Summer holiday bouquet

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

Happy July 4th weekend to my US friends. Enjoy!

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.