December Work In Progress

I hope everyone is having a great December. With Christmas past, the new year is right around the corner. With a new year, comes new projects. A few pieces I've been working on now are for a show in January.

I wanted to work directly on a wooden surface for these pieces. The bleeding of colors works differently when working from paper to wood. There's more drips and stains to experiment with and if you know me, I love experimenting with different art techniques.

After I gave my surface a couple gesso layers, I used watercolor to mark where I wanted my shapes to go, and then used gouache to get my rich dark colors for a second layer of paint. Neither pieces are in their final stages yet. There's still much to be done, but by January, they will be finished and ready for exhibition!

To keep up to date about my work throughout the month, head over to my About page to sign up for my artist email newsletter. It's free and fun :)

I use gesso to cover the surface of my painting first so that the colors will not soak into the wood.

Watercolor is a great way for me to lay out my composition. Once that dries, I either go back with more watercolor, or start the gouache stages.

Gouache is applied over the watercolor to deepen and darken the colors I am looking for. At this point, I am almost at the midpoint of the painting. Many more layers of gouache, possibly acrylic and pastels will be added to finish this piece.

Christmas at Suskie

The holidays are coming up fast and tis' the season for gift giving. What better way to capture the holiday spirit then by creating ornaments for a Christmas tree? I recently designed three characters (a snowman, penguin, and Santa) for a very uniquely original ornament. My Shoehorn Ornaments are all lovingly hand-painted and finished with a red ribbon. I wanted to create a gift that was special to me and that I could share with others. I like re-imagining items from their original purpose to then utilize them in a whole new manner (proof that I watch too much of the HGTV show Flea Market Flip, but I digress.) So, when I had the opportunity to paint on a few shoehorns, I realized their higher potential. 

Ornaments are sold separately, but there is a deal for the set of three. A limited amount are available, so if you know someone who would love these or want one for yourself, make sure to order yours soon and before the Christmas chaos.

More information about my Shoehorn Ornaments and where you can purchase them is at Suskie.etsy.com.