Tag knife

Wedges and Blades

mayhewjnm 1 Comment

I’m really enjoying experimenting with these great tools, especially the mini-blades with handles. They are like flexible palette knives and the feeling is very liberating. I can mix and scrape right on the canvas and create all sorts of effects that a brush would not do.

This small acrylic painting (6×8 in) is a study for a larger painting. My daughter was trying on her first real ballet outfit, twirling around the room, and caught sight of herself in the sliding glass door. Her pose caught my eye.  What was going through her mind?

I loved how the blades made the tulle of the tutu. The rest of the study was done with brushes.

Plein Air II

mayhewjnm 1 Comment

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Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 6 x 6 in

My second attempt! On this occasion our family went to a local park and the other members played disc golf while I painted, from a picnic table.

I was experimenting with using a palette or painting knife. It was fun and rather freeing! It brings different expectations.  I also really enjoyed scraping out with the knife.

At first I tried to capture the sun setting behind the trees, casting lovely shadows and golden patterns on the grass. Then I tried to paint the sunset before it disappeared. It really seemed to be moving fast!

I like the sky painting better. It seems almost abstract and yet I know what it is.

(I should not have left the date setting on on my camera! I know now to remember to remove it for paintings.)