Birds of Paradise at sunset.
Hi Friends,
A few weeks ago I showed you five white linen scarves that I had scrunch dyed, and that turned out a little brighter than I was expecting.
I put them in a Lipton tea dye bath for a few hours to tone down the colors. They look better, and I did some stamping in white, to add detail.
Now I’m pondering what color of thread I should use for the hand stitching. Should it be a similar color or a complimentary color? Should it be dark or bright? Maybe black or white?
I think the only way I’m going to be able to decide is by trying out variations and seeing what looks best.
I also did a large painting this week that turned out to be somewhat ill-conceived in retrospect. I applied some paint, folded the piece in half to blend the colors, applied more paint in complimentary colors, and added texture using a putty knife. After it had dried a bit, I got disgusted with it and hosed it down, removing a lot of the paint.
This is the result. It’s 36 x 60 inches.
What’s that line running across the upper half? It might be from a fold in the plastic that was underneath the canvas.
I wanted to do something free and spontaneous, and that’s what I got. Except I don’t like it! It’s not all fun and games here in the studio, friends. Especially when I’m trying something new. Sometimes it tries my patience and I have to set things aside for a while and let the ideas percolate.
I’m thinking about what’s next for this painting. Maybe some splatters in complimentary blues and greens. Maybe some painted circles in black or gold. Then perhaps a thin layer of paint covered with plastic sheeting to create a harmonizing texture.
We’ll see what happens! You never know.
What roll does spontaneity play in your life? I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts. You can share them with us in the comments section below.
With love and appreciation,
Cassandra