Plymouth Rockers...

Plymouth Rockers     acrylic on tin

I'm just a little infatuated with chickens...and painting on salvaged tin!  Here are two more chicks, Barred Plymouth Rock variety, on a long narrow piece of roofing tin.  After cleaning the tin I coat it with a clear gesso which helps the paint adhere for the long term.  Then I have some fun.    The grey color of the tin makes it a little hard for an amateur to photograph but the colors come through nicely on the original.  I have a couple more pieces that I will be working on...perhaps of some other subjects! 

 

My son raised chickens during high school and I never thought I would say that I now miss them.  But I actually loved gathering and eating the eggs...the work part was his responsibility!  Just in case you wondered, the breed above is supposed to be good "layers." And if they are anything at all like the chickens we had in the backyard, once they lay an egg they make all kind of noise advertising the fact! 

 

If this looks like a piece for your kitchen just send me an email!

 

 

 

 

More Clucking Around

It's so hard to stay focused at this time of year!  Like a kid I run from one project to another barely finishing one before another beckons.  Not to mention the cookies that seem to call my name no matter where I hide (or hide them)...so many treats of the season to pack into a whirling 25 days.
So I wanted something purely fun on the easel or I would find excuses to leave the brushes dry.  Enter once again Brave Betty and Annie with the antics we captured on film.

Clucking Around

 

Since this is in acrylic I can pop into the studio, add a few feathers, swish out the brush, run to wrap a gift, eat a cookie and then repeat.  As I "know" these fine chicks (i.e. have painted them previously) they are not too difficult to render again.  The perfect formula for pleasurable work.

 

This is a large piece of ceiling tin, 24 x 24, that I won't need to frame (no really sharp edges) so it adds to the fun knowing there are no real "rules".  It's the level of engagement this season calls for.   I guess I should point out, however, that the really difficult part of this piece was done months ago: the surface prepartion.  The tin was painted cream along with a few other tints and while much had flaked off, the rest was removed by yours truely.  The surface was then sanded and gessoed so the paint would adhere.  It helps to do this kind of messy work in mass, prepping several surfaces to be enjoyed later on.

 

Ooops, gotta run, there is some homemade shortbread downstairs and I swear it is calling my name!

 

 

One Photo = Many Paintings

My friend Patti the potter has chickens behind her studio and all of them have names and stories and personality.  This fall I took my painting gang to visit Patti and after a lovely studio chat we ventured into the rain to see the chicks.  This is a photo taken by Donna through the fencing of Brave Betty and Annie.  Don't they look like models coming down the runway wearing the latest in chic fashion?

With Donna's permission I used the photo to launch a couple paintings.

Chicks with Attitude

12 x 12 x 2   gesso, acrylic and oil on board

 

 

I had a recycled board covered with black gesso and decided to have some fun.  What you don't see in this photo is that when all done I plugged a couple of screw holes on either side of the 2" cradle with porcelain knobs...because the screws fit?  But, hey, it's a great place to hang dish towels to dry!

 

 

Annie & Brave Betty Strut Their Stuff

27 x 9  gesso, acrylic, colored pencil, china marker on tin

 

 

Somewhere I had picked up a couple pieces of tin roofing and once again decided to play around with my (Patti's) chickens.  Same photo, but totally different interpretation.  It has taken me years to realize that I do not have to be a slave to the photo...as the artist I am in control and can do whatever I please.  After all, had I not shared the photo you would not know that other chicks and piles of straw were even in the shot.  True liberation comes too late in life!

p.s. I do not know if the version of text you receive has the words "knobs" and "roofing" double underscored?  If so, these are NOT my inserted links....apparently blogger is finding words to link up paid advertisers.  Not a lot I can do about this.  My links will not be double underlined.  I'll try to learn more...thanks for understanding.

Tractors on Tin

One of the interesting parts of working in "mixed media" is that you are "allowed" to mix it up and try new combinations of paints, pencils, supports and so on.  I've seen some work done on galvanized aluminum and perhaps some tin but never questioned anyone on the process or the materials used.  Thus I could hardly resist when I came across some small tin pieces (probably used in a kitchen backsplash) in a "treasure" store.  I bought two and stuck them away for a bit.  Recently I needed a change so I fished them out and went to work on the layers of rust and dirt covering them.

I soon realized that only a miracle would return them to their once shiney state and decided I would just have to work with the rust and the color it made once smeared around with paint striper.  Having recently drawn old tractors I figured that these would be appropriate subject matter for the surface. 
After stabiling the surface I drew my tractor on.  Remember that dark rusty color?  Well, it definitely affects the ability to use color in the drawing.  Most of the work is done with colored pencils.

 

The photo does not do the surface justice as the camera did not register the color differeniation very well.  The piece is about 9" high by 12" wide and a bit sharp on the edges.

 

The top is a "Farmall Cub" and the bottom is labeled "International" which I assume became International Harvester.  Here are some details:

Not everybody's cup of tea but I certainly enjoyed tackling a new surface with the challenge of materials choice and surface prep.  In fact, I have two much, much larger tins in the works (old ceiling tiles I suspect) and one more "on order."  Guess I like to run out all the possibilities of combos before moving on.  Stay tuned for the others...they are different in subject matter and approach.