Weekly Art Chat : Monday 27 July to 2 August

Weekly Art Chat : Monday 27 July to 2 August

This is the place to show and chat about all things art this week …

Hi Everyone

Seems I’m first here today so I have started the new “try” at a weekly art chat thread.

I look forward to seeing all your new art and chatting with you this week.

This is my latest painting. A 20 x 10 inch piece painted onto a birch panel, so like a box canvas effect. When I paint with wax on wood I normally use the U.S. Brand of wax which takes months to cure but this time I used my ArtsEncaustic brand of wax. It’s very different painting into a porous surface with wax paints. I gesso the birch first with encaustic gesso but the wax doesn’t move much so an interesting challenge and the largest I’ve done on wood before.
What do you think ? Comments welcome :slight_smile:

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Thanks for starting the new weekly thread Hazel :smile:

The poppies are beautiful. It’s interesting to hear about the techniques used to paint on wood, I think I’d need to see a bigger close up picture to really appreciate the textural differences. So I’m assuming this wouldn’t need a frame, that’s always helpful. Sounds like a challenge for you, will you be doing more like this?

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Thank you Margaret. Yes no frame needed. The sides are 2cm deep. I’ve left them natural wood colour. I mask them up when painting to keep clean.

Funnily enough the texture isn’t very deep as I have to melt the wax into the gesso’d surface at each stage to make sure it holds the layers of the wax. It is a bit dramatic this one thou as I melted and merged the background using my hot air tool to give a softness then added the flowes in stages with darker tones then fading the stems to give this contrast effect.

I actually really like it myself - which isn’t always the case lol

I might do more in this style it was fun … Took a long time to do and a lot of wax lol

This is a close up I’ve just taken of one part of the picture.

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Hello! :slight_smile:

The flower panel is great, Hazel! I like the variety of flowers you’ve used in the composition. I’ve never painted on wood before, or painted with encaustic wax. It looks so vibrant and the close-up really shows the subtle colours in the background.
I listed this at the weekend, so a new piece of art from me…

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Thanks for the close up Hazel! It does give a better view of how the wax looks. Overall I think the panel has a slightly ethereal quality, it’s the soft background and the way the flowers and stems reach up out of the softness. I’m glad you’ve not done lots of grasses among the flowers as I think that might have spoilt the effect. I love it more the more I look at it!

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That’s gorgeous Pam, I love taking photos through archways like that, it frames the picture beyond perfectly. I like the way the main wall fades out around the edges too :smile:

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Thanks Margaret, it has something about it doesn’t it :slight_smile: I think you are right about not adding more leaves or grass. I was tempted to keep going but it would have lost the mystery I think :slight_smile:

Thank you Pam, I agree with Margaret your picture is lovely I too like the way you have framed the scene in the arch like that. Draws the eye in nicely :slight_smile:

Thanks, Margaret and Hazel! :slight_smile:

Seems there’s only the three of us here on the new weekly art chat thread, I’d hoped it would be a new start and more people would join in…

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Good Morning

How are you today? Anyone got a creative or art project planned for today?

I’m going with the flow myself - I have a couple of projects WIP a dolls house screen to finish and another landscape needing my attention but first thing today I have to admin for our decorating biz, so paperwork first !!!

Hazel

morning Hazel, hope the paperwork doesn’t take too long so you can get on with something more creative/interesting!

I’ll put a WIP photo up this evening of how my projects are coming along so you can see what I’m working on :smile:

morning all…just dashing in to say hi before yet another busy day…don;t like this cold weather…we even put the central heating on yesterday…
I am currently stock taking…I have hundreds of paintings in boxes, some listed, some waiting to be listed, some half painted…and everything is catalogued in books relevant to where they are going.
The aceos are the easiest because they fit in various shoe boxes , but the larger ones have to be stored flat in office files so that they don’t get damaged…
If you don’t hear from me, I am buried under piles of boxes !

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Morning! Brenda - I’m buried under a pile too! Mine is a pile of pet sign commissions LOL!

Spent yesterday packing and posting finished commissions, painting current commissions, and messaging people about new commissions - if I’m this busy in July what is the run up to Christmas going to be like??? Thankfully people have started ordering their Christmas commissions already, as I’ve warned that there’s a limit to how much I can paint, so people need to get their orders in early.

Right - back to the sweatshop! WIill read the thread properly later :slight_smile:

I am doing nothing! taking a little break! …Ha ha!
our heating came on yesterday…July??

Glad you hear you’re keeping busy Brenda and Sara

Jeanie, are you enjoying your little break?

I’m happy with the weather at the moment, I dread the hot days, especially at my age when I have hot spells regularly I enjoy the cooler weather! :smile:

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Yes! thank you! Margaret hubby got another cold virus and needs lots of T and C so keeping warm and enjoying a little break together! x

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sending sympathy Margaret but I am lucky as I have never had a hot flush in my life…never have headaches…rarely ill…soooooooo lucky…

I’m with you Margaret, I get hot quickly too nowadays !!! But I don’t really like winter as I don’t like the cold but a few cooler days in the summer is a nice relief.

I got the paperwork done early so have been painting. I also finished my screen, showed it on Facebook and it sold so it’s now ready to post. I have three packages ready to go to PO but waiting for hubby to come home later and run me today …

Waving Sara, Brenda and Jeanie :slight_smile:

My panel has had lots of interest, I need to decide where to list it and how much for as it’s different to my normal artwork, I like it myself but it needs a special home I think :slight_smile:

Well done on your speedy FB sale Hazel! :smile:

As promised is the WIP for my two sewing projects I’m working on.

First is the Australian Settler’s cottage long stitch which I’m doing workday evenings

then there’s this flower fairy tiny cross stitch which I’m doing at weekends

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