Playing with Oil Pastels

I treated myself to some new art supplies last week and they arrived in the mail a couple days ago.  I wanted to try something new, so one of the things I ordered was Pentel Oil Pastels.  I also stopped by my local craft store to pick up some more of my new favorite Canson Mix Media pads (on sale!), and some odorless turpenoid.

 I've had a good time experimenting with my new oil pastels.  The first application was with a mixed media piece.  I had the next spread in my journal already prepped with acrylic paints.  I also had a black and white photo from a 2010 calendar that begged to be cut apart and included.  I discovered that these pastels are a little too transparent for my liking in using on top of acrylics - especially the yellows.  I really thought they would be more opaque.  I did like the way the black and white worked on my spread.

I liked the mystical feel of the spread, but I was eager to start with a white background.  I wanted to experiment with blending multiple colors together and I wanted to see how the turpenoid worked to blend the colors together.

Applied to a white background,  I discovered the colors to be vibrant and easily blended with the turpenoid.  I liked that some of the application marks remained even after blending with the turpenoid.  (Note to self:  brush-up on perspective!)

I continued my experimentation by completing a landscape inspired by a photo I'd taken at Headlands Beach on New Year's Eve.




Headlands Beach Photograph Inspiration





Experimental Journal Page



I don't like it, but I try to show you the good, the bad AND the ugly!  At any rate, I got a better feel for how much turpenoid to use and how thickly or thinly to apply the color.

My final page was this logo I did for my "Messin' With The Masters" series.  I used the pastels without the use of any turpenoid and applied them in short strokes as I imagined Van Gogh might.  I used my fingers to blend a few areas and applied more strokes on top of that.  I had a lot of fun with this project.

So - what's my verdict on the Pentel Oil Pastels?  I'm glad I bought them and I'm happy to have them in my  arsenal of journaling supplies.  I think they're a good value for the money and I think you'll enjoy using them too if you haven't already tried them.

Until we meet again, snuggle in from the cold and remember to "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Thursday's Child

"Thursday's Child" is a new feature that I'm really excited about.  I was thinking about all the wonderful people I've met through "Angelia's Art Journals" over this past 9 months and how much I've learned from each of them.

We all have so much in common, the least of which is creativity.  "Like attracts like", and the evidence that those of us who embrace our creativity eventually find one another through this wondrous Internet is amazing to someone who grew up with rotary phones and transistor radio.

Those of us driven to express ourselves through creativity also share a need to communicate what we have learned with anyone else who will listen.  The need for self expression lives within each of us, and I think that as we discover the value that this expression has in the quality of life, we want everyone to embrace it.

"Thursday's Child" is a way for you to get to know more members of our creative Internet family through interviews.  It's my pleasure to introduce Kelly Watts as my first interview.  You can read Kelly's interview by clicking on the "Thursday's Child" icon to the right of this post.  Thank you, Kelly, for being my first Thursday's Child!

Artwork by Kelly Watts

Thanks to all of you for joining me here on Angelia's Art Journals.  I'm so happy to have you as a member of my creative family.  Until next time, "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Wednesday's Word

I love words. (pun intended!)  Words are the fabric of communication. We toss them about, often times without thought to what we're saying.

"Wednesday's Word" is an exploration of a word and it's meaning; not the Webster's definition, but what the WORD means to you.  "Wednesday's Word" will always be easy to find by clicking on the "Wednesday's Word" icon to the right of this post. 

I hope this feature will be food for thought and an inspiration to you in your creative endeavors.  Until next time, "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Tuesday Tips & Techniques

Today begins my new weekly feature, "Tuesday Tips & Techniques".  I will feature a tip or technique to help you with your own journaling.  I'll be sharing my methods of journaling including tips on color, paint, and my own thought processes. 

You'll always be able to find my tips and techniques easily by clicking on the "Tips and Techniques" icon to the right of this post.  Today's tip is about journals.  Until next time, "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Messin' with the Masters: Klimt

PART ONE

For some inexplicable reason, I became obsessed with the artwork of Gustav Klimt during the Christmas holiday season.  I've admired his work for a long time, and years ago, I created a series of paintings inspired by his style.  At that time, I didn't really "study" his method of painting, so I decided to take a closer look at his compositions.

I found this wonderful website, IKlimt.com, and read about his life, and studied his paintings and drawings. (CAUTION: His drawings contain explicit sex imagery).  It's been said that he was quite a womanizer, but what I saw as I gazed at his paintings, was a respect for women as creatures of great beauty. As I studied the patterns in his work, I suddenly remembered seeing this stunning photograph of the model, Iman, (David Bowie's wife) taken by Mark Seliger for Harper's Bazaar Magazine.

Inspired by this photo of Iman and Klimt's, "Tree of Life", I began my own journal spread in the style of Klimt.

I began with pages that I had coated with paint left over from my previous spread.

First, I roughed in the Iman inspired figure using a medium shade of ultramarine blue.

Then I took ultramarine, red, yellow and white to mix a rich brown.  It had a little too much blue, so I warmed it by adding more red.

I lightly sketched in the tree trunk and a few of the main limbs with a pencil, and then I painted it in with the brown.

I then began adding details to the face and hair. I decided that I didn't like all the yellow, so I toned it down by adding pink to the background.  I used the same red and white that I used for mixing the brown.

I decided that the tree was too dark, so I put a layer of orange on top of it because I knew I would be adding more blue to the spread.  I added the details of the bird and then the flower shapes.

I really enjoyed exploring Klimt's style as a journal spread, but his style is so detailed that I would enjoy this exploration on a larger scale.  I'm thinking I might try a 30" x 40" canvas.  Painting the little flowers in my journal is very tedious, so I haven't quite finished this spread.  I actually started a second Klimt inspired spread to give myself a break from this one.  I will show you this finished spread and the second spread next week in "Part Two.

Until next time, put your records on, pull out those art supplies and "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create"!