I can’t believe I haven’t shared this on my blog!!! I posted it on Instagram and Facebook but totally forgot to share it here… how could I do such a thing?

Its been a busy time and there is always so much on my mind, I think my brain is just overloaded. The renovation, being there for mom, worrying about finances and decisions about my future, my dreams vs reality, and my art and the need to find ways to make it work for me financially as well as emotionally.

So much to think about, but perhaps that’s a post for another day. Right now, its just an explanation how something as simple as sharing something I love as much as this can slip my mind!

So, without further ado, here is ‘cat on a chair’…

This is a large piece, almost a meter high, much bigger than anything I’ve ever attempted before in acrylic. I’m not currently on Paros, so can’t give exact measurements. I used a recycled canvas of some kitch island art destined for the trash, which unfortunately had some tactile elements, so the first thing I did was to eliminate that texture by covering the surface with vintage book pages.

This achieved two things – it covered the previous work and provided me with a textured background which suited the crumbly plaster wall I intended to paint. Plus it added in a mixed media element which also played into the recycled aspect of my work.

In some areas of the painting I allowed the type to show through because I like the effect.

In other areas I used the texture of the book pages to create the feeling of a weathered old wall, showing cracks and chunks of missing plaster.

In other parts, I worked to create the patina of an old wall, with the faded colour and accumulated grime of years.

In order to create the texture of the wall, I used paint, water, a sponge and anything I felt would give me the effect I was after.

For the chair and the cat, I had to add more detail and form, so I used a brush as well as a palette knife. Its nowhere near the kind of detail I normally put in my work (despite spending years combating my tendency towards perfect imitation of life) and I am really pleased with the result. I’ve always admired artists who can paint something so real without actually describing it in detail. The impression of detail is enough, our mind fills in the rest.

You can see brush strokes, palette knife marks in areas. So unlike most of my work where I tend to blend more, leaving fewer visible marks.

This is the first in a series I am working on using similar techniques and experimenting with ways to prepare a surface and apply paint. I will share another finished piece soon.

I’m really enjoying working this way. Its so different from my small watercolours on marble or even my pastel animal portraits. Its like a challenge to be more of what I can be… like maybe even a REAL artist.

z