New works

This photograph of a tree was taken last summer at Lake Tahoe.  Continuing with my experiments with image transfers, I made a print of the photograph to transfer onto canvas.  It unfortunately didn't turn out as vibrant as I had hoped, so I painted over the image.  I actually ended up covering most all of the original tree image, as evidenced by the photo on the right. 



Whenever I mix up an indigo color, I can't help but think of traditional Japanese fabric designs.  In the same way, when I use earthy reds, I think of Native American art.  You can see both of these influences in the new painting I titled Starry Sky.



To create a clear, glossy top coat, I brushed on a thick layer of acrylic gel medium.  When dry, the acrylic medium gives the painting a wet look, which is a great effect.  However, I applied the medium a little too thick, causing the turquoise paint to crack a bit.  It's not terribly noticeable, but I went ahead and added the painting to the sale section of my Etsy shop.

For the past few days, I've also been working on 100% recycled drawing paper.  Normally I create pen and ink drawings on the Kraft-like paper, but I primarily used acrylic paint this time around.  The two new works feel more like sketches to me, so I debated uploading them into my Etsy shop.  But I enjoy sketches from other artists as much as their polished works, so I decided to add the new pieces to the shop.  The one on the left is called Peak and the one on the right is Valley.