Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friday, July 4, 2014

Visionary: Mixed-Media Portrait


Happy Fourth Of July, everyone!  Enjoy this day of celebration for America's independence.

My new painting, "Visionary", is another experiment in mixed-media.  The painting is 16" x 12" and is done over another discarded painting from the "archives!"

I first tore text areas from a magazine and collaged them over the old painting which was done on 140 lb. cold-pressed Arches watercolor paper. I stamped and painted textures on white tissue paper with white Gesso.  I used rubber shelf paper for the stamping, and the rest of the designs were hand painted.  I then tore shapes from the tissue paper and collaged those on top of the magazine text.  I did this at random - paying no attention to where the various textures were going to be in the final composition.  I used matte acrylic medium as my collage medium.

When this dried, I drew the image on top of the collage with an HB pencil and painted the image in transparent watercolor.  I added a few areas of white to the beard with block-out white to finish.  I did not use colored pencil on this as I did on the first.  I love the way the stamped and collage images show through the watercolor.

2 comments:

RH Carpenter said...

Wonderful results and I loved hearing how you came to the finished piece - I don't do this often, with collage and gesso and other things, but sometimes it is fun to just play with the materials and see where it takes you. This one took you to a nice place. Reminds me a bit of Myrna Wacknov's work as she often draws over old things, stamps, gessoes and throws everything but the kitchen sink at a painting to get to the final :) Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!

Barb Sailor said...

Thanks Rhonda...I admire Myrna Wacknov's work so it has been an inspiration for me to try some of these things. As you know, I am very anal and a stick-in-the-mudish - but am really enjoying doing these types of works.