TamandaArt

Here they are! Sitting here until they are fully dry, these three took me all last week. I thought by painting smaller that I would get everything done really fast. I just kept going back in for more details.  I think I am getting really finicky in my old age. "Sunshine Reflections" #22-09 10" x 8" oil on canvas board "Sun Blooms" #22-10 10" x 8" oil on canvas board "Sunshine Promises" #22-11 8" x 8" oil on canvas board As soon as they are ready (varnished and labelled), I will put them up on-line.  

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's a glance at a painting I did in 2017! Seems like so long ago. Hopefully I'll have something newer to post up soon.  

I keep giving this painting nicknames it seems. Elegant floral at  first and now Garden floral, I'm still not sure the title yet. I have almost managed to fill in all the color except for a few tiny spaces.  I've marked them down here. Just a few places where I still have to fill in. I'll keep at it.  

Making a canvas. It always makes more sense to make your own canvas when there is a size that isn't readily available in the stores. This canvas is 38" high by 66" long. Also, it's a gallery style, so 1 1/2 " deep. It all starts out with a frame. (The frame above is a regular canvas, not a gallery style, but it's the same principal but with the thicker part of the wood facing the sides) Then we cut and wrap the canvas. You want to cut a good 2-3 extra inches. It's always easier to cut an inch than to try and find it. The corners are difficult. Always. You just have to be patient and get creative. The trickiest part is the inner frame. For larger canvases, a double frame works best. You have to tuck in the extra and cut before putting in the inner support frame. With this canvas I applied primed canvas.  How this differs from unprimed is that there is going to be slack no matter how hard you pull when you staple the canvas on. Having slack is not something...

Another corner done!   I love the power of paint. By just painting these old drawers, it changed the whole look. Here's the before. These old drawers were in a bad state and needed some help. I took everything apart and then primed them with special primer. This one specified being able to paint on laminate.  These drawers are foil on particle board but close enough. It took 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of acrylic enamel (velvet) but they turned out well. It may not be a window but it was easy and I could do it all by myself. Also cheap. Love them bargains!  

This painting started with a less finicky drawing at the beginning. The basic composition emerged easily. The painting's personality seems to start at this development. This is the point where those gorgeous greens arrive.  

Working on the grapevines has been a slow process. Much like the garden floral, there are many lines that intersect and run throughout the composition. It will be worth it in the end.