Have You Experimented with Different Canvas Shapes? - Painting & Drawing Tips

Chocolate is my BFF!!

It calls to me!  I find it wants to play nearly every day.  I really try and limit it to 2 squares a day but. . . 

somedays it just wont listen. 

The Forest Floor - WIP Sketchbook study

I like to think I am open to new food groups.  The other evening I was out to dinner with some friends.  (I know hey, a real face to face dinner.  Our first in months)  Anyway, the desert menu came around.  My first impulse was to order 'the chocolate' whatever.  REALLY,  does it matter! 

 I think I was caught up in the moment and read further down the menu.  

Lemon white chocolate cheesecake.  Hmm. . .

Technically it does have chocolate but lemon? white?  Definitely outside of my chocolate box.  I decided to try it.  

Very Good!!

I am working on a new series Deep in the Forest.  For this series, I want to take my viewers into the forest and show them some of the Secrets that I see.  Sometimes it is just the little things - ferns cascading down the bank; a squirrel resting on a stump; mossy rocks in the creek bed.  

CASCADING - Framed 20 x 16 $650

Sometimes bigger things: a big old stump hundreds of years old covered with new growth and probably home to many little critters; a deer caught in my sight as it quietly ambled along an old trail.  Life Deep in the Forest. 

FORAGING - Matted 5 x 7 SOLD

As I work on my pieces I find I am pulled out of my traditional creative box.  Most of my work requires protection to be displayed ie. under glass. This has made me very aware of framing costs and I have gradually moved to standard frame sizes. 

But life has changed this . . .

Wood Cradle - 8 x 24 inches - Isn't that a really cool shape?!

I have been experimenting more and more with varnished watercolour on paper.  I am really pleased with how this area has improved in the Art World, more materials and research focused on it. I particularly like mounting my work on wood cradled panels.  

The cradled panels are wonderful!!

They come in so many different sizes and shapes.  I am totally inspired by them.  My study above - The Forest Floor- is headed for a wood panel 8 x 20.  I can just see that forest floor already on the wood.  My only decision now is should I draw it in ink right on the board or should I draw and paint it on watercolour paper and mount it on the board.  Still mulling that over.  So many ideas swirling in my head.  

BEACH BUDDIES - Heron - Ink on 3 x 2 wood cradle $30
Thought I would try drawing right onto the wood and I kind of like that.  😃 

I decided to try a drawing on the wood to see how it works. Now I have more decisions. I kind of like this little fellow and I am itching to try a few more.  I even have a name for them - Beach Buddies.  I am in real trouble now. 😆

Stepping out of my box has really inspired me to new directions.  How about you?  Have you stepped out and found new inspiration too?  

Further reading: 

Framing Watercolour without Glass   

Wendy is on Youtube:
Wendy has FREE Tips & Techniques on Video now, many with supporting blog posts and FREE download PDF's.  

See a full linked listing here - artbywendy.com - workshop - Videos by Wendy

OUTDOOR SKETCHING SEASON  is Quickly Disappearing !!

Next Sessions:  Wednesday, July 14  & Saturday, July 17

10am - 12:30pm 

Upcoming Dates: Wednesday  August 4 & 11
Saturday, July 31 & August 7 

Twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday mornings, I will take small groups out for Outdoor Sketching.  Get Tips and Techniques for Sketching in Nature.  Beginners to Advanced Welcome. Max. 3 per class. (Other times available upon request) 

Mediums supported: pencil, pen, watercolour, watercolour pencils and coloured pencils 

Location: Parks in North Surrey and Langley

Cost: $50 per session

Supplies: Bring your own supplies, don't hesitate to contact me about your supplies

Rainy Days: Not fun to plein air in the rain.  You can defer to another available day or join me in my studio and work with me. (when Covid rules allow small inside gatherings) 

Contact Wendy to Book Your Spot!! 

Looking to Move your work to NEW LEVELS?  

  Online Coaching/Teaching  (3 sessions 30 minutes each $75)

Are You and Your Inner Critic looking to expand your discussions.  Here's how it works: Send me a few pictures of your paintings.  I will prepare material to facilitate a discussion based on your goals.  I am a sounding board, coach and teacher,  with suggestions, techniques and tips to help you meet your goals and move your art forward.  More info here.   Looking forward to Zooming with you.  

  
Many find this post helpful: Turn your Inner Critic into your BFF

Be sure to like and share my posts.  You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email 

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Watercolour Surprises Many - Painting & Drawing Tips

Watercolours live in a world of their own.  Soft and delicate, flowing and loose, dark and strong, BUT Always standing on their own.  

Ready to surprise you . . .

WHISKY JACK ON THE TRAIL - $200 -  8 x 10 Watercolour on Wood Cradle

My painting Whisky Jack on the Trail is everything a watercolour can be: her feathers are soft and delicate (I feel it has to be a 'she');  the distant bush is flowing and loose, suggesting many things in the distance;  and the cedar branch is strong and bold, providing a safe perch for my little bird.  Surprising too, is she is not framed, rather she is mounted on a 1.5 inch wood cradle, so she is hang-able but well able to stand alone.  (You can read more on wood mounted watercolour here . . .)

My Whisky Jack is hangable but also at 8 x 10 inches, able to sit on shelve

Have you considered new ways to present your work? . . .

Trying new things is a way of putting new life into your work.  Sometimes it leads to new directions and sometimes it brings home lessons useful to your present work.  My work on limited pallets with my ink helped me with my little Whisky Jack.  Matching colour to value (see last post) gave me direction in changing things up with this painting. (There was no pinks in the reference picture)  I used my pinks to give that soft glow to the painting offering contrast to the rough, dark blue, greens and oranges of the cedar branches.  I was very excited to see the results.  

Last post of the year . . .

Ready to Wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year.  I look forward to time with family and friends during my Christmas Break.  I will be back January 3rd with lots of ideas for Painting and Drawing Tips for those new Artsie Projects you have in mine.  Let me know if there is something in particular you would like me to focus on.  I am always open to new challenges.  

Special Opportunities Coming Up in the New Year:

Marketing Workshop - Let's Get Your Art Out There!! Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019 10-3pm with Wendy Mould, AFCA.  

Need a focus for your Marketing Strategy?  Unsure where to start, where to head next?  Marketing takes so much of your time away from the Studio, learn where to focus your energy and ways to maximize your time.  At the end of the day you will have plans and be ready for Action.  Cost $84 Working with Wildlife Artist Wendy Mould, AFCA bridges the gap between the Entrepreneur and the Artist in the Marketing World. Contact Wendy to Register. 

Just in Time for Christmas - My Dog & Cat Lover Christmas Cards  Instant Download Cards so you can Print and Give, right away.  Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Max was very happy to see My Dog/Puppy Cards, of course he was my Inspiration!  Esty Store - $12 for the 3 Pack. 

Excited to share my Cat/Kitten Cards as instant digital downloads at my Esty Store - $12 for the 3 Pack.  

Artists reading this post also find the following valuable:

3 Ways to Turn Drawing Despair into Action here

Drawing a Seagull Part 1 and Part 2 Starting here
Playing with a Very Limited Palette here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

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Have a great Artful Day,

Mounting 300lb Waterpaper on Wood Cradle - Painting & Drawing Tips

I DID IT!!

I bought the supplies; did the deed - My watercolour paper is mounted on the wood cradle and ready for painting.  OMG!  It really is big.  As excited as I am to get started I am also wondering "what the heck was I thinking, this is huge".

This is BIG - 2 FEET X 3 FEET, not my usual miniature of  2 inches x 3 inches!! 

But I am ready . . .

First job, mounting my paper on the wood cradle.

Okay, I must admit I took the chicken way out.  As you know I have mounted on wood before using Golden's Matt Medium.  However, because I was using 300 lb paper and putting it on such a large surface the Opus Staff member advised me to use something stronger, Golden Soft Gel Semi-Gloss.  It  has a thicker body which takes longer to dry and gives me more time to work with it.  So as the true chicken I am, I decided to try small pieces first.

Step 1 Finish the Edges:
I decided I wanted the wood grain edge so I didn't paint it.  But if you want to paint the edges now is the time to do that.  My little small panel has black sides.

Taping the edges to keep them clean

Once your side treatment is done tape the edges with a low tack tape to protect them. 

Step 2 Cut you paper to size:

Make sure your paper is at least 1/2 inch larger then your wood panel.  It is easier to place it on then trying to line up edges. 

Use a sponge brush or brush to spread the medium

Step 3 Your ready to glue:

It was easy to use my little spreader to get the medium spread.  It is a lovely consistency.  It is white but dries clear.  I was careful to make sure I got all the edges and corners covered.  Can't make it too thin a covering.

Place the wood cradle over the paper and press down

Step 4 Place the paper on the cradle

For my little piece it was easier to put the paper down and the block on top.  I pressed hard to attach and squeezed out any extra glue.  Then I turned it over and used a brayer to make sure there were no air bubbles.  Needless to say I was feeling very confident by now.  

I Checked it and  now it is ready for weights

Step 5 Ready for Weights

Everything looked good so I placed it facing down, on a clean surface and added some weights.  

Cleaning the edges.  Yes, that is Max in the background checking on my progress

This was an important moment as I realized with the weight on I had to clean the edges better.  Easier to do it now when it is wet than trying to remove that tape with glue stuck to it,  after everything has set.
It is recommended that it sit for 24 hours before doing anything more too it.

AT this point I was really flushed with success and ready for bigger things

I got my 11 x 14 inch wood cradle ready and set to work on it. Right away things were different, had to adjust my camera for pictures; took longer to spread the glue, realized I was going to need a bigger brush for the Big One; little trickier to place the paper, although using 300 lb paper means it is very stiff; needed more weights.

***Important Note: after I few hours I checked my paper to make sure all the edges and corners were sealing.  I found a loose corner so quickly slipped more medium in between the paper and wood.

The next day I was back at it . . .

Trimming was a little harder than expected - Note my example on the right: trim the corner before cutting the edge. 

Step 6 Trimming the paper
This proved to be a little more difficult than expected.  That 300 lb paper is thick.  I tried holding it to trim but found I was not strong enough.  It was easier to work flat with a self-healing cutting mat and exact-o knife. Here again I learned something.  Don't hesitate to change the blade as you work.  It really wears the point down quickly.  I also found if I trimmed the corners first it was easier to get a tighter cut to the edge.

Sanding the edges - notice my rough one, I should have changed the blade sooner

Step 7 Sanding the Edges
It doesn't matter how careful you are there will be the odd rough edge or overhanging edge.  Well there was for me anyway.  I used a really soft grade of sandpaper, Size 320.
Things would have been better if I changed my blade during the cutting process.  Cutting my little block wasn't hard on the knife point but cutting the 11 x 14 was harder on the point.  My edge got a little ragged.  I can see when doing the Big One, I will have to watch that.
The sanding proved easy.  The main thing was to keep pushing away from the paper; smoothing things down along the side.  I was amazed how quickly that 'rough edge' disappeared.

Step 8 The Test
Well really this isn't part of the process but it was something I wanted to check before I committed to the Big One. What will happen if I use a really wet wash of paint.  Will the paper pull away from the wood. 

Putting on a wash of water

I decided before I could do my Big One, I had to see what happened if I put a heavy wash of water on my mounted paper.  So I did it.  I waited. Nothing.  I waited some more. Nothing.  I left it for a bit. Still flat.  I left it longer.  I waited till it dried. Still flat. Looks like things will be fine when I do a big wet wash for the background.

Mounting the Big One meant a much Bigger Brush

I followed the same steps when it came time to do the BIG ONE.  There were however a few changes; bigger brush to spread the gel. You do have to work quickly to make sure things stay wet.
Fitting the paper on went well, the stiff 300lb paper was easy to shift and line up.

Definitely takes longer to roll the paper on the wood and make sure there are no bubbles

Every step takes longer and of course lots more room.  I rolled and pressed with brayer and felt that everything was tight.  

Once it was ready I flipped it over and weighted it down. 

A few rocks worked as weights for my small block but the Big One needed more - A case of wine and buckets of water gave me lots of heavy weights.

And of course, once your wood cradle is ready, you can always drink the Wine. 

I again waited 24 hours before trimming my paper. When I went to it the next day there was a surprise waiting for me.  It was no where near dry yet.  I waited another 24 hours. This time it was ready.  Next the paper was trimmed, sides were sanded, mess cleaned up. 

 I am ready to paint.  See you next week.

Did you start a Big Challenge?  How is your Challenge going?

Etsy Store: WendyMouldsArt  is always open and new things added all the time.  Original Artwork, prints and cards of Art by Wendy's Work.

Try Your Hand at Plein Air Painting: 

Plein Air Painting Festival - August 17-19,  KilbyHistorical Site, Harrison Mills, BC

Great Opportunity to Paint on an Historic Site with costume models, farm animals, farm scenery, old store and more.  Painting Friday and Saturday, & Sunday Morning,  Prizes, Luncheon, and Sales on Sunday Afternoon.  Great Prizes for all levels - Beginners to Advanced Welcome.

$15  Register  events@kilby.ca 604-796-9576 by August 15, 2018.  

This is an awesome event, there are juried prizes and draw prizes so fun for all levels.  Registration gets you on site for all 3 days.  I will be camped at the Kilby Campsite and there all 3 days so be sure and say hi.  

Drop-In & Draw Sessions: 
New people are always welcome.  Beginner to Advanced 

 Monday, August 13, 10-12pm & 1-3pm 

 Fall Sessions start Sept 10, 10-12pm & 1-3pm

Expression Art Gallery, Valley Fair Mall, 227 & Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge,

Choose a morning or afternoon session. Bring your sketchbook or project and come and work.  I will be happy to give you pointers.  $15 Pre-Registration Required.  Contact Wendy Here. 

Artists reading this also find the following valuable: 
The Story of a Painting in 3 Parts,  from start to finish - starts here

How to Paint/Draw Soft & Fluffy Animals, 2 Parts - starts here

How to Find Your Starting Point in a Drawing - here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Try a REAL Painting Challenge - Painting & Drawing Tips

Sounds Mundane!

The internet is full of these painting challenges - 30 Days 30 Pictures; Draw 100 Portraits; 20 Minutes Daily Painting Challenge . . . .

Have you ever tried one?  

Artists selected for the Vinoscenti Vineyards Threes Seasons Art Competition

I tried a 30 Day 30 Picture Challenge several years ago.  It was tough.  I didn't get 30 pictures completed, and some of the ones I did do were crap. But, actually it was great.  It forced me to get my act together and do something.  There was a kind of accountability that I needed to make some real changes in my work. 

Things have been going along quite well since then, no I haven't tried any more challenges.  I have always been 'too busy', 'no time', 'important stuff to do'.  You know, the usual avoidance stuff that is easy to talk yourself into. 

Things have changed . . .

I saw this call for artists to complete in a Juried Show.  Only 15 artists would be selected from those entering.  Once selected, a theme would be announced and there would be 2 months to complete the painting.  The catch, the picture had to be 24 x 36.  Not bad for an acylic or oil on canvas but my medium is watercolour or pencil. 

My first impulse was to say no.  Then I got to thinking how I wanted to try bigger paintings but always put it off. Remember I love miniature work and usually work small. I was also feeling really good after a 14 x 18 inch watercolour I had just completed, which is pretty large for me.   On an impulse, I entered.  I was picked!

The Challenge is on, paint a BIG watercolour.  

Here goes. . . .

All the Artists gathered at a reception, on June 15 to meet and learn more about the Theme.  The Call is for a Local Winery, Vinoscenti Vineyards, here in Surrey.  They want to use the picture for their label this year and make this Juried Call an annual event.  The theme, Joy of Life.  Now that is giving me some late nights as I ponder what I will paint.  What would you do for a painting for this theme? This was really not my only concern.  I realized I had a few other problems to address first.

Now this is a BIG PIECE of paper for someone that has painted 1.5 x 3.5 miniature Works!!

1st Problem: Watercolour paper

A full sheet of Watercolour paper is 22 x 30.  I needed something bigger.  I also wanted it to be 300 lbs so it would be easier to handle.  That is a special order and would take time.  I started asking some of my watercolour friends to see if any of them had a piece I could buy from them. I was lucky.  One friend had just received a message from an artist that had moved into oil and acrylic and had over-sized paper to sell. She had a couple of Arches 300 lb sheets at a discounted price.  I was in. 

2nd Problem: To Frame or Not to Frame

I realized that this was going to be a very big picture to put under glass.  It was going to be way too heavy for me to cart around.  So I decided to mount it on a wood panel and varnish it. 
Off I went to Opus, our local art store to talk to someone about this.  I know, there are a million videos online but I wanted to talk to a real person.  I learned lots.

Well now I have my paper, work is underway.  Every step is a new adventure.  I will share some of this adventure with you.  First up: Mounting watercolour to a wood panel.  It is apparently better to do this first. Next week I will share.  Wish me luck!

Have you got something you really want to try? Start your Challenge and dig in. 

Etsy Store: WendyMouldsArt  is always open and new things added all the time.  Original Artwork, prints and cards of Art by Wendy's Work.

Try Your Hand at Plein Air Painting: 

Plein Air Painting Festival - August 17-19,  KilbyHistorical Site, Harrison Mills, BC

Great Opportunity to Paint on an Historic Site with costume models, farm animals, farm scenery, old store and more.  Painting Friday and Saturday, & Sunday Morning,  Prizes, Luncheon, and Sales on Sunday Afternoon.  Great Prizes for all levels - Beginners to Advanced Welcome.

$15  Register  events@kilby.ca 604-796-9576 by August 15, 2018.  

This is an awesome event, there are juried prizes and draw prizes so fun for all levels.  Registration gets you on site for all 3 days.  I will be camped at the Kilby Campsite and there all 3 days so be sure and say hi.  

Drop-In & Draw Sessions: 
New people are always welcome.  Beginner to Advanced 

 Monday, August 13, 10-12pm & 1-3pm 

 Fall Sessions start Sept 10, 10-12pm & 1-3pm

Expression Art Gallery, Valley Fair Mall, 227 & Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge,

Choose a morning or afternoon session. Bring your sketchbook or project and come and work.  I will be happy to give you pointers.  $15 Pre-Registration Required.  Contact Wendy Here. 

Artists reading this also find the following valuable: 
The Story of a Painting in 3 Parts,  from start to finish - starts here

How to Paint/Draw Soft & Fluffy Animals, 2 Parts - starts here

How to Find Your Starting Point in a Drawing - here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Framing Watercolour Without Glass - Revisited - Painting and Drawing Tips

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Watercolours have wonderful colours.  Watercolours are full of surprises.  Watercolours are versatile.

But . . .
Watercolours require a mat, glass and frame.  It seems so easy to work on canvas; when the painting is done, you're done.

Forest Trail - 4.5 x 6.5 - Watercolour mounted on Wood Cradle

I have looked at framing without glass for my watercolours a number of times but somehow it has not appealed to me.  I am not even sure I have a good reason. When watercolours are varnished they lose some of their texture, they become a little shiny, nothing dramatic, they are just different.  And that can be in a good way.  See what I mean, no real reason.

However . . .

Side view of Forest Trail mounted on Wood Cradle - 4.5 x 6.5

I find myself attracted to the block art and decided I should once again visit framing without glass. I already had wooden cradles prepared so I jumped in and gave it a try.  (Several years ago I used this method to finish the front and back covers of my Journal.  I must admit they still look awesome. You can see my Journal here)

Here is what I did and yes, it turned out great!

Mounting a Watercolour on a Wood Block

1.  Prepare the wood cradle: paint the sides with black acrylic paint (or whatever colour you want to finish the sides in) be sure and extend the colour onto the face of the block 1/4 inch.  This will ensure no missed spots when you put your painting on.  Seal the face, I used 2 coats of Golden GAC-100 Multi-Purpose Acrylic Polymer.  It can also be sealed with Gesso

2.  Paint your picture: In my case my wood block was 4.5 x 6.5 so my picture measured 5 x 7 so it could be trimmed to fit the block. I also had a 1/2 inch of white space around the edge so there was room to maneuver.

Forest Trail completed - you can see light lines just inside the edge of the picture that shows what will be trimmed off once it has been attached. 

3.  Use Matte Medium (Golden) to attach picture to the wood cradle: Using a foam brush I put matte medium on the wood cradle and then placed my picture on top.  I rubbed from the center out to make sure there were no bubbles and everything was flat and even.  Then I flipped the whole thing over and put a weight on it. This was left over night.

4. Trim picture to fit the Cradle: The next day I checked that the bond was good for my picture then I used an X-acto Knife, with a new blade to trim.  To do this place the block, picture facing down on a cutting mat and trim as closely as possible around the block.  You will have a bit of a rough edge, this can be sanded with fine sandpaper (600 Grit)  Remember to sand down away from the picture so you don't disturb your picture or pull it away from the block.

Picture mounted and trimmed. The white edge of the paper now needs to be addressed. 

5.  Paint Your White Line: Yes, you will have a wide edge of your paper left once you have attached your picture.  Use a brush or black permanent marker to paint that edge black.

6.  Varnish: Use a spray acrylic varnish to finish your work.  There are several on the market, use one that is for watercolour.  A Gloss finish will give your work a bit of a shine and will make your colours stand out while a Matte finish seems to dull the colours a bit.  There are many formulas for spraying but everyone seems to agree you need several.  I do 6 layers, allowing each one to dry before putting on the next coat.  With a small wood block the art is handled more, so I like a good layer of protection.

You're done. Add your information on the back, stand it up and enjoy.

There are several sites and videos on Youtube that will give you a more detailed step by step, one I found particularly useful was by Kelly McKernan.  She mounts her watercolour paper on the cradle before painting.  I kind of like painting first and then mounting, just in case my picture doesn't work.  But that of course is personal preference.

What do you like to do? How big a project do you mount on wood cradles? I am going to try a few more small pictures first but I am interested in trying larger ones as well.  Kelly used a 14 x 18 cradle in her example.

 Etsy Shop now Open: WendyMouldsArt  Come on In!! 

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 Have a great artful day,
Wendy