Project Next . . .

Project Next : Miniature watercolor on teabags

Yeah, I know.

You're saying, 'lynn, you haven't completed your 30 paintings in 30 days, yet'.

True, I have not.

But this is prep work for the next challenge.

Drinking a lot (and I mean a LOT) of tea lately.

I'm saving the bags and drying them on the back of the sink.

So attractive in the kitchen.

Who cares.

It's an art sacrifice.

Once dry, I cut the top of the backside where the staple is,

shake out the used tea and glue stick the top back together.

With a dried paper empty teabag, I will paint miniature watercolors.

Objects, landscapes, patterns and designs.

I was hoping to put these all into a little notebook.
A Moleskine.

Maybe framable as little works of art?

I have a friend who is a framer in a small shop and it will take his eye to help out here but I'm thinking they could turn out kinda cool.

We'll see.

Until then : Merry Christmas, kids! 

Love, the Locals Show . . .

 This little show was a sweet surprise!

Organized by a group of four crafty friends and carefully curated to include

the freshest, hippest work out there,

it attracted young modern people who appreciate

well done work and things that they would love to have in their homes.

I was beyond impressed that Lincoln was home to any of these folks!

Lots of young families

(I've never seen so many little ones and pregnant moms!)

and it was just exciting to see.

The venue? Gorgeous!
It was held in the restored Wyuka Cemetery Stables. Brick courtyard with inward-facing stable doors (garage doors now) so you had an open center breezeway with huge stable doors opening into the courtyard. There were two big rooms on either side that held 23 artist spaces.

Beautiful. I want to move in.












I'll bet that next year they find bigger digs. 


There were over 1000 people in attendance and with the popularity of this show, they'll need it!

My work fit in (altho' I think I was the oldest artist there - freaky) and keeping it fresh and light will be key


Exactly my style.

Days 15 and 16, Fire and Architecture . . .

Day 16 : Architecture

Okay, this is more house than really architecture and I even gave the old girl

a different paint job.

This was a farmhouse down the road that was torn down last summer.

I had taken a picture of it when a pair of coyote pups were playing in front.

Before you feel sad that the house went away, it was an abandoned mess.

So it's okay, y'all.

Day 15 : Fire

From a photo I took of a neighbor's controlled burning of their fields in the Spring of 2014.

There are crews that burn fields and it's really lovely to watch.

Very methodical and, well, controlled.

Today's little masterpiece before I get back to my last 15 for the 30 Day Challenge . . .

I'm finishing up a few more pieces for a little one day holiday show this weekend.

This is an expansion of a smaller ACEO piece I did earlier.

Measures 4"x4".

I know. Can I get any smaller? Yes I can.

I like the grey skies and no tracks in the snow.

I wish I could tell you that I have a formula for these little paintings

but they seem to come from my brush as I paint.

I work a composition as I go along and I think most of them work.

The muddy ones are at the bottom of the wastebasket, sure.

But almost all have survived.

Hoping they all find loving homes on Sunday.

=-D

Follow-up 'behinder' . . .

Day 11 : Detail

Here I used masking fluid over a first wash of the

dried petals of this wildflower rimmed in frost.

I use the term 'fluid' with reservations.

More like painting on elmer's glue - not as easy as I had imagined.

Once that was dry, I painted the greyed out background,

removed the mask, and touched in the details.

Sure, this technique will require more work and trial and error

but for a first attempt, okay.

Getting behinder . . .

I'm so ding-danged far behind on this 30 Day Watercolor Challenge.

Frankly, I'm behind on more than the Watercolor Challenge

but I'll save that for another day.

Yesterday I started on the frosty flower from a friend's blog when I decided

that in order to make the frosty part crisp and white, 

I needed to use my masking fluid.

Great - except I wasn't going to use my GOOD brushes to apply that gunk.

Surprise. No crappy brushes.

Today 1. Buy cheap brushes

2. Paint 'frosty'

But I did finish this one:

Day 10 : Detail