EXPERIMENTS, EXPERIMENTS...NOT A WASTE OF TIME!!

I'm never sorry I experiment...it's the path to discovery, and is what got me the style I currently work in...but, sometimes we get negative results...I've decided to show you the negative results...and some that I feel will work eventually.  As I discussed yesterday I was playing with an idea as to how to get the veins to show up in my aspen leaf paper casts without painting them after the fact.  These first three are different glues...It was my hope that there would be enough of a bump to make veins...The material I've decided to use is the screen from Arnold Grummer that I actually pour my molds on to.  I had a little extra, so cut it up...Here is the result of the first three experiments...

Yep...not what I was looking for...You may have to click on the photo to see the results more clearly.  The Elmers stuck to the cast even though it was dry when I poured...ps...this is a reminder of what the cast looks like in the mold...

The Beacon's craft glue ALMOST worked, but too spotty of a result to count on it consistently.  And, the "OK to wash it" fabric glue just soaked into the material (now that I think about it...duh) and there were almost no lines at all...SO...not to be discouraged I tried something different...

WIRE!...Yes, I took my jewelry making wire from those spools and actually sewed it on to the mesh screen...I wondered if the threads would show...here are the results from that experiment though I layed the wrong example in front of the wrong heading...24 gauge is smaller wire...just remember the bigger the number the smaller the wire...sorry...OH, and I spelled gauge wrong...sorry...when I'm experimenting I tend to overlook some things...bad...

This is really 20 gauge...the bigger wire...see how you can see the thread even! WHEW...gotta be careful...and...it MAY be a little large for veins...

  This is really the smaller wire...the 24 gauge...Turned out pretty decent, but I really need to be careful where I place the mold over this to get my veins right...might be my favorite...

SO that was the aspen experiment...It occurred to me that some of you may not know what Cotton Linters are...I order mine from Arnold Grummer on line...Michael's used to carry it, but they stopped due to lack of sales.

I LOVE this stuff...it comes in flat squares and bags like this...I like em all!

And, I wanted to show you an example of my acorn with it's top texture that you will remember is the drippage off of my friends epoxy pours...

If you look closely you can see it poking out from under the acorn I poured...It has to be squeezed under a screen, dry and then I can peel off the top texture...You are looking at the back.

AND...I just couldn't resist putting some color into this blog as most is pretty weak...My latest pic of my little Paxton...grandson...Ain't he cute!!

HAPPY CREATING!!

CANCELLATION LEADS TO A PROMISE...AND NEW IDEAS...

paper cast acorns with textured tops...(how did she do that you ask)...stay tuned!

It SNOWED last night...Yes, I know...it's winter...but it snowed on the evening before I was scheduled to do a demo for Mountainside Art Guild.  We had so much drifting due to wind that I couldn't get out so I had to cancel...something I absolutely HATE to do!  SO, I promised the group that I would be posting things that went a little further than the information in the paper cast/wax collage workshop I shared with them I wrote for Cloth/Paper/Scissors magazine in January.  In that workshop I detailed how I make my paper cast molds and applied wax as a collage agent.  For any of you who are interested in those processes it can be found in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors.  I would share it in this venue, but am not allowed to post those pages on the internet. sigh...

I have added a little new thing to some of my paper casts that you can see in my paper cast acorns above...TEXTURE in the cast!!  My first casts were merely shapes...which are great for some pieces, but with the sunflower and now my little acorns I felt a little texture would do some good...In the sunflower (my first one to step out into experimental land) I merely found a piece of fabric with texture and layed it face up before I poured my cotton linter (the stuff paper casts are typically made from)  When the cast process was completed you see the texture in the middle like in the photo below.

FUN DOINS!

they can then be painted realisitcally, or sort of "Cloth Paper Scissory" as is shown below in my 

"Sunflower Lines"

"Sunflower Lines" wax collage with paper cast...sold...:)

And, just so you can see how I get my molds made it in it's simplest form is just taking thin brass strips and bending them over a design you've drawn...like below:

sunflower...not a fried egg...:)

I bet you think I forgot to share what I used for the texture for my acorn tops that will soon be a completed paper cast painting...?  Nope...it is something I NEVER would have thought of...but I have a wonderful friend: Susan Gordon who epoxy's her artwork...and...this texture was the drip off of one of her epoxied piece!!  It had little dimples in it, and was thin enough for me to draw it and cut it out! MORE FUN DOINS! thanks Susan!!  

So...I made a little acorn mold for paper cast...and I made the paper cast

with cotton linter (stuff I order from Arnold Grummer Papermaking company) and let it dry...Imagine in the top area of the acorn...on the bottom (under the mold)  with texture facing up is the little epoxy drip texture (not shown)...below you can see a mold with the paper poured in...

nope...it isn't the acorn...it is my aspen leaf...

My new idea is about my aspen leaf casts...I'm playing with a way to use glue on cardboard for leaf veins...I'll let you know if it works!!

The next step would be for me to gently remove the mold and lay a screen on top and sponge it til it has little water left and then leave it to dry...overnight...then I peel it gently off and trim edges if necessary...and I'm ready to use it in a piece of artwork...AFTER I paint it with gesso first to seal it (remember it's paper, so water added directly on top would disintegrate it)

Just as a reminder...below are several things I've done with the paper casts...some are wax collage and some I've treated as a painting and sealed it and put it under glass (as with my aspen pieces)...Next I will share a little about a fun and VERY inexpensive way to make stamps that would be great for background for any of your collage work!!  Stay tuned!!

 "Rebirth"  sold

 "Orange Crush"  available

 "The Heart Wants"  NFS

 "Blackbird" sold

 "Freedom"  available

 "Sunflowers a' natural"  sold

"Star Lines"  available

 "Aspen Melody"  available (can be found in small works on my website)

"Aspen Gold"  available through my up the mountain gallery LUNA'S MANDALA in Conifer

HAPPY CREATING!!

SOMETIMES IT ISN'T WORTH THE PRICE! A DISCUSSION ON COMMISSIONS...

"Three Acorns"

12" x 10" mixed media on gallery wrap canvas

$180 includes shipping in the US

We all have those frustrating stories about commissions gone awry...and today is mine.  I got a call from a client wanting to purchase my acorns.  She fell in love with "Acorn Duo" and wanted me to paint another one just like it only a different size...and on stretched canvas if it was less expensive than the cradles I make (MY FIRST MISTAKE TO QUOTE HER A LESSER PRICE FOR THE DIFFERENT SUPPORT) remember they are paying for our expertise, not the support...so our prices should reflect the same for size...in reality I should have charged more for the larger support...sigh...(insert "Acorn Duo) for a reminder...So...that necessitated a conversation with her about composition and when we change something that is 6" wide to 10" wide the same view of the subject will not look as good compositionally. She kept saying..."I'm not an artist"...BUT...and after a few minutes she began to understand what I was saying about composition...I told her I could do something similar, but that would work within the scope of the support size.  I also told her I would send her a photo of the background to see if she was happy with that...as she had talked about the colors matching her walls and towels (a bathroom piece)...SO, I did a close rendition of the background you see here in Acorn Duo.  I sent it over and got a response by phone at 9 p.m.  It began like this..."I'm not an artist, BUT" and then she proceeded to tell me she didn't like the green on the left side and the color of the background wasn't the same as the photo on my business card which just so happened to be Acorn Duo. I explained to her that colors translate differently in different media...even on computer monitors...but, to make her happy I told her I'd replicate the color in the background of the photo on the business card. SO, I mixed colors and RE-PAINTED THE BACKGROUND without the green (I was sad that went away) and closer to the color on my business card.  That action necessitated a conversation with her about how the leaf stamps (made by me :)) will look differently with the more solid background...she kept saying "I'm not an artist, BUT"...and finally when I explained that with the blue and green being analogous colors the contrast wouldn't be as strong as if the stamp color I used was orange, so she MIGHT be ok with it showing up more...sigh...after that she just said "I'm not an artist, SO...just paint it like you know best...make sure you have more leaves or acorns to make up the difference for the wider support"...whew...I know you all know that I already knew that...sigh...So, we signed off and I finished the painting...

I sent over to her the photo you see at top and these others to make SURE she was happy with the end result... She replied that she LOVED it and wanted to know if I could meet her at a mall that is on the east side of 

town from me for delivery...ANOTHER mistake on my part...DO NOT DO THAT...if they are that strapped for cash, then maybe they should wait to purchase something...sigh...again...SO, I get there...she sees the painting and says she loves it, pays me the balance and we go our separate ways...

A few minutes later she tracks me down in the mall and says she really doesn't like the stamping and could I either paint her another one or take out all the stamping!  Sheesh...I am a little taken aback and I explain to her that the stamping is part of my signature work, and the color for the background was a mixture that will take some time to replicate.  

Well, long story short...I decided on the way home with my painting in tow that to do all those changes OR paint another one would not be cost effective...PLUS...I came to the very clear conclusion that she wanted a more traditional artist, and I didn't WANT to change my piece like she wanted for a few dollars...It would no longer be my work...so, I decided to send her check back and explain she was probably looking for a different artist...which is what I will do...LESSON LEARNED...AGAIN!

The moral of this story is...don't undersell yourself, stay true to what you are as an artist...don't change your price for a commission...be upfront in the beginning and say, after a painting has been approved IF they do not want it they forfeit their deposit (which should be half up front) and that is that...FOR ME...I'm not sure I'm cut out for commission work...I love what I do, the way I do it too much to devalue my work in that way...I admit I've had many successful commission jobs...but for me they have been very willing to take the piece after we've discussed it the way I paint it...so...I am not totally giving up...but, for awhile I am...just until this lesson doesn't burn quite as much!  SO, as I do...I'm already on the next assignment, with gusto and a smile!!

HAPPY CREATING!!

"ORCHIDS" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA PAINTING OF ORCHIDS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Orchids"

8x6" on cradled mdf panel

Commission

As you can see from the photos I used yesterday I ended up going with the composition (for the most part) of the 1st pic I posted...I didn't consciously do that, but in the end it suited my purposes for this requested painting.  However, I used the light and dark idea from the photo with the sun streaming behind (wanted those lights and darks) ...so, I guess it's a mix.  I left out one flower for composition purposes as my paper stream seemed to fill in for the 5th flower...but...it is finished.

No matter how many different ways I photographed this one it was a challenge to get the colors to read properly...and, as you all know each monitor is going to read this differently...sigh...but this seems close...on my monitor that is...lol

This is my first orchid to paint.  I found it interesting...delicate...fun!  Now I have to paint for an upcoming show...on PAPER...and...get ready for a demo in wax collage for Mountainside Art Guild...busy days...

HAPPY CREATING!

THE NEXT THING, AND THE NEXT THING...lalalalala

As it should be...art moves on...we go from one painting to the next...My next assignment is a painting of purple and white orchids for someone I dearly love...SO, not being one to paint from other photos that I haven't taken or gotten permission for I went and bought an orchid and did a little photo session...One of these will be THE one for this assignment...FUN!  I'm sharing several of the photos...and, when I'm finished see if you can figure out which pic I used!

It snowed again...yep...it's winter...as I was driving up to look at orchids I snapped this pic...brrrrrrr...

While up the mountain I visited my friend Cynthia's shop called "LUNA'S MANDALA" where I show some of my work...she's one of the best people I know and has some beautiful things...and is good to the local artists nearby...IF you are ever in Conifer you have to visit her wonderful store!

some of my work amongst the other treasures...

So, off to work I go...HAPPY CREATING!!