Beginnings of a Painting, Part 2

 Okay, here is the painting in its next stage.  I should begin by saying that one of my private art students was a cutter, and is healing now.  It's a tough road, and our lessons and times together have been good art therapy for her, I pray.

Here are the arms, outlines now painted.  I laid down thick black paint for the cut marks on the arm.  These will be painted over with skin tones, but I wanted the texture of the cuts to already be present.

Next step was to mix the paint.  Remember, acrylics dry very quickly, so you have to have all the paints ready immediately.

I mix them in cheap containers, spray them with water and cover them tightly.  I also mix them with a product that slows drying time.

 Set up takes a lot of time...

 Yep.  A lot of time, just in preparation.

In all honesty, we have dealt with a lot of issues in 2014.  My daughter's boyfriend took his life.  A good friend of mine took his life.  One of my students was committed for suicidal ideations and cutting, and one of my former students was commited for suicidal ideations and depression. 

This is real, people.  Depression is real.  Do not EVER tell people they can just get over it, or believe that they are just looking for attention if they talk suicide.  There are many ways to get and give help.  The greatest help, I believe, is Christ Jesus.  He is ready.  There.  Waiting to help you.  All he is waiting for is a call from you.

This shows how I've got it set up in my studio.  The photo on the right was my first work - photographing my idea!  I had my son, Grant, and one of his friends pose for me in a hundred ways.  Micah stood up on a chair, and pulled Grant up.  I kept telling them to put their muscle into it and Micah would reply, 'I'm holding his entire weight!'  Grant pulled down and Micah pulled up, because I wanted the strain and struggle to show.

Anyway, I stuck it up on one easel so I could use it for a reference.  My color charts and some cutter's arms are hung around the studio for quick reference as well.  Finding cutter's arms was the worst work ever.  I was sick to my stomach by the time I finished that part.  There has been nothing easy about this painting, and I feel like I'm going to have to cleanse myself when I finally finish.  Good thing my next commission is a tuba painting!

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of 'BEGINNINGS OF A PAINTING!'

Beginnings of a Painting

I'm going to hold your hand and lead you through the process of one of my paintings. It'll take a little while, because the painting itself has done so.

 My idea for this has sprung, to tell the truth, out of a very difficult year.  I don't know what 2015 will bring, but this painting is an outpouring as a result of things that have happened in our lives this last year.

The painting will be thus:
Two arms, reaching down from heaven, grasping and pulling up a desperate sinner's arm.  The arms pulling that sinner up are Christ's strong arms, coming down out of golden glory.  The sinner's arm is a cutter's

 arm.  That arm will be dripping blood.  There will be, I think, gold flowing down from Christ's wound to intermingle with that blood.

The top of the painting will be golden, the bottom will be very dark.

Okay, so here we go.  To prepare for the process, I did a lot of paint mixing.  Charts like these are invaluable.  They help me identify exactly what colors I want, what I need to mix, and what colors I don't want. This is a necessary

step, especially when working with acrylics.  Acrylics dry very quickly, which doesn't give you much time for mixing or a redo, so you have to be fast and sure.

First step - I did my background in blacks and reds.  Almost all of this will be covered up, but it will very subtly give that feeling that I want to come through.

Second step, which was actually part of the first, was to add the footprints.  I didn't really plan to do this, but my feet were present at the time, and they wanted to, so I agreed.  The carpet didn't get to answer to my decision, either, and now bears the prints as well.  Most of these prints will be covered, but the texture will be there.  I wanted this texture as this person feels trampled.

The third step was to lay in the arms and hands.  This is charcoal, so it's easily erased with the smudge of a hand.  Once I got the charcoal right, I lightly painted it with watered down black acrylic so it wouldn't rub off.  The canvas is about four feet tall.

Stay tuned for the next installment of 'Beginnings of a Painting' with Cindy Johnson!

Tribute to Tony Motto, Woodlands Online Person of the Year

Just found out this morning that Tony received the Woodlands Online's Person of the Year.  Here is my own tribute:

Tony, we miss you. You were many things to many people. To me, you were a friend. Fun, ready with a laugh, planning and pushing, standing up for what you believed in, busy, and always stubbornly forwarding your causes. I always wondered that you could do so much! Some of my paintings are still hanging in a show you curated. The art trading card nights you planned were always fun and we had many fruitful discussions. The Artist Expo was profitable in many ways, and I loved teaching there. I and my students loved your sculpture tours, and when I drive around The Woodlands and see the sculptures, I look at them differently. Your enthusiasm was contagious, and I could count on your sense of humor. Always one to be in the center of a group, there are now many holes in many groups where you are not. Many miss you, Tony, and so do I.

http://www.woodlandsonline.com/npps/story.cfm?nppage=54589

Edge of the Woods Painting Sold and Happy New Year!

Sold this one a few weeks ago.  It's got deep, cool colors, and warm splashes of reddish browns and golds glowing it up.  Really pretty under lights.

The last time I worked the Gallery was a crazy, busy time, right before Christmas.  Sold a metal embossing piece of my own and tons of other artists' work as well.  It was a fun day!

First Friday is THIS Friday - come on out and see us!  We're in Tomball, right on Main Street.  Check out http://www.davinciartistsgallery.com/exhibitions.html for more information.

AND, happy new year!  We are blessed.  I hope and pray that you are as well.

Da Vinci Gallery First Friday Coming!

http://www.davinciartistsgallery.com/exhibitions.html 

Check the link, find out where we are and come on out!  Great fun reception, wine and snacks, and you can meet the artists.  Tomball has a lot of fun shopping - come on out, have lunch, go antiquing, and join us at the gallery!

Bent Wire Series, Big Furry Bird Painting

Here is the first painting in my Bent Wire Series.  I call it 'Big Furry Bird" for obvious reasons.  Our son thought it should maybe be called "Imminent Death," but that didn't seem like a good painting name.

I've never been able to get streaking and drips like this before and am particularly pleased with the way they turned out.

I've never used this particular method to get drips and movement before, in fact, I'm pretty sure nobody has, but will definitely stick with it!  It will have to remain my own trade secret until either death or tickling.  I'm hanging with Leonardo da Vinci in the experimental aspect, that's for sure!

This painting, along with my bright cat painting are now hanging at the da Vinci Gallery in Tomball.  http://www.davinciartistsgallery.com/exhibitions.html  I will also have some embossed metal pieces and three collage paintings for sale.

Every month on the first Friday, we have a reception where you can enjoy some great art, meet the artists and sample some great wine and food.  Come on out and join us!

Bent Wire Series of Bird Paintings

This is another in my 'Bent Wire' series of birds and cats.  In the two previous posts you can find out how I did them.