Spring has sprung

After a year of fighting thrips on my orchids, and not having any healthy blooms to enjoy,

at last, I think I have won (and the good news, not with serious chemicals).

I diligently used citrus flavored dishwashing soap and Neem oil alternating.

Both were mixed in a gallon of water.

I also used a blend of 409, alcohol and water once or twice.

So, this is what is blooming today.  

When I wasn't stewing about my orchids, I did have some fun with my art

Some of those backgrounds I love to do got cut into bits and mounted on a canvas.

I had envisioned something more exotic but as sometimes happens, those great ideas just don't work

in reality.  This reminds me of the colors of Hawaii

This background really looks like a shawl.

I am not sure where I am going with this, yet.

It may reappear in a few weeks completely revised.

Playing around with these things is half the fun.

After all, it's only paper, right?

Wishing everyone a beautiful Spring

and praying for peace and good will.

Happy PPF

Happy St Patricks Day

Happy St Patricks Day!

We have so may happy memories of time spent in Ireland.

Both my husband and I have Irish background and when we arrived there for our first visit     

we both fell in love...with the countryside and the people.  

The people we met in Ireland were just the best.

We were fascinated by their fascination with our politics.

(I wonder what their thoughts are today)

We loved their cheerful, "of course you can" attitude.

And their food, and their countryside, and, and,and.

So we have been back four times (and never been disappointed).

So Happy St Patricks Day to all

and put this wonderful country on your bucket list.

The painting is, again, yupo.  I did layers, starting with yellow and if you are interested,

there is a 4-leafed clover hiding in there for some lucky stiff.

 Spring is springing on our lanai.  This is my guatemalensis orchid covered in blooms.

They start out sort of dark and fade as they age.

(Just like us?)

Weaves and texture

This background was just waiting to become a weave so this week I went to work on it

It is always difficult to get started, "over, under, over, under" but once you have it,

you have it.
I also have been playing with Golden Molding Paste and stencils on yupo.
After letting the paste dry, I add watercolor.  The results here are interesting

So that is all of the fun this week.
Wishing all a Happy Paint Party Friday

Experimenting in texture

I decided to try using Golden Molding paste and a stencil on yupo.

I let the paste dry a couple of days and then sprayed the whole thing with

water and then used my watercolors.  Interesting result with lots of texture.  

The paint settled in the low areas giving dimension and deeper color in those areas.

Has anyone else used this paste?  I would be interested in your results.

Manic activity

There are days, and there are DAYS.

Some days I have the creative energy of a slug.

Other days I get up and am possessed with finishing off all

the projects from the "slug" days.

I hate to waste my days off with no creative juices because then I 

have to wait till the next week.

So today I am humming along

I started with another random dump of color on yupo.  Don't know what it will become.

It will have to wait till my next manic day.

This will become a weave when I have the patience to paint in over, under,

over, under shading.

Yet another mountain done with cheese cloth.  As Denver, Colorado is my original

home, I think I will do the skyline in front of the mountains, some day.

Not sure if this is done or not.  I was practicing a few different uses of the same

techniques.

This one is DONE!

As I mentioned, I am from Denver.  I have been a Bronco fan since they played their

games at the University of Denver football field (long since demolished).  So it goes without saying

where I will be this Sunday (and it won't be at a party).  I will be home cheering them

on.  GO BRONCOS!!

And happy PPF

Yupo weaving

Making the backgrounds is so much fun on yupo.  Watching the colors blend into each other

or manipulating the paint with witches cloth, cheese cloth or acrylic webbing just

fascinates me.

Then I have to decide what to do with the end product.  

Here I cut up the painting and wove it into itself.  Previously I had woven it

into strips of white paper.  Here I glued the strips together and then made a 

wonky spiral stencil to use with white paint on top.

I think if the colors were more earthen, the effect would be more primitive 

which is what I was after.  Oh well, maybe next week.

Happy PPF

It's Friday!

I think I will call this "super moon"

It is Friday and I almost missed "the party" again!

Work is definitely interfering with my play.

I am still playing, just haven't had time to share.

This is the result of a challenge from our painting instructor.

I used cheese cloth on yupo with watercolor.  

I find that the rattier the cheesecloth, the better the image.

This was a well used cloth.

Happy Paint Party Friday!