Landscape & the Painting from Hell

For something a bit different I've decided to try my hand at A4 landscape digi scrap pages instead of A4 portrait as is my norm. It's wonderful to have a wide page instead of a tall one. I can't show you many yet, because most I have created for the CSI Design team and have to wait for reveals, but I just felt I needed a change.

I have been experimenting with new products and friends have given me links to new digi materials sites. There are so many out there now - and lots I've never heard of. I wish there was a listing of them all somewhere.. but the internet is such a wide and varied place I may never find one!

I am madly still painting artwork, but lately have been working on the one piece - which is unusual for me because generally I finish a small painting in 4-6 hours. This one has had several hours on it, and still not quite there. It's flowers in a vase (which isn't visible) in a room. I still think I'm days and possibly weeks away from a place where I can say with confidence that it is 'finished'.

Painting The Outdoors 2014 digi scrapbooking page - CSI Design Team 134 & Sketch - my first A4 LANDSCAPE layout

This is where the painting from hell started as a young pup.

My painting from hell - still on the go after several weeks. It's supposed to be for the flowers and fruit exhibition but at this rate it won't be finished for that in 6 weeks time!! Its still not right and not finished.

The Painting from hell continues... still not right and not happy with it. still eyeing off the bin for it.

RIP

Daily Paintworks - Weekly Challenge

I have been challenging myself at this website (American I think) each week. They run a weekly challenge - an artist gives you an inspirational photo or painting and you have to interpret what you will from that. You then get to post your entry in, and other artists can comment. If you have a full blown account with the site you can also sell works from there. But I'm not ready for that yet.

I spent only about an hour all up on the paintings - the pad I'm using is surplus - its a slightly larger than A4 canvas paper pad. So the paintings are really just quick sketches. But it keeps my brain ticking over and really makes me look at things, tones, and colours much more.

Want to see what I've done so far?

The Dishes Challenge - May 24 2014
The dishes reminded me of an art deco metropolis - so I was going for a space age city look!

The Dishes Challenge Inspiration

my entry 'Damp Urban Jungle' 2014 acrylic on canvas paper

The Fish Challenge - May 31 2014
 I know a lot about fish, and studied one species of reef fish for about 8 years. However, I wanted to throw that knowledge out the window and try to come up with an interesting painting. I felt the top right hand corner of the painting was missing something. So I looked through my fish books for a typical juvenile colouring of species of this fish, and then painted a little fish looking at the big one. At first glance it looks like dinner - because they don't look related, but then I titled the painting to show the relationship. I made the fish more vibrantly coloured.

The Fish Challenge Inspiration

my painting 'Hi Dad' 2014

The Mountain Challenge - June 2014
This was a bit tricky for me - being an Aussie and rarely visiting "the snow" ie any mountain tall enough to have snow in Winter. I've always wanted to paint snow, so I turned the inspiration photo into a snow scene just to see how difficult it really was.

The Mountain Challenge Inspiration

'Snowed In' 2014 my painting

The Path Challenge - June 2014
I liked the idea of the long path with the bend at the end. I focused on the right hand side of the painting, as I didn't like all the negative space on the left. It turned out a bit 'green' but it was good practise to do trunks and leafy cover.

The Path Challenge inspiration

'Wooded Trackway' 2014 my painting

The Lion Challenge - June 2014
I thought the full on shot of the lion (or lioness's) face was a bit boring. So I focused in on the eye and the fur. It wasn't at all what I expected. I had trouble with the eye - I used a green undercoat and no matter how much yellow and tan I put over the top it kept reverting!

The Lion Challenge - inspiration

'Lioness Looking At Lunch' 2014 my painting