A Rose by Another Name

Painting by Vicky Christensen, mixed media on 12 x 12 inch canvas 

I've changed my name. Well, not my name, I'm still Vicky. But I have changed the name of my blog. Goodbye 'Learning to Paint', hello 'Staying Young at Art'.

I have wanted to change my blog's name for a while. Don't get me wrong, I am still learning something new with every painting and I know there will always be so many skills to work on. So I am forever learning to paint.

About today's painting: It started with a canvas on which I applied some torn painted deli wrap. Then, every time I finished another painting I took the leftover paint and applied it to this canvas. Some abstract shapes and color harmonies began to appear. In the meantime I had a photo that I have always wanted to paint, a rose from my old flower garden, and a few days ago it struck me that this canvas would be the perfect backdrop. So I slipped the photo into a plastic sheet protector and used quinacridone magenta high flow paint and a Fineline applicator to trace the flower. Add more paint and a couple layers of gloss medium and, voila, the result is a painted skin that I peeled off the plastic and collaged to the canvas.

Waiting for paint (and gel) to dry

Work in progress 

It's 95 degrees Fahrenheit here in Minnesota today, a good day to be in an air conditioned room doing a little painting. So I did a little more work on this little painting. After the gel I used to collage the skin to the canvas dries I just have a little finishing work to do.

Wrapping up one painting, working on another

Painting by Vicky Christensen, acrylic paint and mediums on 18 X 14 inch canvas 

I'm declaring this painting finished! I added some glazed shadows then painted over a lot of the texture with Liquitex iridescent medium. So along with the glass bead gel it has some cool light reflecting qualities.

In the mean time I have been working on another small canvas. Below is a peek at the skin that will be used on that painting. I'm waiting for the medium to dry before putting everything together and keeping my fingers crossed that the painting will come together without mishaps.

Acrylic skin for work in progress 

Art therapy

Work in progress? 

I haven't been very creative this week. I have a painting that I decided to change last week and I have been stuck. This is its current state. I don't know yet where I will take it next. But with life comes the perspective that it is just a painting, and right now I have other things on my mind and if I am painting it is only to distract myself. And it is a great way to distract, even therapeutic.

I have never injected my political thoughts into this blog. Today I will make an exception. Unless you are living in a cave somewhere you know what happened in Orlando Florida at the beginning of this week. More people massacred at the hands of a gunman, this time 49, the largest mass shooting in US history. 49 people whose families and friends are mourning their loss. 49 people more who are dead because we here in the US haven't had the courage and fortitude to stand up to the NRA and the powerful gun lobby and say 'enough' and really mean it. Every time this happens people of good conscience cry out for stricter gun control and those on the other side of the argument predictably claim the pro gun control side is exploiting a tragedy for political reasons. Well excuse me, when is the right time to push this issue? We have so much gun violence here we hardly have time to breathe before the next tragedy occurs.

Maybe there's a little ray of hope after Chris Murphy's fillibuster. Here is how the Connecticut Senator ended his nearly 15 hour fillibuster, with a tribute to young Dylan and the teacher he loved, Ann Marie Murphy, victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting. Please, please watch the video: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/orlando-nightclub-massacre/filibuster-ends-after-gop-agrees-allow-gun-control-votes-senator-n593396

The fillibuster ended with Republicans agreeing to vote on two small measures. There is no guarantee they will pass, and in my opinion they do not go far enough. But they are a first step. Please don't let them be the last.

PS, This is how the old painting looked before:

Original painting 

No Fear

This morning I spent some time helping my mom and some of her neighbors paint. Just look at these women painting and drawing, all engrossed in the creative process.

This is my mom. She'll be 88 soon, and she's one of the youngsters in this group.

And here's her finished painting. I'm really proud of her. When she was young she loved to paint, but over the decades, raising a family (6 kids) and working both inside and outside the home, she stopped finding time for art. When our group started getting together several months ago, she hadn't painted in decades, was hesitant, afraid of making mistakes and afraid she might be picking the wrong color from her palette. Now she finds her own inspiration and fearlessly goes to work creating art.

When we get together once a month, my job is to set up the work space and supplies and clean up when we are done. The rest of the time I end up being a cheerleader. So many of the ladies don't give themselves enough credit and are way too hard on themselves. My mantra today was no fear! Don't be afraid to try and don't be afraid to make mistakes!

Busy day

Painting by Vicky Christensen, mixed media on 16 X 12 inch canvas 

I put in a few hours today preparing a couple canvases, applying acrylic mediums on one and collaging some painted deli sheets on another. After doing that I decided I wanted to start and finish a quick little painting. This painting started with an underpainting of Intense colored pencils. I liquified the pencil marks with water and matte medium to set the ink. After drying with a hair dryer I finished with fluid acrylics, topped off with some transparent glazes