Watch me painting....

I love to paint abstract pieces, this one from last year show my process of building up layers. I love to see a painting appearing as if by magic on the page!

Owls

Today I've been experimenting with a new direction for my work. The main influence for my work is nature and I've recently had the urge to paint an owl. I love the beautiful big eyes and somehow delicate frame of the barn owl so here is my interpretation of this amazing creature!

Painting in layers then doodle the details!

I really love this process of painting which I seem to have developed for myself over the last few weeks. 

Watch theentire painting process here; https://youtu.be/wte9uQcPo5s

I start with an expressive painted layer using acrylics with a brayer roller and smudging with my fingers. I then add in patterns using stencils. 

I let this layer dry then go back in again using my fingers and acrylic paints in contrasting colours. I love to add in bold coloured dots too to create added details.

Once this is dry I love to add lots of crazy detail using black fine line and Paint pens. I find this doodling process so meditative and I like to just go with the flow and let the patterns create themselves, although they usually reference nature.

Big, bold and beautiful.  Everything that art should be!!! ♡

Why not have a go yourself? Paint something quick and intuitive, then once it's dry use it as a background for your doodling! 

Layer#31 Contrast in Pink!

I have been a bit stuck with the way things have been going in the last few layers. So I decided that it was time for another transformation. What better way to go than to go fresh and bright so as a contrast to the dark blues I have chosen a beautiful bold bright pink.

Sometimes it's nice not to think too much when you're painting so this layer literally took about 2 minutes. Letting the paint and brayer action take centre stage and quickly produce a gorgeous textured paint effect. The stencils from the previous layer peak through in areas which as a rich dimensions to the canvas.

Layer#30 Embracing Fear

I find it really tough to layer sometimes. I think it's the control freak in me. Sometimes it's hard to let go. Your brain overrides your heart and wants to know where you are going? What's going to happen? What are you trying to achieve and even sometimes what is the point?

I find when I am faced with a massive hurdle like this its because I'm on the cusp of something big. I'm about to realise something or discover something that is going to propel my work forwards.

At times like these I know I need to push on. Sometimes just getting something on the page,  anything is a start. And it's also the beginning of overcoming this great hurdle and overriding my inner critic.

Today feels like one of those days!

Patterns Everyday- Expressions of the Sea!

Experimenting with monoprinting, layering acrylic paints with different stencilled patterns then drawing detail in at the end.

Layer#27 Stencil relief

I really love this technique. The strong bold sections of untouched colour combined with the the suggested outlines of the stencils and the textured white areas. The brayer has left previous layers to peak through here and there adding subtle hints of hidden depths. I think this could look even more beautiful with detail drawn over the top.

Layer#22 Stencilling

Added pattern detail through stencilling.

Layer#13 Stencil Crazy

So not really sure where to go after going deep and dark with lots of splurges of black....maybe the complete opposite.  Why not counteract it with white, and lots of it, adding pattern and texture along the way? Time to get the stencils out!!!