Flower Crazy! Windows Series, Part 2

Imagine looking out your window at a beautiful flower garden.  That's exactly what I did before painting this picture!

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For those of you curious about how I created this, read on!  First, I started by using gesso and a stencil to make a background flower that will act as a resist to paint.

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Second, I used large Woody Watercolor Crayons to scribble on a range of colors that I thought would look "Flower Garden-ey!"

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Next I used a paintbrush and water to blend the crayon into a watercolor wash.  I loved the way the color sprung to life.  Blending it got a little dicey - I learned that you have to wash the color first with a clean brush and then blend around the edges of the colors after both colors are washed.

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Then I got creative!  I used an old book to cut the "stems" and painted them shades of green.  I used a stamp with various colors of ink to make the leaves on the stems.  I used some flower embellishments as the buds.  

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Lastly, I added some vellum for the window pane and surrounded it with bright ribbon for the slats.  The next fun part was making the drapes.  I took a sheet of scrap-booking paper and again watercolor washed it.  It was soaking wet and very pliable.  I used matte medium to adhere the wet paper to the canvas and kind of let it drape on its own.  It dried in a fantastic pattern that added depth and texture and looks like real drapery!  

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This was a fun and light hearted window to make....I hope you can almost smell the flowers!

 

A Little Flower Power

Today I wanted to get my hand dirty on a project I am working on that has a number of steps to it.  I will post more as I complete it, but here are a few snippets!

First, I took a blank canvas and stenciled a flower pattern with gesso.  The gesso will act as a resist to color when it is applied.

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Secondly, I added some color with my Stabilo water soluble Woody's.  I envisioned a fower garden and just randomly colored spots on the canvas.

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You can see in this little subsection how the gesso flower pattern shines through.

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The artists tools...

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Then I took a wet paintbrush and began to blend the water soluble colors together to make a pretty flower palette.

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I have an idea of what this will eventually turn into...it will be fun to see if what I start out to create ends up being anything like the finished product!!!