Studies in Black and White

Sometimes I go into my studio but I don't really want to work on a real painting, I just want to play around with textures and the best way to do that is to just work in black and white. And because I work on cheap paper, I can just use pieces of these exercises in other paintings as collage because the whole idea is to experiment and work with shape, line, texture, contrast, pattern, scale and layering. 

Pluton

Here's another one of my little print makeovers. I named this one "Pluton" inspired by a cutout from an old french astronomy book that belonged to my dad. I use it a lot for collage because it was already ripped apart and stained, so no guilt and I learn something from it everyday! This little excerpt says: "Nous ne savons que fort peu de choses sur cette planète, dont la découverte remonte seulement à 1930. Elle apparaît, dans une lunette, comme une étoile de magnitude 15, de coloration jaunâtre." I think this book is from the 50's, so a little dated. Poor Pluto is not even a planet anymore...

Original print I used as a background for the Pluton painting. I liked it too but it doesn't exist anymore, just like Pluto is not a planet anymore!

Le temps des marguerites

This week's Spoonflower contest calls for a "Flowers for Mom border print". Inspired by my grandmother Lucile, this border print reminded me of her and the kind of bold and cheery prints she really liked. I could just imagine her in her bright and sunny kitchen wearing a flirty little apron she made with this very fabric. She was an amazing seamstress and would make clothes for my mom and everybody. She had the greatest laugh and her house smelled of fresh flowers and clean linens. I would just love going there as a little girl and watch her transform a piece of fabric into a gorgeous and fashionable item for one lucky family member. You can see all the border prints for this week's contest and vote here! Thank you for your support! Happy early Mother's Day!

Un oeuf bleu

Monoprint makeover | Un oeuf bleu (A blue egg)

Here's another gelli print makeover. I love little oval shape stacks, they remind me of the rock stacks sculpture that people make on the beach. I started with the print below that I felt was a little messy but I really liked all the layers and the colors and the gold paint on top. So I isolated some areas and quieted down some others to create a focal point and a more interesting composition. I am trying to do one of these every week. I just love spending time in my studio, it's so cozy in there! I call it: "Lucie's Little Print Shop!

Failed print used as a start for "Un oeuf bleu".

Print makeovers

La mesure du temps | Mixed Media Print Makeover 

My favorite technique lately is monoprinting with a gel plate. It's a really fast and hard to control process and that's why it's so much fun to do. And of course, sometimes the results are awesome and sometimes, not too awesome. You win a few, you lose a few. I have a big stash of failed prints and I have been using them for "Print makeovers".  At the top you see the finished piece and below you see the failed print I started from. I basically add paint, texture and collage until I like it. Vive le recyclage!

Failed print used as a start for "La mesure du temps".

Busy and Quiet Space

I named this painting: Party Fish! After somebody in class said it reminded her of an elegant dinner party with party fish swimming around under the floor. I want to go to that party!

There are all starts using old gelli prints that I will finish later. But kind of fun just like this.

In lesson 8, we’re exploring the contrast or balance between busy, active areas and quiet areas. We had to aim for the following distribution: 25% busy, about 25% transitional area and at least 50% quiet space. I used some old gelli plate prints that were pretty messy and added collage to them,  trying to turn something bad into something interesting. "Party Fish" was so hopeless for so long that I almost gave up on it. The more I was trying to save it, the worst it became and then I had nothing to lose so I ended up painting over the only parts that I actually liked and then it started turning around. I see Jane do this all the time, but it's hard for me to "kill my darlings" like she says. Sometimes you hold on to things you should just let go. But that doesn't mean that you are giving up!

Paint Improvisation

I am finally getting back to posting about Jane's class. This is from lesson 6 of the 100 Drawings on Cheap Paper online class. This exercise was about maximum variety. We had to do the quadrant test: divide our piece into four equal parts, visually, and see if each quadrant looked substantially different in terms of line, shape, pattern and color, but also technique and material. Apparently, I can't get away from circles, or like Jane calls them: donuts. I am addicted to donuts, I will try to branch out in the next series of exercises. But I just loved painting and experimenting at the same time. I used Caran d'Ache neocolor crayons on top of painted areas, kind of tone on tone and then buffed the whole area with an alcohol wipe, then I added more crayon on the top until I liked the effect and texture. Added a lot of dimension but it's hard to see on the picture. Fun exercise and definitely a great way to loosen up.