Mma Tembo update

We've had Open Studios again this weekend with seven lovely visitors today.  I spent some time further developing the gray scale underpainting of Mma Tembo. I concentrated on the left hand side today.  Once I adjust the tones on the forehead, add the details of creases in the trunk etc I'll be ready to add colour in the form of glazes.  I may get to this tomorrow as I am close to finishing the gray scale.

Mama Tembo

For those of you who know the John Wayne movie 'Hatari', you will perhaps be familiar with the name Mama (Mma) Tembo and her elephants.  'Mother Elephant' seems to collect elephants and once upon a time I did too.  I don't really recall when it started but for as long as I can remember they have fascinated and called to me.  Gifts through the years often consisted of elephant somethings - soaps, salad servers, knick knacks, you name it I had it.  Around 1000 at last count.  Then, after being sick for so long they became a burden to me.  It was just more stuff to look after that I didn't have the energy to do so I boxed them up, saving a few very special and rare pieces and donated them so others could enjoy them.

But, time passes, my health continues to improve and the elephants are calling again.  It started when I stumbled across a random article that touched my heart.  Then there was a documentary on tv, and then the yearning came inside.  When searching for inspiration for a painting to do during our 'free choice' classes with Don, I found an elephant image that spoke my heart song and I somehow feel complete and whole while working on her. Strange as I didn't feel empty or incomplete before but she is bringing me such a lovely feeling of joy and 'rightness' as I work on her.

I am just in the very beginning stages at present but I wanted to share.  I am doing a gray scale underpainting first and am going to glaze in colour over the top once I'm done with the detail.

I'm roughly adding blocks of tone and starting to create shape with a large flat brush.  No being delicate or working on detail, just getting paint on the canvas (1m x 76cm I think). 

I keep adjusting tones, adding paint and smoothing out. I need to work a bit more on the tones, creating the shape of her head and then I will work on the detail.  It's a hot, hot day today and windy too so the paint dries very quickly and becomes hard to manage.  To help counteract this and give myself more working time with the paint I use a few little tricks.

A pressure sprayer filled with water and a small amount of bleach (to help stop mould forming).  I liberally spray the back of the canvas to keep the canvas wet.

Once I had wet down the back of the canvas, I liberally covered the front in a 70% - 30% mix of clear painting medium and slow medium.  I let it sit for a bit and once it is sticky like honey or that sticky feeling left by all toddlers I paint into it and this helps to keep the paint moist and workable. I will apply clear painting medium to my brush and mix it into the paint also.

Finally I use a mister bottle that I have filled with distilled water and a few drops of bleach.  I spray this on the work surface and on my palette frequently - although Don will tell you NOT ENOUGH.  But who listens to mentors and teachers - right! :)

I am still working on the rose and will share it's progress at a later date.  It irks me putting the posts our of order but I just had to share Mma Tembo with you.  I hope you like her and I can't wait to share the finished piece with you.

Thank you for sharing my art journey.

Sandy xxx

Blah old day

I'm having a blah kind of day today. Feel out of sorts and out of sync.  That should have been a big flag in my face saying 'DON'T PAINT'....but paint I did.  I'm wanting to get the painting done for the Curves breast cancer fund raiser.  I thought I'd take you through one of my painting processes in greater detail than usual.

I start by picking a reference photo (usually from my own photographs) and then select a canvas to suit the composition of the image.  In this case I think the canvas I am using is just a 50cm x 50cm that I had on hand. I'm getting better at selecting colours to use but if I get stuck I have made up some colour charts that I can use to help me work out how to mix just about anything from a limited range of paints.  I've included a little frame to show the colour range I'm trying to mix from (not all of them).

Once I decide on colours I prep the canvas with gesso or a 3 in 1 sealer and primer.  I usually do two coats and sand in between.  If I want a bit more 'tooth' to my canvas I don't bother priming.  For something like a flower I then cover the whole canvas in a mid tone from the image.  Once I've done this I transfer the image onto the canvas.  Sometimes I add the image loosely with a slurry of paint a few shades darker than the background or use charcoal, pastel or chalk.

I often draw in freehand but have included an example using a grid for those of you who aren't confident in your drawing abilities.  I've placed the reference photo inside a plastic sleeve and drawn a grid over it (it's moved in the image - make sure it's evenly spaced when you do it).  Examples of materials to use to draw image onto canvas.

I selected the paints based on my colour chart.  Cadmium yellow light, napthol crimson, pthalo blue, titanium white and carbon black.  I mix these onto my palette and then mix further as needed on the canvas

I start putting in colours and tones and on a day like today NOTHING seems to work. It's very hot and windy and the paint is not going on easily even with the use of medium.  I left it like this for a few hours as I was just getting upset. It wasn't working, the brush was loosing bristles continually, I dropped the paintbrush....you get the picture.

After my little mental health break I came back and got into it again.  The darks that seemed way too dark and out of place now are not dark enough but it is starting to take shape and when I get the tones right it will gain the correct form.  I generally do quite a few layers as I build up to the final image.  You can see my reference perched on top of the canvas.  Some people I know use sheet music stands to hold their reference but I haven't fixed on a way to do it yet.  Sometimes I hold the reference in my free hand, toss it on the table and paint from memory, lose it on the floor under the dog....  I got to this stage this afternoon and decided to quite when I knocked a container of clear painting medium all over the floor.  Sometimes you just need to be out in the garden instead. :)

Speaking of which, don't my azaleas look lovely.  Happy sigh.

Ta Da

Still wet so reflecting light a bit weirdly and now I look at it I realise I've forgotten to finish one tiny, teeny little thing. Poo.  I hope you like it anyway.

Oh so close

This is how far I got today before I ran out of steam.  Perhaps after an sneaky afternoon nap I'll be able to finish it this evening. 

The deep red heart

Our life is chaotic and painful and sad at the moment, but I am still managing to dedicate some time to my art. Here are some progress photos of what I'm working on at present.

Just need to finish the heart of the rose.  I was hoping to get it done today but am not sure this is going to happen. I will work on it but desperately need to have a rest and catch up on things neglected around the house.

I started this painting with the intention of donating it to the local Curves gym for their breast cancer fundraiser in October.  Now I think it is too big (80cm x80cm) to be an effective auction item at a small gym so am thinking of doing something a bit smaller yet in the rose, flower family.  Pink would be more in keeping with the breast cancer colours too.  What do you think?  Any ideas for a name? 

Hope you are all well and happy and welcome to those new readers who have dropped in to Heart's Landscapes of late. I'm sorry posts have been a bit light and scattered but my attention needs to be elsewhere at present.  I will update when I can and get back into full blogging mode in the hopefully not too distant future.

Sandy xxx