It has been awhile since last I wrote. I have been trying to get back into the
studio and work on my paintings as much as possible. Last spring I was in a car accident and did
serious damage to my right shoulder. The
recovery is a very long and slow process but thank God it was my right
shoulder because I am left handed. With all the pain, meds and surgery, the
summer was a bust for getting any paintings done. Having said that I am now on a mission to get
caught up on my paintings. I have
decided to concentrate on painting animals and nature.
I just finished these two paintings of a tiger cub and lion
that live at our local zoo. Painting fur
is always a challenge. I was a
hairdresser in another life so sometimes I feel I get a little carried away
with their Do's, lol. I used a
"0" Script Liner for the longer hairs and a 10/0 Spotter brush for
the short hairs. With animals I find you
have to not only pay attention to the direction of the hair growth but the
texture of the hair as well.
When I originally switched over to Acrylic Painting from
Porcelain Art I struggled with keeping the paints moist. Porcelain paints are mixed with oil and stay
wet until fired in the kiln. At the
beginning I used a Stay-Wet Pallet. I no
longer use this for two reasons: 1) Too
big and cumbersome 2) Mold started
growing after about a week. I have tried
various pallet systems including a sheet of glass but the one I like best is an
inexpensive one from the craft store called "Peel-Off Pallet". It is a flat rectangle with a dividing line
across the top for paint and then a large flat area which is divided in half
for mixing and blending colors. When the
paints eventually dry on it they can be peeled off. I cover it with Glad Press and Seal when I
have to step away from the studio for awhile.
I also keep a water bottle with a fine misting nozzle close by. While I am working on a painting I mist my
paints every 10 to 15 minutes. This
keeps them moist and prevents a skin from forming on top.
I have also decided to use Liquitex Paints exclusively. I like their colors, tube shape (caps are
easier to handle if you have arthritis as I do) and the body of their
paints. I have only used their glazing
medium and flow agents so I am not an expert on their mediums. I don't get much time to experiment so I
usually just get right to painting when I get time in the studio.
In the last couple of months I have been getting set up to
teach in my studio. I held my first acrylic class here last month and hope to
have more after the first of the year.
Message me at: cltonning@gmail.com if you are interested in classes or
if you just have questions about painting. You can see more of my work at my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/C.L.Tonning.Artist?ref=hl
