Black Vase is a mixed media piece done on an 8" x 10" x 3/4" wrapped canvas. (That pebbly-looking background is the carpet.) Black Vase's inauspicious beginning occurred one day when I was cleaning off my brushes. I'd been painting on another canvas, using acrylic paints. I have a real problem throwing away leftover paint, so I usually use my brush to mop up the paint from the palette, and then wipe the paint onto a blank canvas. In truth, some of my best backgrounds have occurred that way!
Coming back to this canvas on another day, I decided to paint on the black vase. I added some white paint to try to make it look dimensional. At that point, I had a black vase on a burgundy background, and the idea that the picture needed flowers. Afterall, it was a vase.... I found the thought of painting the flowers to be rather daunting, since I really liked the background and didn't want to mess it up. So, instead of painting, I turned to my fabric stash.
Where I found this piece of fabric. It was originally part of a dress that I'd picked up at a thrift shop.
Here's a close-up of the fabric. I decided to cut flowers and leaves from the fabric, and glue them to the canvas. I'm guessing I used acrylic medium to attach the flowers, though it could have been Mod Podge, or white glue. All three go on white and then dry clear.
I took the canvas out on the deck to take a picture in natural light. This also shows the depth of the canvas.
Here's another detail picture, taken outside. All in all, I was very pleased with the way the picture turned out. It looks a lot better than it would have if I'd actually tried to paint the flowers!
7 comments:
This just popped up on our dashboard - and how lovely! This is a beautiful and very distinctive piece. Thank you for letting us know how you created it.
You remind of my self in this post. I am and probably always have been a green person before the term really appeared just a few years ago. Some of my best pieces have been made from throw aways and pieces that just did not seem to work. I always save the left over paint. Wiping it on paper towels sometimes becom the base for journal covers.
I love that vase of flowers.
Nice work! One of the best painting I ever did was with a leftover palette and began, like yours, with my wiping the brush on a blank canvas.
You are so clever and creative! I love the look of this, Jean :D
That fabric has so much dimenion to it and that really added to what you had already done...very nice!
What a resourceful artist you are! I love the organic way this painting developed. And what a fabulous idea, using leftover paints as a background-- I can't believe it never occurred to me, because I too hate to waste paint. I'm instituting this policy immediately!
I hope your surgery goes well & that you mend quickly!
Jean, this is wonderful. I too can't waste anything so I love your idea of starting canvases with bits of leftover paint. Your fabric flowers are wonderful. A great use of that old 'found' dress!
P.S. You're being followed...LOL
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