Tag: painting

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Getting My Groove Back

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve done more painting than I probably did during the whole of last year.

There were lots of reasons for it including work (my day job is teaching) as well as some difficult things I was going through. I just wasn’t in the mood to paint, and when I did give it a go I wasn’t happy with the results.

For one reason or another, I seem to have gotten my ‘groove’ back, and have lots of new ideas for paintings running around in my head.  I’ve decided to finish off any unfinished work before I get to the new stuff.

You might remember a while back that I started a commission for some friends of mine.  The challenge was to create a large acrylic on canvas version of my painting Colours of Nature.  Well, I finally finished it!  All those little swirls took quite a while but I’m very happy with the result.  I can’t wait to see it hanging up!

Rainbow Trees - Acrylic on Canvas painting by Kirsten Bailey

After finishing this painting I felt such a sense of accomplishment, I wanted to do more!

First I painted this one, which I’m calling “Rainbow on a Cloudy Day”.  It’s a LOT smaller than the one above – it’s only 4″ x 6″.  It can stand up on its own so can be put on a shelf instead of hung on the wall.

Rainbow on a Cloudy Day - Original acrylic on canvas painting by Kirsten Bailey

After completing this one I really wanted to have a go at some other new ideas in my head (and play with some new paints) but I thought I should finish off some unfinished work.  So…

Evening Bloom - mixed media on canvas painting by Kirsten Bailey

I finished this one, which has been sitting and waiting patiently for more than a year for some attention.  Well, it’s nearly finished anyway – all I have to do is spray on a coat of sealant and it’s done.  I have done many watercolour paintings in this style, but it was a challenge to create the same effect with a canvas!  I’m eager to try to do more like this.

Finally, I also finished this painting:

Golden Autumn - Watercolour painting by Kirsten Bailey

There was really no excuse for not getting this painting finished earlier, as all that was left to do was the tree trunks and branches – all of the detail work in the swirls was already finished.  I’m very happy with how it turned out in the end!

Hopefully I will be able to keep you up-to-date with lots of new work in the future!

 

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And Spring Arose…

I recently ordered from Etsy a set of vintage book pages:

According to the seller they are from 1889 and 1899, so I was very excited to receive them in beautiful condition!

I finished my first artwork featuring one of these vintage pictures today.  The title “And Spring Arose” was inspired by the following poem:

And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Sensitive Plant”

And Spring Arose - original watercolour and collage by Kirsten Bailey
And Spring Arose

I really enjoyed working on this piece, and I look forward to seeing what I can come up with for the other pictures.

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Yesterday’s Market

I was very grateful yesterday when the overcast sky managed to hold back the rain for The Handmade Expo.

It was a quiet market for me this month, but I really enjoyed meeting the new people who came along to have a look at my little stall, and of course enjoyed seeing my regular visitors.  Many thanks to all of you who stopped by and said hello!

I won’t be at the next Handmade Expo in October, but I’ll be there in November and December – perfect timing for those wanting to grab some Christmas presents!

Me with my newest painting at The Handmade Expo

I’m now enjoying a break from my day job (school holidays!) so I intend to get lots of painting done!  I’m working on a couple of commissioned paintings, so I’ll keep you up to date with the progress of them.

P.S. I’m wearing my brand new Kellie Christie necklace in this pic – I can never resist going and spending my profits at other people’s stalls when I’m at The Handmade Expo (even on days like yesterday when the profits are non-existent)!

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Illustration Friday – Proverb

This week’s topic over at Illustration Friday is “Proverb”.

I slacked off last week and didn’t post anything for the “dessert” topic, but I’ve definitely made up for it this week! (Actually I did create something for the dessert theme but wasn’t happy with it so didn’t post it.)

I went a little nuts with this theme, and created not one but 5 paintings!  I’m thinking of doing a few more and making a calendar of proverb paintings.  What do you think?

From Little Acorns - Original Watercolour painting by Kirsten Bailey
Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder - Original watercolor painting by Kirsten Bailey
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Where You are Planted - Original watercolour painting by Kirsten Bailey
Bloom Where You are Planted
Spice of Life - Original watercolour painting by Kirsten Bailey
Variety is the Spice of Life
Sunshine and Rainbows - original watercolour painting by Kirsten Bailey
It Takes Both Rain and Sunshine to Make Rainbows

I hand-wrote the proverbs onto the paintings after the paint had dried, using black ink and a calligraphy pen – one of the old fashioned ones that you dip in the ink.  I was very relieved not to have any major ink-blot mishaps on the paintings (although I got lots of ink on my fingers)!

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Work in Progress…

I recently started work on a new canvas piece.  I was hoping it would be ready for last week’s Handmade Expo, but the details are taking a while to do!

Here’s what it looks like so far:

KL Bailey Art - Canvas work in progress

Eventually it will be a painting of three of my swirly trees in Autumn colours.  Usually I do this style of painting on a small scale in watercolours, but this one is a larger canvas painting (20″ x 24″).

You can see I’ve started the swirls on the left hand side tree – eventually all the trees will be covered in swirls.  I’m also using a textured gold glass paint on this painting.  I will add the trunks and branches of the trees last.

I haven’t thought of a title for this painting yet – any ideas?

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Illustration Friday – Atmosphere

Here’s my submission for this week’s Illustration Friday topic, ‘Atmosphere’.  For once I’ve taken the topic very literally, and I’ve painted a picture of the Earth’s atmosphere:

Atmosphere - original watercolor painting by Kirsten Bailey

The weekend just past was super-busy for me.  I had a stall at The Handmade Expo, which was great fun as always.  We had a great turn out this month with people out and about voting.  A big thank you to all those who stopped by my little stall!  After the Expo we visited family and then the next day attended a birthday party.

With a weekend like that, I was very pleased to be able to get a few evenings to myself to get some painting done!  Of course, sleep is overrated 🙂

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Illustration Friday – Star Gazing

I was delighted to discover that this week’s challenge over at Illustration Friday is “Star Gazing”.   I was recently requested to paint something similar to my “When it is Dark Enough” painting, and was part way through it when I found out about this topic.

Here’s the finished product – I’ve titled it “The Stargazers”:

The Stargazers - Original watercolour painting by Kirsten Bailey

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Field of Hope

I think you’d be hard pressed these days to find someone whose life hasn’t been touched by cancer.  I myself have lost family members to cancer, which is one of the reasons why I’m honoured to be participating in a ‘Crop for Cancer’ scrapbooking day next Sunday.

I’m able to combine my love of art with my love of scrapbooking to help raise money for the Cancer Council, in the name of a dearly departed ‘Scrappin’ Sister’ who lost her battle with cancer more than a year ago.  Last year’s charity scrapbooking day raised $1093, and we’d like to top that this year.

To that end, I’m delighted to donate a painting which will be raffled off on the day.  I’ve titled it Field of Hope, and included the daffodils which are the symbol of the Cancer Council.  It’s my representation of hope for a cure.

Field of Hope - Original Watercolour painting by Kirsten Bailey
Field of Hope

If you would like to make a donation to the Cancer Council, you can do so via their website.