Limited Palette

Good Morning!  I am all fixed up with two new knees(and in 2014, two new shoulders!).  I should be good to go for quite awhile now.

I haven't posted for many months. But wanted to show you one photo of my backyard after our Halloween snow yesterday.
I also have a mixed media painting that I finished recently called "Just Passing Through."

Happy Paint Party Friday!

"Limited Palette"

"Just Passing Through"

Have a great day!

Gloria 

Gloria J Zucaro's "Fifth Project with Jimmy Leslie"

Today's video was about all the different ways to use our acrylic mediums and paints.  Jimmy Leslie also suggested using supplies that are lying around the house and yard for applying our mediums or for adding 3-D elements to our collage work.  So I used the mediums I had to do to my two pieces.  I tried making skins with my acrylic paints plus Airbrush Flow Medium.  It takes practice!  How to spread the paint on a surface, how thick if you want transparency, and how to remove it in more than a zillion small pieces when it dries!  I had thought to make fairly large pieces so that I could cut it into strips to weave together, thereby changing the colors.  For example, Jimmy showed a hanging piece that had the three primaries of red, yellow, blue.  When they were woven together the yellow and blue made green, etc. But alas!  My paint was applied to thinly, and totally shredded when I tried to remove it from the palette.  I decided to glue it onto a clear plastic card cover.  I did overlap some shreds and for at night when there is not window light behind it, I added some opaque paint in drips, and dashes here and there.

  

Examples of skins using either Credit card, knife or brayer to apply to palette paper.

On the window, you can see through the lighter colors

Flat on the table to see how it will look at night on the window

For my other part of this project, I painted over an old painting with 2 coats of Black Gesso.  Then I used my Flexible Modeling Paste to Stencil some large snowflakes along the top edge.  I added a Stencil of a bird using Ceramic Stucco and a dried twig.  I used Heavy Gel Medium to cement down the twig.  Then I had to let everything dry.  Next I added some Handmade collage paper along the bottom edge.  I used SILKS paints to color the stucco on the bird and splattered with white Fluid Acrylic paint.  I wondered about adding more, or changing the bird to look more like a Cardinal, but decided I liked it as it is.

Now on to the next CJS 2017 Project!

Gloria J Zucaro's "Day Three Of CJS 2017 with Glyn Macey"

The third day of Creative Jumpstart 2017 was with Glyn Macey.  Glyn talked about how cropping your paintings/pages can improve their composition.  He also talked about using simple tools you have around the house for mark making and how different looks can be achieved when you mix your colors by scumbling, glazing and direct mixing.  In my project below I applied two coats of black gesso over an old painting done on an 8"H x 10"W board.  Then I picked out handmade papers, mostly Gelli prints and applied them over the gesso.  I made circles of the three primaries, red, yellow, blue and tried the three methods of paint application.  Then it was just adding dots, drips and scratches through the surface until I felt I liked the results.
Have a great day, stay warm!
                          Gloria

"Picasso, Marsha Valk and Double Trouble!"

My next Picasso project had me stumped for a couple of days.  The demo by Marsha Valk was absolutely fabulous, but quite complicated. I decided I wouldn't do all the steps she showed us, so instead of stripping the top layer of cardboard and exposing the inner structure, I opted for doing a stencil on the bottom layer instead.  Well, you will see below!

Here is the final Project picture.  Sorry the photo is warped!

Step one, coat one piece of cardboard with matte medium on one side and paint on the other. With the other piece of cardboard draw your outlines for your second layer.

I coated the cutout with gesso and white paint because of the tape on it.  The other side was coated with matt medium beforehand.

While that dried, I stenciled the background of the bottom layer. And being somewhat new to stenciling, I learned that you don't use soft body acrylics and ink to stencil!  I wiped the mess off and used two red shades of heavy bodied paint.

Starting to lay in colors.

Putting it all together with heavy Gel Medium

Have a great night!  Do some art!

Gloria

Inspired By Picasso

This week our Creative Jumpstart 2016 master artist for inspiration is Pablo Picasso.  Our first project instructor is Gwen LaFleur, and what a really fun demo she did!  Her subject was mixed-media fish.  I love fish too, so I did my own version of a Picasso using fish as the theme.  The final journal spread with the steps below.

Paint border with black and red.

Get ready to go fishing!  Add Water.

Glue on strips of paper to fit fish body.  Then Outline, and add googly eyes....Done!

Gloria J Zucaro's "A Floral Bouquet for Frida"

I had fallen behind in posting so this is my second post today and the last project inspired by Friday Kahlo.  This project was led by Jane Lafazio. Jane did a wonderful drawing of flowers and then painted them with watercolor. Below is my version. I drew the flowers in ink, then used Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils to put the colors in my flowers. I then wet the pencil to make the effect of watercolor.  I did the background in yellows oranges and blues.  But when I wet it, it wasn't intense enough to make the flowers pop.  So I started added layers of inks in the same colors.  I also tried a stencil in a deep rose that was eventually mostly covered.  I added more pink to the blossoms and made the branch darker.  Then I splattered with white.  I like the final result.  I am really loving the ink because of the vibrant colors you can achieve.

And the final

Gloria J Zucaro's "No More Fish"

Today I am posting my mixed-media project led by instructor Jodi Ohl.  I love Jodi's art and will be taking her "Dirty Birds" on-line course starting January 20.  Anyway, Jodi is one of the artists with Creative Jumpstart 2016 who is demonstrating to us her project inspired by Jean Mikel Basquiat.  I had a lot of fun with this the last couple of days, fitting it in around dentist's appointments and other LIFE interruptions! I was at Hobby Lobby and they were having a 50% off sale on wall decor.  I found two box like art pieces and got them each for 10.00  I decided to use one for Jodi's project. The first thing I did was gesso the tops last night.This afternoon I started the paint application, the text underneath and scribbles and scratches into the surface for texture and interest.  There were also some paint pens, and pastel watercolor crayons used. The last detail was to add a couple of Basquiat-like figures to the more abstract background.  I really hated to do it because I loved my straight abstract painting, but hey, it's the assignment!  The individual steps are below. Please click on any image you would like to see in more detail.

The Final Piece

Straight from the store

Gessoed

Adding color

This was my favorite stage.  I normally don't do abstract paintings, so it was a thrill for me.

I am calling this project "Fish", because that is what the cat is asking the king for, but the king ran out!

Have a nice day., and leave a comment if you are so inclined, thanks, Gloria

Gloria j Zucaro's "Sun and Sky"

This week I have another pastel to share.  It is called "Sun  and Sky" and was painted from a photograph I took during a drive out near Harvard,IL.  I saw this scene out my car window and stopped to take a picture.  I love the reflections of the trees in the cloudy water and then the blue, blue sky reflection.

Below is a Fall street in the town of Palatine, IL

And one from my back yard

If you love art of all types please look at the website below where I am posting today.  

It is hosted by Kristin & Eva, thank you, Ladies! 

I am linking this post to Paint Party Friday

Gloria J Zucaro's "Intuitive Painting"

Well, I wouldn't call this a success, but at least it is a start.  I am trying to learn about intuitive painting.  I have seen beautiful work by many artists who "see shapes" and and are able to bring them out of a background in such a way, it looks mystical. 

My process was to layer some warm acrylic colors and spray them with water to get them to mix.  After that layer dried, I added some blues, greens and purples and sprayed those.  I didn't like that layer at all so immediately sprayed some red, yellow and orange ink on top to warm it up again.  When that dried I searched for the "shapes".  I came up with some very cliche shapes!  A puppy, bunny, bird, angel, butterfly and what I call a "Hippo Bird"   He is probably the most interesting!  I traced them in with a pencil, then painted and decorated them.  I added "Try Something New" in glitter alphabet letters, and "Be Brave"

 in black pencil.  I added a little white pen around a few things.  It was an "experience"!  Oh well, maybe next time!

The final painting in all it's glory below!!

I am linking to Community Thrive and Paint Party Friday.

Gloria J Zucaro's "Visiting Artist"

Today my special guest post is work done by a 17 year old from Florida.  His name Is Chris Stevenson. He enjoys, Line Art, Graffiti and other forms of drawing including Intuitive.  He works in pen, ink and markers.  Below are two of his recent works.  I look forward to seeing more of his artwork, especially since he is my grandson! :>)

06/17/2014

06/18/2014

Have a great day!  

We would love to hear your comments, 

Thanks, Gloria & Chris.