Textures with Acrylics - How not to use ALL of your paint!

When I started to experiment with painting, my brother, Jerry Piper, an awesome artist (jpiperart) filled my head with so much information due to his great excitement in me pursuing this medium. We would talk for hours, we would facetime and paint, skype and paint, he sent me videos, pictures and magazines. He started me off right out of the gate with textures, and it kinda ruined me :) 

Painting with acrylic is hard to achieve texture without adding something to your canvas. Not like oil, where you can build and build with the layers of paint. That being said, you can goop and goop acrylic paint onto a canvas to build up texture, it takes about a week to dry and it is lovely, but - you have used a lot of paint, and that can be expensive!

"Finger Painting Underwater" Tish McDermott 2014

Here are some ideas to experiment with, to add textures and visuals to your paintings. 

Joint compound. Use this in a thinish layer. As you knife it on, it will roll, and create ridges. Now go crazy! Get a fork, or a chop stick, or stencils, your fingers, anything with a pattern, and roll it around or mash it into the wet joint compound.  Play with it!

You have to take extra care with joint compound. It has to dry completely, about 24 hours, then you have to gesso over it, let it dry completely, then varnish it (clear coat) let it dry completely. So there is some prep time to your canvas. But it is so worth it!

Spackling. I will do a post on spackling soon to show you it as well. There is some FUN things you can do with it!!!

Here I have already prepped my board, with joint compound, made swirls, and applied gesso and varnished it. Added a bit of sheet music with mod podge. 

Tissue paper!! I crumble it up, and place it on the board in a wad. It will loosed up and flatten out as you mod podge it on. If you are going to use tissue paper, in this thickness you have to add extra drying time before painting.

It is hard to see, but there is the tissue paper over the joint compound.

I wanted these paintings to look, old, aged with patina, like a treasure map, so I added this bit of magazine with a turquoise necklace. 

Oh and where else to find treasure, but Santa Fe!

As you paint, choose your colors to accent the peaks and valleys of your designs. It makes a world of difference. You go into the painting with all the depth!

"Treasure Hunt" Tish McDermott 2016 - 14x18 mixed media $126

"Hidden Treasure" Tish McDermott 2016 - 11x14 mixed media $77

 "Frustrations" Tish McDermott 2016 - 14 x 18 mixed media $126

What will you use to texture your next creation?

And as always, Be peaceful, Be kind. 

Remember to explore, create, dream, imagine and discover!

Anatomy of a Painting - Tie Dye Garden

I wanted to do something bright, something floral and still abstract. I work alot with blues, and for once wanted to have a painting with no blue in it. 

I laid out the canvas for a tryptic style layout. I used ALOT of paint because I knew I was going to loose a lot of it in the process. Now think of a bug crawling thru a flower garden in full bloom. As you look around, what would all that glorious color look like? That is where we start.

We are a bug in a garden and have an up close and personal view of a bloom, now lets move forward shall we?

Water - tons of water, this is where I am loosing paint. I spray, spray, spray the canvas and then tilt it around slightly for all the colors to run. This gives is a tie dye effect - cause you know I can't leave the house without at least one piece of tie dye on :)

This is going to take a while to dry, so I am really looking into this piece, taking the vision further. It needs depth, it needs some shadows, it needs a darker color. 

Lets go for the blue :)

There is still a lot of water on the canvas, so the blue/green begins to 'melt' into the pattern, PERFECT! I don't tilt it around, I just let it do it's thing. 

As it dries, you can see how the blue started to crawl thru the painting, making it seem alive. 

Now that the painting is fully dry, there is still some need for depth, for definition. On the parts of the canvas that had little to no paint, I used a black color pencil to shade in areas.  That helps to bring the color forward. Then to help define the 'petals' of the flower, I used a sharpie and made random lines, tracing the 'petals'

Now you can see them side by side, finished, as I had envisioned them!

Items used, acrylic paint, color pencils, sharpies.

And as always, Be peaceful, Be kind. 

Remember to explore, create, dream, imagine and discover!

New Multi Strand Bracelets

Multi strand bracelets are not a new thing, and part of a natural transition when experimenting and trying to find a 'look' for your jewelry line. 

They are also a great way to finish off a strand, or incorporate a few left over beads into a design. Using one offs as the focal helps to use up your bead stock, so you have room for new things! Well that is what I tell myself, we all know I am a bead hoarder :)

This is one of the styles I like to make. One strand made of alternating beads, and a complementary color/property for a solid second strand.  Is a fun look, and has the appearance of wearing two separate bracelets. 

                                       

Then, as the design starts to grow and transition, there is the new style I am working on, a more chunky design, lots of texture and limited amount of color. I want the chunky texture of the tumbled chips to be the focal of the design. 

It is a real fun bohemian look

 Well I am back to the bench, have lots of events and shows coming up over the next two months, will keep you updated as I go,

And as always, Be peaceful, Be kind. All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!

Agate and Jasper Necklace - Harmony - People Helping People

I saw a plea on Facebook for items for a silent auction for an acquaintance who was burned. He burned his hand badly, and he works with his hands, so while he is rehabilitating, people are coming together to help out.

People are coming together. It is a beautiful thing, and a real thing. People can look passed themselves and see the need in others and help out. It isn't hard.

I offered to donate jewelry to the auction, then I had to sit down and think about it. What do I want this jewelry to represent.

Jasper is gentleness, it drives away “evil spirits” and to protect you.  Also aids in balancing the mind and body and stabilizes healing.

Agate is harmony and balance

Amazonite soothes tense, aggravated emotions and situations.


 It all came together beautiful. When I look at it, it looks like a piece that would be worn by a gentle spirit, a spirit that genuinely loves humanity. What do you think of when you see this necklace. Do you see a fashion statement? Do you see an extension of your spirit that is enhanced by the properties of the stone?

 And as always, Be peaceful, Be kind. All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!