Basking in the sun

Painting by Vicky Christensen, mixed media on 16 X 20 inch canvas 

This painting started out without a plan other than to experiment with texture. I used a painting knife to apply Golden light molding paste to the canvas then pressed various objects into it to give it some texture. Some objects worked better than others. I ended up with a circle in the upper right, so I decided to put a sun there. The rest of the painting evolved (or should I say revolved) around the sun. The painting initially had a rainbow of colors moving out from the sun, but I didn't like the intensity. The surface was too textured to use glazes to tone it down so I finally settled on the dabs of broken color to portray the sun's rays. I decided to add some flowers to the butterflies I had originally stamped into the molding paste, and decided to use Golden fiber paste for the flowers. It was fun painting the flowers since fiber paste is so absorbent. All in all, this was a fun painting.

Falling leaves (and other stuff)

Painting by Vicky Christensen, mixed media on 16 X 20 inch canvas 

Here's another painting that started with a layer of stencils, then high flow acrylic drips. I also stenciled on some glass bead gel leaves before finishing with glazes.

Printing and Painting

Painting by Vicky Christensen, mixed media on 20 x 16 inch canvas 

This painting started with a few Gelli prints that I cut up and glued to the canvas. Then I added a lot of stencils and glazes. The original Gelli prints were mostly red, teal and dark blue, but I altered the colors with transparent and translucent glazes.

High flow high jinks

Painting by Vicky Christensen, acrylic on 16 X 20 inch canvas 

I started this painting last week, then took a little break for a road trip to New Orleans for my niece's wedding. We had a blast. They celebrated with several touches of the local culture and cuisine, including a second line parade from the ceremony to the reception. This was my first trip to New Orleans and it ended way too soon.

So I got back home at lunch time, took care of some business, then finished this painting. This was going to be big blossoms developed with high flow acrylics and spritzes of water, but blossoms didn't appear. Instead I ended up with some colorful creatures floating in a shallow stream.

Mixing more media

Painting by Vicky Christensen, mixed media on 16 X 20 inch canvas 

Here's a painting I just finished. I started this one a few weeks ago, when I collaged several Gelli prints on a canvas. Then I was stuck and didn't know how to finish it.

A week ago I had some red-tinted molding paste left from another painting and decided to stencil it on this painting. It still needed something else, so I stenciled some violet-tinted glass bead gel yesterday, and stamped a few butterflies and flowers last night. Then I added some glazes and got a little carried away.

Today I added a few more touches. I think I'm finally done. I had no idea where this was going when I started, but that's part of the fun.

The gelli print collage, before adding stencils and glazes

Reusing Paint Skins

Painting by Vicky Christensen, mixed media on 16 X 20 inch canvas 

When paint dries on my palette, I wait until some accumulates,  then peal it off and save it. I finally decided to use some of it in a painting. This is the result. I combined the skins with some Gelli-printed deli paper and embellished it with some glazes and some glass bead gel.

Toodie's Paintings

Once a month I help a few of the residents at my mother's assisted living facility paint. We've been painting mostly in watercolor. We added acrylic to the mix today.

One of the most faithful group members is Toodie. She is new to watercolor and acrylic, but taught herself to paint with oil paints when she and her husband Elton lived in Japan after World War II.

Today I stopped by their apartment to get a glimpse of her artwork. I have to say that even though I had already seen her talent first hand when our group gets together to paint, I was truly amazed by her oil paintings. What talent she has! I am so happy she is still painting. Here's a toast to Toodie and Elton, married 72 years and still going strong.

Some more of Toodie's paintings:

Toodie's painting of a Japanese coast. She also painted
the scenes on the bottles in the foreground 

Toodie

Stenciled Trees

Painting by Vicky Christensen, acrylic on 16 X 20 inch canvas 

This painting was an experiment. The goal was to use stencils in a dompletely different way. I wanted to do another autumn themed mixed media painting, so I started with some gold, red and green fluid acrylics as a background, then stenciled on many layers of more transparent color. Tonight I finished with tree trunks and branches and some negative painting to define the outline of the tree canopy and fill in the sky. This painting was lots of fun.

Change of Season

Painting by Vicky Christensen, mixed media on 16 X 20 inch canvas 

Since the leaves are starting to change colors here in Minnesota, I thought that was a good excuse to paint colored leaves. This painting was done with a little molding paste, lots of stencils, and finished with translucent and transparent glazes. Can you tell I like lots of color?