Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas

I was raised with the old bromide "Waste not. Want not". Believe me that one has stuck in my head to the point of sometimes my being a cheapskate. Also, I suppose, my Scot ancestry didn't help.

When I paint a picture there is generally paint leftover. Getting paint back in the tube is kind of like trying to un-ring a bell. I just can't bear to waste the paint. So, I take the opportunity to really let fly and try to create something with just the paint I have left.

Upon finishing WHEAT FIELDS & WILDFLOWERS, as usual, I had paint that needed using. Hydrangeas is what that paint wanted to be.

Don't waste paint! Cuz what you may really wasting is your innate creativity.  It's a wonderful opportunity to be free and be bold without fretting about the outcome.

Walker

A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose

A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose or so wrote Gertrude Stein. Gertrude never saw my rendition of a rose.

Whilst I was rummaging around the internet I came across some videos on the subject of painting flowers. (See Video Library). I love flowers because I love color and seldom is seen a flower without beautiful color. I decided to give a rose a try. I didn't have a photo to look at so I painted it right out of my head. Mind you, I probably  could not have done any better with a photo. But, as my friend Dave says, it is original. It looks to me like something a first grader might produce, maybe a kindergartner.

They say the great thing about acrylics is how quickly the paint dries. That special feature is proving my nemesis. My paints are drying out so fast I get all in panic. I'm one of those that does not do well under pressure and this is taking all the fun out of the exercise. I've tried misting the paint but it still dries out on the palette and clumps on the brush. Part of it may be due to the low humidity in the house. In winter, with things closed up and the heat running all the time it gets pretty dry.

I don't know what the trouble is but I really need to find a solution. If anyone reading this has any ideas to share about keeping acrylic paint moist I would sure be grateful if you'd leave them in a comment.

©Kinsey Barnard