is no gold paint anywhere on the canvas! It's all yellows and ochres and Nickel Azo Gold (but no metallic gold) and burnt umber. Lots of washes and glazes. It's probably not as glossy as it's supposed to be because I didn't have the gloss medium she recommended. (Have to wait until I have a coupon for Michael's Craft Store for that one!) I did have some GAC100 which I used instead. But it's really amazing in person.
Day 21 was a repeat of Day 20's lesson but done in my watercolor journal. (While the canvas was drying I painted in the book. And vice versa.) I wanted to see how it would work on paper. I think it turned out pretty well. I added some script rubber stamping, and chandelier and dragonfly. 
All of these paintings are supposed to be backgrounds for journaling or mixed media paintings. But that's where I get stuck. I don't know how to "finish" them. Hopefully in time something will inspire me and I'll get an idea and go for it. My friend Janet painted a beautiful mermaid on her Sea background. Maybe someday... but for now... on to Lesson 4. Although who knows, maybe I'll take a break and work on something different tomorrow... Only about one more week to go for the 30/30 project! Have a great weekend everyone.

14 comments:

  1. Lisa, those backgrounds are extraordinary. I really like the gold one and the journal page, so rich and deep, and the collage layers add do much to them. My favorite is the Sea, though, I can just see mer-folk annd other exotic beasties lurking in those depths.

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  2. Oh...great backgrounds. I'm sorry I never got a chance to sign up. I am so looking forward to how these progress. Thanks for posting.

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  3. Wow, you are learning some great techniques and creating beautiful backgrounds with depth. Love what you did with the gold journal page. You are a talented, beautiful person!

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  4. Lisa--your day three painting turned out really well and I like the technique on your journal pages. I didn't have any of that medium she wanted us to us either. I used a gloss top coat varnish stuff for acrylic paintings--not as thick as what she was using. I am working on my woman to go onto the day three painting. Your day two, just blows me away. Is that gorgeous blue paint the one you were talking about on your blog yesterday?? Thanks for linking to my mermaid!!

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  5. Great background pages! I am sure you will find a use for them. what a gift to have so many pages ready to roll!
    Aloha, Kate

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  6. That gold one is amazing!! I am like you too - once I get so far, I am like now what? :)
    Very nice and you are all caught up! unlike me... but we won't go there.

    Cheryl

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  7. i am diggin ur blue october pg i love that song so much.

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  8. Lisa, I loved this class so much when I took it and I've really been enjoying seeing your work. I didn't follow up with the journaling class and I'm debating whether to do so. So right now I have a bunch of beautiful backgrounds. Are you going to do the journaling class?

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  9. I haven't done one of these layer love backgrounds yet! Getting paints out while I have sewing stuff out and other unfinished projects just doesn't sound good so I don't. I need a table for each thing I am doing!

    Don't know what to do with your backgrounds? Try setting some photos on them. Cut out a large word or phrase from a magazine (it doesn't have to mean anything to you) and lay it on the page. Move them around to get the best effect for a layout. Then pick something you'd either like to paint or use the photo and place it where it looked good to you. Put the writing you'd like where the cut-out phrase looked good. My sister says to put a piece of plastic over the painting and try out the actual paint colors or design you might want to use on it before committing it to the real surface. You can wipe it off the plastic and try something new till you like the idea and then you don't need to be so worried about putting something on the page itself.

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  10. Hi fellow blog hopper! :) I see you're takind Layer Love too. I did this workshop a while back and I loved it. I used all my backgrounds for Suzi BLu's les petit dolls. :) You need to try that one as well. It's awesome!

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  11. Wow Lisa! I'm so glad I came over to visit! I love this new work you're doing! beautiful backgrounds!
    xoxo

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  12. Hi Lisa!
    it's so nice to blog hop and meet both your pretty barbie side and your 'other' side! hehe...

    I'm now following your blog...

    and I've added the LINKY LIST to my sidebar!

    come by and see me too sometime!

    ciao bella
    creative carmelina

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  13. hi there, forgot how i found your blog, but here i am.
    loving your layers. that chandelier and dragonfly spread came out beautifully. you've got the distressed look down.

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  14. Wow....I am also in the Layer Love class and I really love what you have done... Can't wait to see more of what you create...I'm your newest follower!

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