Soo.. I promise some videos are coming! As you know, we have moved out to a new house.. (the new old house).. and with moving into a "older" home and out in the country.. we are experiencing some technical difficulties with our internet! SWEEET!! lol.
We have internet out in our warehouse.. which is on the back of our property.. and we thought we could just use it in our house as well. All connect into the same line. BUT it appears that while we can (and it's even a hard line into the wall???).. it is super sketchy and cuts out ALL the time! We only get wireless in ONE room of our house.. and so yea it's a pain right now. My problem is, I can't seem to get a connection in my office (which off of my bedroom) to last long enough to upload a entire video.. SOO we are working on that! Hopefully it will be fixed THIS week!
In the MEANTIME.. I thought it would be fun to share a little art project I did a few weeks ago, at the art retreat I hosted here at my house! While I LOVE painting girls (and they are my first love).. I also really love creating what I call Abstract art. it's probably not so abstract.. but you know.. I like to make up words to mean what I need them to mean lol. SO to me I call them abstract :).
There are a couple of things I love about painting with this technique.. one.. i can paint REALLY large and it doesn't intimidate me!
This painting is a 3' by 4' deep edge canvas. Not the largest I have created.. but still SUPER fun!
The other thing I LOVE about painting this way is that it involves creating a TON with the background.. and usually on a girl, you have to stop at a certain point and go.. okay this is enough.. if I do anymore, it will be WAY too busy.
But with this background, you can keep going and going.. adding more detail and more layers and more depth.. because for ME (and I know there are a lot of artists who paint this way and don't like to add the detail as much as I do).. but for me.. oh goodness I love all the little pockets of goodness that shine through..after the painting is done.
What I also love is that I don't really need to know before hand what it is I am going to create in the final project!! It could be flowers, it could be a large sun, it could be a large symbol of some sort (like a butterfly or a heart with wings).
here, after I was done playing and having fun with the background, i decided to go with a sort of flower look with fun little stems and words coming off the stems.
really the ideas are endless with this method. I know with some people, they like to look at the background and see what the background looks like and create shapes based on what they see.. but for me.. I really like just creating designs that make me happy!
It's a really fun way of painting, that doesn't require a whole lot of thought process in the beginning. It's just fun and relaxing and honestly a way to just relax when you are stuck on a more structured painting like a girl or a house or something else.
I also LOVE using spray paint and stencils with this background method.. even modeling paste. Its like taking all the things i do with a regular background for a girl and magnifying it times 10! it's backgrounds on crack lol. and it's SUPER fun.
Of course I LOVE the end process as well, not only coming up with the designing but going back in and adding details with rubons, and stamps, and my trust Scarlet Lime Doodle pen (um hello.. i can't resist using those on a canvas).
this little cutie is heading on it's way to a dear friend, Liz Eaton, who was responsible for gathering her sisters and mom to come to the retreat. Those girls were SO much fun and when I got done with it. I KNEW it had to be hers.. so I am sending it to her this week! Which is great because it makes room for me to paint another one for my house or art studio!
They honestly make awesome gifts for friends and family. NO one expects it and its so personal and different! Unique in every way!
So.. I just thought I would share this with you!
I plan on doing an online workshop this fall .. so watch for it! AND SPEAKING of online workshops I have two I will be announcing SOON! One that starts in just a few weeks.. and it's something different, something fun.. something SUPER hot right now.. (it has to do with Chalk.. and hand lettering.. and even a SPIN on canvas! ) Oh you are going to LOVE it! I will be announcing it NEXT monday!
Hope you have a HAPPY tuesdsay!
xxoxo
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO pretty!!! Love it!
Posted by: Kelly W. | August 03, 2013 at 03:36 PM
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this and I'm totally going to try this!!!!! Thanks for the inspiration!
Posted by: Jen Clark | August 01, 2013 at 04:40 PM
Hi Christy ~ Another beautiful work of art by you!
I took your She Art Workshop a couple of years ago and have been so inspired by you and your work! My sister-in-law recently asked me to make a canvas for her husband and it was a stretch for me to do a canvas in a masculine theme, but I really liked how it turned out. I'd love for you to see it, if you have the time.
Thanks so much for your crazy good inspiration! I'm a big fan of your artwork, and I really appreciate that you share it the way you do.
My post for my brother-in-law's canvas is here: http://paperturtle.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-man-and-mountains.html
:o) Thanks, Christy!
~ Deb
Posted by: Deb @ PaperTurtle | August 01, 2013 at 06:51 AM
First, I got all my goodies yesterday that I ordered from your sale.......fun mail, lovelovelove it! Second, girl.....teach this class. I will be the first to sign up. This is something different yet still so you and I for one, would be thrilled if you offered a class similar to this. And, then, include how on earth you manage to do ALL that you do. It's got to be a magic pill and you need to share! Lol.
New classes moving.....you have my attention.....I am eager and ready to roll with you! Keep up the awesome, incredible, fantastic, work!!!
Posted by: Jeanie | July 31, 2013 at 06:32 AM
LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! I was just going to comment and beg for you to do a class on this! So excited for that this fall! thanks for the inspiration!!
Posted by: Angie Murray | July 30, 2013 at 07:22 PM
Awesome Christy. And I can't wait to hear about your new classes.
Posted by: Tammy M | July 30, 2013 at 07:01 PM
I love making layers. It's quite a meditative process I think.
Posted by: Sharyn | July 30, 2013 at 06:42 PM
I can't wait to see what you have in store...exciting!!! Love this canvas...so fun and creative:))
Posted by: Yvette Morgan | July 30, 2013 at 05:01 PM
Christy I love your talent and the way that you encourage the beginners like me. I discovered you a little late for some of your kits I really like, March 2012, for example. I am waiting for your new workshop
Posted by: Maria | July 30, 2013 at 04:23 PM
I really love it Christy. Reminds me of doing the crayon scratch art work when I was a kid, making tons of crazy designs and color with crayons ,then over coating that with black crayon and then scratching the colors underneath to pop out. I just love you and your art work!
Posted by: robin dudleyhowes | July 30, 2013 at 03:51 PM
Awesome! Soooo love it! I have Fibro and a crap load of other things as well, and this looks like a very relaxing project. Interested in the class details :-)
Posted by: Dawn B | July 30, 2013 at 03:42 PM
I LOVE the abstractness of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Posted by: logan wilhelm | July 30, 2013 at 03:28 PM
Hi I am new here! My name is Jackie and I just love your work Christy I look forward to your blogs and workshop! Have to ask was that a white pen? What kind as well as did u paint it black or did it come in black? I think I can use this in my art journals so beautiful is your work!
Thank you ever so much
Jackie, empty nest mom
Posted by: Jackie | July 30, 2013 at 03:20 PM
Gorrrrgeous..already a huge fan off your work Christy!!
Hugs
Tracy
Xxx
Posted by: Tracy | July 30, 2013 at 02:45 PM
Love it... Did the black come after all the colors?
Posted by: Sally Penning | July 30, 2013 at 02:26 PM
Love this- thanks for sharing. Can't wait to hear what the new workshops will be!
Posted by: Liz | July 30, 2013 at 02:17 PM
Christy, your God-given talent is boundless. I have been tremendously blessed by the classes I've taken from you. So excited for the new classes!
Posted by: Lucie Hale | July 30, 2013 at 02:08 PM
It's very Beautiful Christy!
Posted by: Kim Evans | July 30, 2013 at 01:52 PM
Love this!
Posted by: Molly Alexander | July 30, 2013 at 01:26 PM
Have to give this a try. I like layers all the way. The black background just shouts out for more paint. TFS
Posted by: Barb | July 30, 2013 at 01:16 PM