Painted Bird Houses, Painting with Acrylics, and Painting for Charity

Bird House Finch
acrylic on bird house

I raised my hand - back in June actually.  I said I would and it was delivered bright and white to my door step mid July.  A friend is on the committee to raise support for the Olympic Ballet at this fundraising event.  20+ bird houses were created and delivered to those interested in painting and decorating them to help raise money for the Ballet.  I like to donate when I can.  But, art is a little hard sometimes to donate as it is so personal.

Its been sitting on my work table for over a month waiting patiently for inspiration to be mustered up and some idea to blossom and grow.  The house was already primed and ready to be painted - but the prime coat immediately nixed any idea of it having a waxy coating.  It had to be painted.... in acrylic.
As you all know, I paint with wax.  Acrylic is not my "thing", nor do I really know how to use them.  But, I do have them - hand me downs from my Dad.  So, this little bird house sat.. waiting.
I Googled painted bird houses to see if I could find some inspiration.  Nope.  So, I pondered and the bird house sat.  My stress level was going up and I'd wake up at night wondering what in the world I was going to do with the bird house.  The deadline is beginning to draw closer and my stress level kept increasing.

Lucky for me, a good friend suggested that I steer clear of trying anything decorative which is not my thing and focus on what is my thing - birds.  Birds on a bird house - great idea!  Why didn't I think of that!?  But birds need flowers, and I love flowers - so that's how the body of the house came about.  I also Googled what kinds of birds live in bird houses.  Seemed silly to paint birds that don't actually live in them.  There was a list, but surprisingly enough, there really aren't that many.  Even fewer of them live in my area - so the list was easy to diminish to just a handful - and then, easy for me to pick the one to be part of this artistic adventure - my favorite little red headed bird - the House Finch.


photo by Chuck Starr

 I'm pretty pleased with my acrylic attempt.  I learned a lot and found a few similarities to painting with wax - but I have to say... I really don't care much for cleaning brushes and palettes and paint that dries on my palette, .. brushes that harden when left out of water and having to varnish.  But, with that said - there were things about the acrylics that I did like which will bring me around to playing with them a little more :)

Happy Friday - Paint On!

Definition, Specialities and Crabs

Dungies
encaustic and paper on birch 18x24

I'm feeling a bit like my art is defining itself... finally.  Yet, when I go to post photos of what I'm up to each week - they are bird paintings as of late.  The thought kinda makes me unsettled a bit and wonder how I've come down the road to have a "specialty".  Do I really want to be known as a bird painter?  It certainly wasn't my intent.  My intent is to just paint whatever comes to mind.  I guess that lately, birds are my thing.  I'm not interested in fighting that idea because I really am enjoying what I'm doing.   But, at the same time, I'm not ready to settle into a "specialty" quite yet.   So, I'm mixing it up this week and flexing my creative spirit a little and painting other than birds - Two Dungeness crabs on a vintage sailing chart.  The crabs actually came to mind from this earlier post where I was thinking of doing some of the star constellations.
I did a live demo last week.  I took my palettes and wax and set up to show people what it is that I do.  It was really fun and I realized that I like being out in public talking to people about art and creativity and painting.   Have a good Friday everyone - September will be here before we know it - so enjoy!

Fire, Glassblowing and Handsome

My creations from the glass blowing workshop.

I have a fascination with the element of fire.  Its power can bring devastation and it can also bring beauty.  Its strength can be harnessed and beautiful things can be made.
I went glass blowing.  Its something that I have always wanted to do.  I was a little apprehensive about going only because I was afraid that I would love it so and want to pursue it more.  I tend to be a bit fickle and easily wooed away in new directions. 
I loved the hot kilns and the globs of molten glass.  I loved the blowing and turning and twirling.  I loved the idea that while it could be shaped and somewhat controlled - in actuality, it has a total random quality about it too.  It was surprisingly malleable, but not.  I loved the mystery of what the color would really look like when it was cool.  
While I did love many aspects of the glass and found it so interesting, it didn't enamor me in such a way that I would give up my current creative love for it.   So, I'm painting on - with fire :)

Handsome
encaustic on birch 10 x 10