Hanging New Art for Spring

I've started Spring cleaning and thought it was time to change the art hanging around the house.  It's always nice to look at something different, and also to change themes and colors for the seasons.

I also finished the piece I did around my Dad's signature. I like the way it came out and it does reflect things my Dad loved.

Here are some of the pieces I hung today.  There's a flower theme, faces theme, and lots of bright colors.

I didn't even realize how much I liked some of these paintings until I framed and hung them!

A Special and Personal Painting

My Dad had a very distinctive and artistic signature.  I practiced copying it for years, not to use it, but because it was so unique.  Since he passed away, I've wanted to make a painting incorporating his signature and I've finally gotten around to it.  It's not finished yet, but I'll show the start and where it is now.  A 20"x20" stretched canvas, acrylic paints, matte medium, water, and a tiny bit of modeling paste for the signature.

A Few Days Worth of Paintings

A sort of abstract watercolor

Went with a friend to her watercolor class and this is what I did

Acrylic on canvas board, untitled

Flowers on a Rainy Day, acrylic on Bristol paper

Experiments in Watercolor

Watercolor was the first medium I ever used, many years ago.  When I get 'stuck' in other mediums, I go back to watercolor and play around.  I'm trying to learn how to be looser, and while this doesn't quite get there, I do like it a little.

'Ave'

I finally used my new mural brushes, and they do make painting larger abstracts much easier.  As does using matte medium.

While I was painting this, I was listening to the Fantasia soundtrack, and while I finished the painting, the track 'Ave Maria' was playing.  The painting reminds me of that scene in the movie, hence the title.

The painting hasn't been varnished yet.

'A Day in the Park'

Acrylic on canvas

Sometimes I Don't Like It

This piece was something else, and I wasn't happy with it, so I put a lot of paint down and then scraped it.  I'm not sure if I think it's ugly, or it says something.  Those are the times I need feedback from others.

Untitled, acrylic on canvas

Celestial Abstract

Untitled, acrylic on canvas

Flowers

Untitled, acrylic on stretched canvas

'The Dance'

Finished this piece.  Acrylic on stretched canvas.  Can be hung four ways.

Presto Chango!

Learning is a good thing.  Reading blogs and watching YouTube videos produced by other artists is a great tool for learning tips and techniques.  However, sometimes, my head gets so filled with another artist's style and techniques, that I forget my own flow, and create pieces I'm not happy with.

Such was this case with this piece I created yesterday.  I was trying to follow another artist's suggestions and when I was done I really wasn't happy with it at all.  It's wasn't good, and it wasn't 'me'.

So today, I decided to paint over it, using it as a backdrop.  At first, my head was still filled with all the other artist's information and it wasn't going well.  Then I stopped and went on auto pilot.  I let go and did it my way.  Only then did I see improvement, and I'm much more pleased with how it's turning out. I think I want to add some more red, maybe something else...

My point is, that while educating yourself on other artist's methods can prove to be helpful, it's probably best to just let that information sink in, take a break, then when you do start a painting, do it YOUR way.  Whatever you need from what you've been exposed to will work its way in to your style.

'Acid Rain'

Acrylic on canvas board