Mark Making

I have been working toward a solo show that I will have at the Beloit Art Center (Beloit WI) in August 2018. Mark making has been the focus of a recent series. Even though many times the marks get covered up, it is loads of fun making them!

 Working title: Black White Blue
24 x 24" Acrylic on canvas
 

Day 30 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 30 - No title yet.

11" x 11" - Acrylic on Paper

This started with lots of black mark making and a Green and Gold glaze over it. Black, White, Grey and Red were then added (multiple times with scraping). There was a lot more Grey which I painted over with White. 

I happy that I posted 30 paintings this month. I think I learned a lot!

Thank you all for reading my blog postings and viewing my art. Comments have been wonderful, thank you for that as well!

Day 29 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 29 - No title yet.

8" x 8" - Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

 I started this earlier this month and other than the texture that I observe I don't remember what else I did to start. I did use some Teal and Red mixed together to get the color that is most predominate and then added accents of each of those colors while thinking about a cruciform composition. "Harbor Lights" as a title popped into my head and then I just had to add the bits of Yellow and Creamy White. I find it harder to use palette knives on stretched canvas but like the advantage of not having to mat and frame. One more day; I can do this!

Day 28 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 28 - No title yet.

22" x 15" - Acrylic on Arches 140 HP

Mark making under it all. Opaque and transparent paint over the top. Two or three applications of Black, White and Green applied with palette knife, brush, and moved around in some places with paper towel and baby wipes. I enjoy the texture of this piece.

Day 27 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 27 - No title yet.

11" x 11" - Acrylic on paper

This started with a lot of black mark making using acrylic paint pens and black acrylic paint applied with a stick and different brushes. Then I washed on some diluted red, green and gold. The paper was a complete mess by that point! My next step was to cover over most everything with Black, White, Grey and the one area of Light Green using a palette knife. I let some of the under painting show through and did some scraping and scratching so the colors did not look too flat. I not sure that this is done. The large black shape on the right might need to be changed. 

Day 25 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 25 - No title yet.

7" x 5" - Acrylic on paper

I completed this small abstract earlier in the month. I have been out of the studio for 2 days so I am in catch-up mode. This painting has lots of texture created with paint applied with a squirt bottle, scraping and mark making with knitting needle, and more texture with palette knife adding layers of paint. 

Day 23 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 23 - No title yet

7" x 5" - Acrylic on paper

Several layers of color and texture applied with a palette knife.

Day 22 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 22 - No title yet.

12" x 9" - Acrylic on paper

Teal, Grey and Black under painting. After that dried, Lt. Green, Black, White and Red were painted over the top mostly with a palette knife. I am becoming very fond of my palette knives!

Day 20 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 30 - A Blue Grid for a Grey Day (working title for a work in progress)

15" x 15" acrylic, ink and crayon d' ache on Arches 140 HP paper

This started with Blue, White and Black and ended with Blue, White and Black. Texture and marks were added at both the under painting and finishing stage, using palette knife and kitchen skewer. The colors were mixed to create both transparent and opaque colors for the second stage. At the end, I went a little crazy making lines with the Caran d" Ache water soluble crayons, but I know I can wipe them off very easily if I decide to.

 

Day 13 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 13 - A Touch of Red

10" x 10" - Acrylic on paper

Lots of layers, mark making and texture on this one. Black, White, Grey and Naphthol Red Light. In looking at it now, I might adjust the strong diagonal in the upper left.

Day 9 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 9 - No title yet (Black & White #2)

11" x 11" - Acrylic on paper

I often work on two or three paintings at the same time. Today's painting was painted at the same time as yesterday's painting. I think they would look great together.

Black, White and Grey acrylic paint. Paint applied and marks made with brushes, palette knives, squirt bottle filled with gesso, fingers, graphite, Stabilo Woody crayon, knitting needle, and credit card.

Day 8 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 8 - No title yet (Black & White #1)

11" x 11" - Acrylic on paper

Black, White and Grey acrylic paint. Paint applied and marks made with brushes, palette knives, squirt bottle filled with gesso, fingers, graphite, Stabilo Woody crayon, knitting needle, and credit card.

I had intended to add some color but decided I liked it this way, for now.

Day 4 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 4 - No title yet!

7.5" x 7.5" - Acrylic on Paper

Another painting exploring texture using gesso from a squirt bottle, palette knife, knitting needle and brushes. Many colors under it all but mostly yellow, black and white over the top. I don't have a title yet. Suggestions?

Day 3 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 3 - "Opera House in Winter"

7.5" x 7.5" - acrylic on paper

Several layers of paint and texture were put down before the final colors of Cerulean Blue and Opera, (which I do not use very often) plus black and white were added with a palette knife. I have a few more of these in progress as there is some waiting time involved to let layers of paint dry. I also have 6 12" x 12" gallery wrapped canvases that I have started. So, I do not start, finish and post one painting a day. I do try to do some painting each day which is one of my personal goals for doing this challenge.

Day 2 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 2: "Static on the Line"

12" x 12" - Acrylic on black gallery wrapped canvas

 

This is my first painting on a black canvas. It was fun to scratch though with a stick and find black. Not as much texture as Day 1, but lots of fun scumbling with a flat brush (two colors plus black and white) and drawing and scraping with a stick.

 

Day 1 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Day 1 - Sea Foam
11" x 19" - Acrylic on paper 
I had fun creating texture. Lots of layering and fun with a palette knife.