Varnish Adventures

Today I varnished my most recent work. I started it a while ago and got stuck, put it away for a few months and finished it last week.

After the ‘30 Paintings in 30 Days-challenge’ from last September I finally knew how to continue.

Since I started working in colour more and more I also like using lots of different materials (bistre, pigmentedink, water soluble (ink) pencils, soft pastels by Schmincke) at the same time, just mixing them up.

Varnishing is possible because I work on aquabord by Ampersand and can be a problem using all these different materials. I start by putting on different layers of fixative letting them dry for 24 hours in between layering. After that I put on a layer of matt acrylics varnish. This is the tricky part because if not fixated well enough the varnish can partly dissolve the fixative and make the materials run.

All went well today.

Experimenting

Last couple of days I’ve been experimenting a bit with lines and layering.

This is an overview of the layering-experiment I did. I started with layer of thick, bright watercolours and then added pastels, charcoal and pencil.

More experiments coming up!

Looking back at the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

When I first decided to participate in Leslie Saeta’s 30 Painting in 30 Days Challenge I wasn’t sure if this was for me. I wasn’t sure how I would react to the pressure of creating every day, taking a picture every day (considering the murky Dutch weather), posting every day…

After my first aquarelle on January 1^st I knew that the plan I had (drawing insects and flowers from graveyard Huis te Vraag wasn’t going to work. Already I felt a huge resistance to continue.
Next day I made a flower portrait. In my ‘drawing a day’ sketchbook I had been drawing a few flower portraits and decided to continue with those and there wasn’t a day I got bored with it.

Some days I feared not being able to do another one but every morning I would find a fitting face and flower. And in a months’ time I feel like I did grow in the way I told my story.

Lessons learned: I like working on projects like this. I like working on not too many things at the same time. I can (sort of) handle aquarelle paint. I can handle the pressure of having to finish a painting every day for a longer period. I enjoy creating and I can do this every day.

Creating makes me happy and no matter what people from the past or present have told me, I am an artist!

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 30

The last flower portrait of this challenge. A bit of a creepy one. I was thinking about this composition a while back but didn’t feel comfortable to actually paint it and decided to save it for last.

Thank you Leslie Saeta for this wonderful challenge, I learned so much.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 29

Both enjoying and regretting the (almost) end of this challenge. Going to miss these flower ladies but also going to be happy about having more freedom in my daily schedule. I learned so much this month (I will get back on that in a later post) and I think it’ll have to show in my upcoming work one way or the other.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 28

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 27

Another half-way creature.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 26

So here’s slightly different. Although I was pleased with the result of the portrait/ flower mix I missed having around ‘creatures’ half-way being a person and flower.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 25

This has been the 7^th portrait of portrait being blended into flower. For the 5 remaining days of this challenge I want to try something slightly different…

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 24

Another beautiful, withered tulip for inspiration.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 23

Every time I’m sitting down to do these portraits I’m a little scared that I won’t be able to see any faces in the flower reference I have but again and again they keep appearing.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 22

Parrot tulip in bloom.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 21

You’ve probably noticed I love how some flowers curl and twist when they wither. The flower I used as a basis for this portrait is a tulip.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 20

Open your mind?!

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 19

Since I’m trying to blend portrait and flower more and more I’m quite pleased with how this one turned out. As far I’m concerned I’m not there yet but well on my way!

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 18

After 6 days of drawing tulip portraits today I switched to the brier rose, no flowers just leafs, a brier and a butterfly.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 17

This one is a little different from the previous portraits. Not only because of the background, I’m trying to mash up portrait and flower more and more and am very curious to where this might go.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 16

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 15

Halfway through the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge!!

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 14

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch