Friday 17 August 2012

Still a work-in-progress ....

I've been painting a lot this week, I'm getting addicted again ;-)

Actually, I should work on some boxes, but I don't feel like it, I just want to paint.
Next week, I'll probably just finish this painting and then force myself to start making things for my market in September. I really shouldn't leave it all till the last minute, like I always do.

Anyway, this is where I stopped last week:


I've been looking at it for days (I usually paint on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the rest of the days the painting is sitting on its easel in the livingroom, so I can watch it and try to come up with new ideas).

And it kind of grew on me. So I decided to stay with it and not change the figures on there.
It went through some phases though ....

I decided it needed some lightening up, so I threw some more paint on there and used my spraybottle to make drips. Aaaah, LOVE drips ...


But, being the impatient person that I am: I didn't wait until the different layers were dry, so in the end I created mud. And I hate mud ...

That's something very important that I learned in Flora's workshop: DON'T mix cold and warm colors! Use warm colors (or vice versa), LET IT DRY, and then use cold colors. It's the "let it dry"-part that I'm having problems with .... ;-)

So I tried to lighten it up again ...

Getting tired of the dark I decided to use my foambrush. Too much paint on there for the first stroke, but hey: happy accident, because I suddenly saw a shoulder ...


And this is where I am now. Not finished, but getting there.

And see: a bird sneaked in ... I can't help it. I planned on not painting birds this time, but when you look at the first picture, you can see it's just sitting there. I didn't even have to change the shape, it was a perfect bird. Couldn't paint over that now, could I!?

This weekend I need to clear out my working space. When we were still living in Belgium, I had half of a room that I could use to paint. It wasn't big, but I had all my supplies at hand, and my table was pretty large.
But here, living in a rental place with carpet almost everywhere and not allowed to hang anything on the walls, my "studio" is reduced to a tiny spot at the kitchen table, and my supplies are scattered all over the house and garage. I NEED MORE ROOM!


See what I mean ? I don't have room to spread things out and let things dry. It's one of the reasons I still didn't start painting my boxes. I always work on several at the same time, but it drives me crazy looking for place all the time.

Oh well, guess I should count myself lucky that I at least have this little place, and that my family doesn't complain when my supplies start taking over the whole of the kitchentable ...

I'm linking this to Paint Party Friday. Check out all the other artists on there, almost 100 people are participating every week!

Thanks for visiting! And I wish you all a very relaxing weekend!


32 comments:

  1. Gorgeous Denthe... love the progress shots... and yep... the little birdie peeking in is so sweet... I love your little birdies...

    Hugs
    Jenny x

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  2. I plan to do the exact same thing——keep my work-in-progress in the living room so I can look at it as it progresses. I'm buying a house, so I'll be able to do that! It's a small house, but I'm thinking I'd like to set up a painting area in the basement so I can be as messy as I want to be with paint. I'm looking forward to making some big Flora-like paintings, full of color, to decorate my walls. Seeing your work helps keep me inspired and dreaming of what I'd like to do.

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  3. This is absolutely amazing. I really admire your process and your ability to see and capture!

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  4. I love how your birdie found you! Beautiful colors in this painting, I love it.

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  5. shit! i loooove your stuff - so gorgeous - love the colours and forms

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  6. Love the progress shots, and that dancing figure is divine. Love her. :)

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  7. What a great process in your work to see. beautiful. And how longer I look how more I see in your painting. marfelous Denthe. Love your style, you are a great artist and I love your work.have a nice weekend and lovely greet
    Marja
    (marjascreativity)

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  8. I find this piece absolutely electrifying

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  9. Love how the faces are emerging. :) Awesome colors!

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  10. I really like where this one is headed, Denthe. I so love your style and colors! xoxox

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  11. This art work piece is divine ~ sometimes hard to slow down and wait ~ yet acrylic dries rather quickly ~ breathe ~ enjoy the process is what I am telling myself ~ Wow! love this piece ~ ( A Creative Harbor)

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  12. Wow, this is incredible! Just breathtaking! I hear so many talk about Flora Bowley's class... It's really making me want to take it. :) The colors here are fabulous!

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  13. another wow from me your painting is really fabulous. Happy PPF, Annette x

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  14. Beautiful work. It's so interesting to see your process. Do you use a hairdryer to dry layers? I'm impatient, too, so that's what I do to help move the process along faster. I understand what it's like not to have a studio. It's frustrating at times, but still worth it in the end. Good luck!

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  15. Thanks for showing the profress of that incredible beautiful art work! I'm really impressed!

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  16. LOVE the painting - thanks for showing steps - very cool to get an inside look at your process!

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  17. You colors just speak to me- I loved this one last week and love it even more now! The shapes you've pulled out of this are fabulous!

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  18. Super beautiful piece..awesome to see it unfold..so much energy and vibrancy..gorgeous color palette and wonderful symbolic energy!
    Victoria

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  19. Great progress!
    Loving the repetition and variety of cirles...and that that little birdie snuck in!!
    Wonderful!
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

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  20. I haven't commented on each one but i have been enjoying all your posts lately, and i love the Artists you have spotlighted also. This piece is wonderful and i am epecially drawn to the figure with her arms raised!

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  21. I love seeing how this is progressing and your happy mistakes. I absolutely love the bird peeking in from his perch above the canvas - that just made me smile - LOVE. All of it is wonderful. Happy PPF

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  22. I loved seeing the faces come to life. When art takes over, you won't be worrying about the space, you'll be too busy painting your soul on canvas. Nice job. Happy PPF!

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  23. What fun it is for me to travel down this post seeing each step in the way. I love what you've done here...I like the bottom one. So can't imagine what not done yet is and what is yet to come so will hang out to see more! HPPF!

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  24. Wow it's coming along beautifully, I love the transitioning hair of the middle character on the fifth photo!! The bird popping in was interesting, as I saw a shoe or boot....very nicely done!!!Love love love the wonderful colors...I think the drips kept making more depth. Thanks for sharing your process!!

    Also try some stack-able plastic boxes for your supplies!! Taking out smaller boxes or your supplies as you go! I have everything in boxes...I create in my family room because I need to be in the hub of whats going on!!I hate looking at the mess so I have to condense things into small boxes to quickly hide them when I need to!! Good luck!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  25. Wow, thank you all so very much for your sweet comments! I'm almost starting to blush ...:-) It means so much to me. Thank you! Hugs to all of you!

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  26. I love the progression of your work. And the upside down bird! And my granddaughter just got her so I didn't get to finish reading...just skimmed...but I'm happy you have the space you do have to make beautiful paintings like this!!!

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  27. It's so interesting to watch this painting keep morphing into new versions of itself. I think it's really great, no matter where you stop.

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  28. This is terrific. I haven't taken a class from Flora, nor have I read her book, but this is kind of the premise I've been working on--paint, try to see what's inside the paint trying to get out.

    I also am not good at letting layers dry, but I have the luxury of a studio, so I work on five or six things at a time, even taking them outside to let the dribbles dry. I feel very lucky--

    You are inspiring me to get out there and paint!

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  29. wow.. at first I thought you had ruined the painting then in the end it just popped out again. Its looking great. I have to mention the quote in your header. I LOVE that saying. Its so true. :))

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  30. Wonderful colours, awesome lines and cool evolving of the process.

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  31. Wow - I love this piece and watching how it evolved. I kept going back and looking at the progression again and again. It reminds me of Mahler's music - how it grows and swells. I'm taking Flora's e course in September and can't wait to start.

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  32. OOOH! I love this piece, such wonderful vivid colors, love your style.

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Thanks for taking the time to comment! I love hearing your thoughts about my work. Because I am getting too many spammer comments, l have to use Captcha, sorry. Hope this is not a problem for you !