Back to the Drawing, er ... Painting Board... er Canvas

Today is the day to paint and paint

Let's hope it's something good that won't make you faint

Or utter sad words like "An artist she ain't"

You could always just say "Now isn't that quaint?"

It's okay if you don't like it

I promise not to cry

But you just might hear me sigh and sigh

As I try to capture the blue of the sky

If nothing else I'll be happy if I make you smile

Just try not to crack up too much for a little while

So I won't hear you rolling around on the floor

As you wonder if you can take much more!

Here is the magnolia blossom I was working on, actually that I am still working on....

Here the instructor added a little more blue background on the left bottom side as well as helping me with more shading...this may sound crazy but I think I liked it better before and would have just made the center yellow/orange....Oh, well, I know so little and this is a learning experience...

While this is setting, she hands me another canvas and props up another ladies' painting and says to start from scratch...yikes, I thought we were stenciling in EVERYTHING. She did the first few 'good' trees on the left and then I did the sorry ones afterward. She started the clouds and I 'amplified' them...

Some neat facts from the Internet and maybe we can learn together....

Following are the tips for you to maintain good oil painting habits:

Tips for saving color:
• Clean away any mixtures near heaps of colors you are setting up to keep.
• Keep a habit to put colors in same place on palette - used up areas must be worn out & wiped for new oil paint for next painting session.
• For disposable palettes scoop off mounds of paint you desire to maintain with your knife and move them to a fresh sheet; if a skin shapes, stab and take away the skin and work with the new color under.
• If you are not regular on painting for a week - cover palette with plastic cover & place in freezer.
• When you desire to clean your palette clean off central mixing area of wooden/acrylic palette, when you are done with your oil painting,
• For caring for tube keep tubes clean, wipe necks & caps.

Caring for your brushes:
• Wipe to take away surplus paint on rags, newspaper, etc.
• Rinse in container of solvent not advisable to soak.
• Clean your oil painting brush with rags, newspaper to immerse up solvent
• You can also use mild soap (shampoo or dawn), put dab in palm of your hand, foam brush in palm moving in circle to work foam into bristles.
• Lather & wash it in lukewarm water until soap suds are snow white, & rinse with clear water; bristles might discolor.
• Press bristles into tidy, solid shape while moist.
• Let it dry and store in jar bristle-end up.

Safety precautions:
• Read labels on oil paints and mediums - some are gently toxic (cadmium colors), so you need to careful with it.
• Avoid consumption of food or smoking while you paint
• Wash hands carefully after oil painting reproduction session; try using lotion to hands before hand, paints would wash off easier
• Some solvents don't create deadly fumes, any how, must be used in well air room - open a window
• Some solvents are combustible also and toxic (gasoline, kerosene) - stick to turpentine and petroleum stuff made for artist's use.

Here's another shot of the same picture but a slightly different angle...

Now if looking at those paintings didn't make you laugh hard enough, maybe these jokes will do the trick...

The Art Collector
A famous art collector is walking through the city when he notices a mangy cat lapping milk from a saucer in the doorway of a store. He does a double take.

He knows that the saucer is extremely old and very valuable, so he walks casually into the store and offers to buy the cat for two dollars.

The storeowner replies, "I'm sorry, but the cat isn't for sale."

The collector says, "Please, I need a hungry cat around the house to catch mice. I'll pay you 20 dollars for that cat."

And the owner says "Sold," and hands over the cat.

The collector continues, "Hey, for the twenty bucks I wonder if you could throw in that old saucer. The cat's used to it and it'll save me from having to get a dish."

The owner says, "Sorry buddy, but that's my lucky saucer. So far this week I've sold sixty-eight cats."

*************
Sardar at an Art Gallery: I suppose this horrible looking thing is what you call modern art ?
Art dealer: I beg your pardon sir, that's a mirror!

**************

You might be artistically inclined if...

1.You were more concerned about the color of your car than the fuel consumption.

2.The highlights in your hair are from your palette and not Clairol.

3.You are having lunch with the girls and the fragrance you wear is eau d'linseed oil.

4.The only piece of new furniture you have in your home is a $2000 easel.

5.You butter your toast with your fingers, just to feel its texture.

6.You think about taking a picture to a movie.

7.You talk about going to a movie where the pictures don't move.

8.You are over 50 and still have no health insurance.

9.Your family takes out a life insurance plan on you for less than $5000.

10.You know what shade of green the lichen on the trees is.

11.You can't find a nice outfit for your date because everything has paint smears on.

12.Your date ends up with paint smears on her/him.

~~~Thank You Lord for the blessings of new starts with new things and new people.