December Work In Progress

I hope everyone is having a great December. With Christmas past, the new year is right around the corner. With a new year, comes new projects. A few pieces I've been working on now are for a show in January.

I wanted to work directly on a wooden surface for these pieces. The bleeding of colors works differently when working from paper to wood. There's more drips and stains to experiment with and if you know me, I love experimenting with different art techniques.

After I gave my surface a couple gesso layers, I used watercolor to mark where I wanted my shapes to go, and then used gouache to get my rich dark colors for a second layer of paint. Neither pieces are in their final stages yet. There's still much to be done, but by January, they will be finished and ready for exhibition!

To keep up to date about my work throughout the month, head over to my About page to sign up for my artist email newsletter. It's free and fun :)

I use gesso to cover the surface of my painting first so that the colors will not soak into the wood.

I use gesso to cover the surface of my painting first so that the colors will not soak into the wood.

Watercolor is a great way for me to lay out my composition. Once that dries, I either go back with more watercolor, or start the gouache stages.

Watercolor is a great way for me to lay out my composition. Once that dries, I either go back with more watercolor, or start the gouache stages.

Gouache is applied over the watercolor to deepen and darken the colors I am looking for. At this point, I am almost at the midpoint of the painting. Many more layers of gouache, possibly acrylic and pastels will be added to finish this piece.

Gouache is applied over the watercolor to deepen and darken the colors I am looking for. At this point, I am almost at the midpoint of the painting. Many more layers of gouache, possibly acrylic and pastels will be added to finish this piece.

November Work in Progress

November WIP of Vermillion Medallion

November WIP of Vermillion Medallion

With the Pop-Up Gallery Show in Wauwatosa quickly approaching, I've been busy working on a few new pieces. My favorite so far are the circle canvas wall plaques I've been making. The colors and lines I create are given a new way to interact with the borders of the canvas. I've also been trying to use color in the background instead of white to enhance the intensity of a few of the pieces. I love color so this was a nice change of pace for myself.

The artwork above and a couple more of these circle pieces will be for sale at the Pop-Up Gallery Show, November 20th. Join the event Facebook page here.