WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

A watercolour is a medium and it is an important tool in watercolour techniques and to blend them with water.
Watercolour is wonderful in the sense that it allows all types of expression.
There are a variety of watercolour techniques.  I did an abstract style, where after sketching, I dropped diluted watercolour paints  on a specific area , sprayed  water over the paint and then watch it spread, drip and blend to create a beautiful medley of colours and shapes.
My first and second art pieces below are from my sketch book while the 3rd is done on canvas board.

I had it sketched, followed by using watercolour pencil blended with water.

MY SECOND WATERCOLOUR PAINTING.....a mixture of watercolour pencil, acrylic paint and gesso.

MY THIRD MIXED MEDIA ......sketched  using charcoal pencil, painted with watercolour pencil, drops of FW acrylic paint then sprayed with water, acrylic paste, gesso and gold leaf.

The light moldering paste is used to create the texture and the gesso as a glaze to allow the first colour to show through. So what do you think of my first try?   Well... I certainly  need to create more to be there.

THE WAY WATER AND PAINT WORK TOGETHER IS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO BEHOLD.

MY FIRST SKETCHES

I don't recall learning how to sketch objects or portraits like the way I was taught recently by a good friend,Sam, who is a very talented artist, graduated from  an Art School in Fine Arts  in UK.

Sam's  ' How to sketch techniques' is basic but  I thoroughly enjoyed her class. I was reminded that sketching is about being loose and bold and not worrying about making mistakes, letting your real feelings come out. The important thing is  to  keep on looking at the object for its form as well as  the different shades and tone.

I tried using charcoal pencil and graphite for my sketches but my preference is charcoal .  It is a wonderful medium for large, bold and expressive works.  I was constantly advised by Sam that the sketches must show subtle grays and fine lines with charcoal.  The kneadable erasers given,  works like a tool for lifting out highlights and for adjusting the tone of a shaded area.  Gentle erasing and reshading can create subtle layers.  I was astounded to find that my sketches slowly progressed with improvements and by the end of my fifth sketch,  it was considered not bad !
Have a look at my progression of sketches using charcoal. All done in my sketch book.
MY FIRST.......

MY SECOND.......

MY THIRD ..... and this piece was commended by Sam that I did let loose, allow the flow.

MY FOURTH.....

It is advisable to fix our charcoal sketches using spray fixative e.g. hairspray
The purpose is to strengthen the drawing and prevent fine dust of charcoal from being lost.
My fifth sketch, I had it coloured, shown under watercolour effect.

My art teacher, Sam, deserves to be praised for her generosity in giving those in need.  The fees collected from our recent art class was donated to T-Ratana Community Centre.  My Sifu Cat who is the Head of the Centre received the cheque on behalf.  THUMBS-UP FOR SAM!!

                                                                                                                                                        

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Mother's Day is celebrated the world over and it is the sweetest events of the year.  It is a day eagerly awaited by us and cherished by our mothers.

I know Mother's Day is two months away  but I need to get my feelings across to my dearest mom now as I will not be in the country by then.  I wish to express my love and say it with flowers.  So I created a canvas piece out from my stash of serviettes.  Here it is.....
"HUGS AND KISSES TO YOU MOM"                                                                                                         

Sprayed with tattered angels glimmer  mists, textured with glass beads and created roses with stencils  using light moldering  paste.  Little bird in crackle paint.

 There isn't a day of the year that you aren't special to me Mom!
                             ~ your daughter, toh ee

                                                  

                                      

      

THE ALTERED BOX

What is it about boxes that appeals to us? Perhaps they remind us of the boxes as children to stash our previous finds.  I can say that boxes are terrific canvases for assemblage and collage.

There is this wooden box I found when unwrapping the Chinese New Year hamper. I wanted to give a new life by altering it using entirely different mediums. I tore out the paper attached to the box, scrape the glue and using the sand paper to abrade the paint.

The hinges that join the lid to the box are removed.  I decided to paint it in a loose brushy style using a mixed colour of gold and green acrylic paint.  This was left to dry overnight.

From my collection of serviettes, I picked a flowery piece, cut out the flowers, peel off the bottom layer and adhere to the surface, the lower lid and the inside of the box using clear glaze medium.
In the hope that I might create something that looked like a used box, the cut out flowers are not flattened out  but intentionally have it textured with crinkles.
When it is dry , the whole box is painted with decoupage varnish for protection.
Have a good look what I have recreated and this is my first altered piece. 

If you are a collector who loves junks and believes in recycling as a lifestyle, you will
transform everyday objects into One-of-a-kind-art!!

QUAN YIN - GODDESS OF MERCY

In Sanskrit, her name is Padma-pani or "Born of the Lotus".
Quan Yin is one of the most universally beloved of deities in the Buddhist tradition.  She is the
embodiment of compassionate loving kindness.
As the Bodhisattva of Compassion, she hears the cries of all beings.  She is truly truly the Goddess of
Mercy.  It is said that a single heartfelt cry of suffering asking  for mercy, she will be there for you.
For those who pray to her will know and I am one of them and she has answered my prayers.

There is a sense of happiness and bliss as I created this piece of artwork of Quanshiyin Pusa. To have the creation taken in front of her figurine symbolizes my devotion and faith in Goddess of Mercy.

Materials used: Light moldering paste, FW acrylic paint, skeleton leaves, dried flowers, coarse pumice gel, levelling gel, swirls chipboard, Claudine Hellmuth semi gloss acrylic paint and the support is canvas.

"OM MANI PADMI HOM"  -  this is the mantra for Quan Yin .

A DAY OF GOOD FUN SCRAPPING

A group of us were invited to scrap and crop at Wendy's newly refurnished craft room. Congrats  Wendy for having a bright , cosy and practical room for making art. Thanks for allowing us to dirty your room and for kindly offering us the usage of your precious embellishments!

Among us, only  a handful are regular scrappers while the rest are still not so into it.  The three of us, Sifu Cat, Wendy and myself  who are 3 artsy - craftsy dabblers are always trying to instill into the minds of our friends that they are as creative.

Dear buddies,  all you need is to bring your curious mind and willing hands and allow that playful impulse to blossom..  We would like to encourage your creativity to flourish.From the several techniques that we have learnt we wish to share and nourish your creativity.  We hope to inspire you to join us more often in our art/scrapping jam sessions. Do not be overwhelmed by the art pieces we shared .  As long as you understood the techniques, you will be able to tweak creative pieces to suit the way your brain works.

Well,  it was a fruitful event yesterday with eight pieces of stunning canvas art created (2 canvases need drying time so not ready as yet) by our quite new scrappers.
Hei, give yourself a pat on the back for your wonderful artwork you proudly brought home. As promised I will feature your works in my blog and here they are.  I will not be spelling out what techniques used as A PICTURE SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS!
Wendy's storage.  Look how neat it can be!

                                                               












Lovely participants except yours truly was photographer.
Emmm..smiling faces, beaming with pride!

Wendy Goh's master piece. Love the color combo!

Mui Lan's 3-D piece, love the play of colours! Chantek!

Lynda, a new comer, not realizing her potential to create.
Her precious photo depicts 5 generations, what a treasure!

Pat's life revolves around kiddo's education, so it was apt she created this cutie
graduation canvas.

Yes Maureen enjoy each moment of your life, explore your identity,
discover your answers and put them onto the canvas. So nice!

"Bonded together". A fabulous modern abstract canvas by Teng.
Stewart Gill's fantasy film put to use beautifully!

This is simply gorgeous, both mum and daughter,created by
Sylvia, our "Diva".  She is certainly a convert now with her
sudden interest in our art classes. Good Sylvia, you'll
never regret but will be thankful!

'Smile and the world will smile with you'.  This is Betty's creation. The theme is by the seashore, with textured sand mixed with acrylic paint and glimmer mist sprayed to fix the sky. 3-D seashell embellishments
ties up everything, 'by the sea'.

I HAVE NO SPECIAL TALENTS, I AM ONLY PASSIONATELY CURIOUS.
                                ~  by Albert Einstein

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM

Your dream is who you are, you should pursue it. Dream gives you a sense of meaning and purpose and drives you on into your chosen future. What you have always been dreaming about, visualize it, define it and then go for it. People say, your dream is the meaning of your life! Agree?

Well.. ..back to art.  This technique to create a cracked surface is interesting as it adds a surprise element and unique quality. Here I used crackle paste of at least 6mm thickness. The thicker the paste the larger the cracks.
The surface of the canvas is painted to emphasize the cracks. Using the palette knife I applied crackle paste in a swirling manner to get crackling all over the surface.  It is left overnight to dry.

The surface is very absorbent and I used a combination of   FW Acrylic Artist ink, in different colours and applied the drop and spray wash techniques.  My aim is to have it in soft pastel to whisper femininity  and also to show the cracks clearly.

An altered image is pinned below a mica.  The mica which gives a transparency image has been dripped with  drops of alcohol ink.  To focus and show more of the cracks, the surface is kept clear and simple. I can imagine painting on cracked surface will be stunning .  Will surely give it a try next.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

"IF YOU HAVE THE EYES OF LOVE, YOU JUST SEE LOVE WHEREVER YOU GO."
                                                                                     By Don Miguel Ruiz

Support is canvas.
Materials used - light moldering paste, coarse pumice gel, FW acrylic artist ink, stencils, crackle paste, glass beads, Claudine Hellmuth semi-gloss acrylic paint and metallic buff.

THE ENLIGHTENED ONE

I have always yearned to instill devotion and faith apart from my daily prayers through my artworks.   Serenity, happiness and peace are the words associated with when one gazes at images or figurines of Buddha. Image of Buddha on rubber stamp is a rare find. Very happy indeed I am able to create this piece and managed to get the colours right in particular the lights surrounding Buddha - Aura.

Support  is canvas.
Materials used - light molding  paste, coarse pumice gel, FW acrylic artist ink, dried flowers, image printed on acetate and Buddha charms.

MY FAMILY

These are precious vintage photos which I shall treasure for years to come....

                                                                         
Mum and Dad's wedding photo, very vintage indeed, and I had it printed in sepia and all scrapped with flowersoft.

"Dad though you are not with us now, but you will always be in our hearts and memories!"

Mum is 85 years now, she is on wheel chair but still cheerful each time I visits her.  

                                                                             My siblings, a vintage photo in sepia.
Photo in UTEE.   A scrap page for my mum on Mother's Day.

CHILDREN OF GAZA

Last year I did a little bit of charity  to make some cards for Bakti to cheer up the poor kids of Gaza.  With my remaining scraps of papers etc... I did some fun stuff hoping that these simple cards will bring a smile on their faces... GOD BLESS THE CHILDREN OF GAZA !!

   

OUR 25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

To commemorate our 25 years of  marriage bliss I created a canvass piece.