Last September I did an art challenge organised by Art2Life and led by Nicholas Wilton. It’s running again this year and I’ve signed up again. This gives access to a pop up Facegroup for sharing our work. I am interested to see that my blog posts from doing last year’s challenge have been getting some visitors. So I decided to blog again as I do the challenge again this year. I wonder how much my work and style has developed and if I am changing direction. That is one of the things the Breadcrumbs Challenge is about – to think about the direction of the art we produce.
(I thought I had published this post – but just found it in drafts! Not going to bother changing the references to days.)
I watched the preparation video yesterday about mixing colours and it inspired me to have a go at a watercolour painting of a deer. I copied from one in the table mats in the cottage where we are staying.
It isn’t perfect. The neck is too short. But I am pleased with it as I don’t often paint or draw animals.
I watched the beginning another video today, about starting a painting plus re-visiting the theory about mixing paint to get great colours. I switched it off and started to play with paint.
My efforts today resulted in 4 abstract pictures being started. I am using A5 cartridge paper (130g) and gouache paint and some crayons, some of which are watercolour. I am on holiday so have not brought my acrylic paints with me, just watercolours, gouache and crayons, as well as felt pens, highlighters, and black ink pens.
The picture at the top left is possibly finished, but I feel it lacks something. I will ask on a Facebook group for artists and see if I get any helpful suggestions.
The one on the bottom right had a spot of water accidentally dropped on it and so I flicked more water on it just to see what the effect would be. I think I will do some black pen shapes on it – possibly of circles.
I will post an update as and when I do more on these.
Elizabeth Jones' Diary 