"Branching Out" Abstract Triptych Treescape

"Branching Out" is the newest treescape triptych to make it out of my studio, recently sprayed with a protective matt finish and currently drying in my basement. 

I wanted to do a multi-canvas painting and knew that I had something in mind that was really contemporary and abstract but I also wanted lots of texture, so I decided on a triptych treescape.

First I always play around with different shapes and sizes of canvas, orienting them different ways to try and decide how I want to lay out the painting.  Once that portion of the process is decided upon, I can than go ahead and make my sketch.

While I'm creating a sketch, I also start on my background which can take a couple of days for a painting this size as there are layers or color applied that must dry before others are added.  A heavy application of stucco gives the tree branches really thick texture.

 

The finished panels are placed together for the last time, just to make sure everything looks just right and the completed painting has emerged.





"Beyond The Depths" - Abstract Acrylic Triptych

"Beyond The Depths" is the newest abstract triptych painting to leave my studio this week. Would you believe when I sat down to first start working on this, it was supposed to be a hummingbird painting? After the first day I was thinking "ok, maybe I see a hummingbird in there somewhere." By the end of the second day this piece let me know that it wanted to be an abstract, one that focuses on the deep, dark and unchartered depths of the ocean. I think it is really important to listen to my work; my paintings always guide me in the direction they want me to take. Sometimes pieces turn out just as I envision them and other times, like with this painting, they take me in a totally different direction and it is up to me to listen.

The painting I'm currently working on was supposed to be a garden sculpture painting with abstract elements and instead, it turned into a fairy painting......see what I mean? I just listened and that is where the painting led me. Hopefully that one will be finished in the next few days.

"Beyond The Depths" measures 12"h x 24 1/2" w x 1 1/2" d. www.artfulcreations.etsy.com

"Epiphany" - Abstract Acrylic Triptych

Recently I've had the great desire to start painting abstracts and "Epiphany" was my first completed piece. Sometimes you can really surprise yourself with what interests you as well as the new directions creativity can take if you just let yourself run wild. I'm really having so much fun with abstracts that I'm currently working on my 3rd one right now. Anything is possible if you just open your mind to new ideas.

This painting measures: 12" h x 21" w x 1 1/2" d and is currently at Celebrations Gallery:

www.celebrationsshoppes.com . www.artfulcreations.etsy.com

A Garden Dragonfly That Sparked An Idea

I took this dragonfly photo 3 years ago when I came outside one day to find this little guy waiting for me in my garden. He was kind enough to sit still while I took this photo of him resting on one of my Iris leaves. I didn't think much of it at the time but last year in 2010, I became very inspired by this photo as I looked at it over the course of months. He didn't know it at the time but this dragonfly inspired me to create 3 paintings based on my sighting that day. The paintings really do not look at all like him, he just planted the seed that created the spark in my mind and my imagination did the rest.

This small dragonfly painting is called "Floating", featuring a large and small dragonfly team.

This piece is my favorite of the bunch for sure...."Kaleidoscope Dragonflies". With this diptych I wanted to create a painting that reminded me of looking through a kaleidoscope with all the changing colors and shapes. The dragonflies also wrap around the sides on this piece.

"Dancing Dragonflies" was the first painting to be created after I saw my garden visitor. What is the inspiration for your favorite creations, how did a spark of an idea take hold in your mind? I would love to hear how everyone else gets inspired to create what they love. www.artfulcreations.etsy.com

Clematis Blooms And The Inspiration For A Painting

As I mentioned in my last post, inspirations for paintings come from just about anywhere and everywhere you can imagine. Each year I always take photos of my Clematis when they start to bloom in the spring. They are so colorful and elegant, I simply love this blooming vine.

I have 3 colors, pink, white (which remind me of fragile pieces of paper) and purple, which is of course my favorite color.

I've been wanting to paint some Clematis for a while now and seeing the blooms start to emerge a few weeks ago got me inspired to get going with my ideas.

This painting is entitles "Flourish" and showcases the blooms of my pink Clematis, set against a black background.

This piece is a triptych and it was lots of fun to position the canvases to imitate how the Clematis vines grow out in the garden. The vines flow up, down and all around the trellis I have set up for them.

I think the black background always sets a colorful design off and makes it really pop.

This triptych measures a total of 13" h x 19" w x 1/1/2" d. Each panel is a different size, which also represents the different sizes of the flowers and blooms when they are growing out in the garden. My purple and pink Clematis are the largest and the whites are the smallest, most delicate looking of the 3 varieties. The canvases are 8" h x 8" w - 8" h x 6" w & 6" h x 4" w.

I hope this spring everyone can find a focal point in their gardens that will inspire a new creation.

"Dancing Dandelions - Acrylic Triptych On Gallery Canvas

Now that the first of the year has come and gone, I'm back to painting in my studio....vacation time is officially over at this point. While I love taking time off, I'm always eager to get back to things in my studio, much as I enjoy the break, I charish my creative time and usually feel very refreshed and ready to hit the easel once again with lots of new ideas. My first new painting of the year is a bit abstract and a bit whimsical as well - "Dancing Dandelions".

This is an acrylic triptych painting on 1 1/2" deep gallery canvas.

Each panel measures 4" x 12" for a total of 12" x 12" in all.

There are many ways to display this set of panels and I got a little creative with arranging them on my wall, for what I think is a fun display.

This set is eye catching because I used quite a bit of metallic pearl white to paint the dandelions. The painting shimmers and shines when it is hung on the wall. Now available at my ETSY shop: www.artfulcreations.etsy.com . Just finishing up another triptych today so hopefully will be showing that one next week....stay tuned at any rate.