my new method

As most people would expect, I have developed many new methods of painting since I first began. When first starting, I used paint brushes and fairly watered down paint (and that may or may not have been because I was too cheap to "waste" the paint by using a lot of it on one painting). Then started playing with texture by using larger amounts of paint. Then I was introduced to the palette knife which changed my world.

My newest development has produced an effect I truly love. Instead of starting each painting with a blank canvas, I now use canvases that have slowly accumulated 'leftover' paint from other paintings. Let me explain how this started with two specific instances.

My first 'failed' painting was one of the best things that has happened in my growth. I had a truly ugly painting that I eventually got so frustrated with, I scraped all the paint around into a muddled mess like a toddler with their unwanted dinner. It dried, and I painted a completely different painting on top of it. What resulted was one of my favorite paintings to date because it created the most unbelievable texture. This is influence number one.

My second influence is when I started mourning the extra paint left on my palette after a painting is completed. What do you do with it? It cost money....and I am a tight wad. Since I'm often surprised with how much paint it takes to cover the stark white of a fresh canvas, I started putting the extra paint on a canvas so it would be easier to cover later. Little bits here and there, different colors, no design. Once one was pretty full, I started a new painting on top of it. Again....amazing texture. And on top of that, you could see some of the color underneath for an added dimension. Yay for being cheap!

So now, I almost make it a point to squirt out a little more paint then I know I need. I always have a few canvases lined up next to my easel ready for that extra paint. Then I slap it on, making sure to pile it up a little so it will form raised texture. It looks a little like this in my studio:

My goodness it looks messy!

Once I fill them up enough to give an overall look of texture, I start painting on top. I try to make sure I have contrasting colors underneath so you can see it (dark colors under a light painting and vice versa). And you end up with something like this:

You can see the texture from pretty far away

And I love how you can see the color peeking through

To create a painting like this, which doesn't look like the same painting, but it is. Lighting changes everything.
(this painting just recently sold, yippee!)

Another great example of color showing underneath

This time with dark paint under a lighter color

Which created this lovely painting
(click on this one to see it in my shop)

My favorite part of this method is that it brings a unified feeling to all the paintings. It means that each painting has a little bit of another painting underneath it. So when you buy one, you know that there is a little bit of someone else's painting in it too. You could even go through and guess which ones by the colors. Fun!


Last week I mentioned a new survey I would love each and every one of you to fill out. It exists to help me improve this blog and just learn a little more about you. It's only ten questions and very important to me, so please take a second to fill it out, here. Thanks!


Related Articles:

When Paintings Fight Back - The story of that first 'failed' painting
Tell Me More, Tell Me More - A bit more about the very important survey
Why I Use A Knife - Explains why I don't use brushes when I paint