Paintings

Hi Everyone! Even though the weather is calling my name to come play outside, a bad cold got hold of me and took me down for days. Feeling better now to share a few napkins that I made, along with a few leaves that I painted, and a download. Hopefully you will be able to use this info to explore your own ideas.

When I visit Joann, I always take a quick look at their small remnant bin for fleece so I can make blankets for my kitties (more on that in the next post). I found a piece of 100% cotton fabric one time and picked it up for a new set of napkins.

I cut 12″ square pieces, then machine stitched all around, 0.5″ from the edges, with matching thread. After that, I stitched the two lines you can see in the picture with a contrasting thread. The first line is 2.5″ and the second one is 3.5″ from the edge. I stitched over each line one more time to make them darker, but not fastidiously. I think the offset stitching gives them a lovely vintage feel.

Then I had a little too much fun pulling threads on each side until I reached the stitched lines around the border.

That’s it! Super easy! I very much like the red and blue threads I used against the cream background. The colors of this set make me think of cozy autumn days.

Autumn Leaves

Free Download Autumn Leaves

If you are looking for a quick project, you can download this set of leaves for free from my shop. I had originally made them for an embroidery project. (The shop does ask for your info as you are placing an order, but please rest assured it is safe and free.)

These are line arts of generous size. You can resize them to your need and use them for so many projects – scrapbooks, greeting cards, applique, and embroidery, or just color them for fun.

This is my painted version in my handmade forest green nature journal.

Playing With Paint

The Dragon And The Tree

As you know from the last post, I like to do a little bit prep work before working on the final painting.

I am working on a new painting for a book cover, so I started trying out different paper and paint for the right look and effect. In other words, playing with paint and paper.

Marker, watercolor, acrylic ink, watercolor ink, I used them all for these leaves to see which I liked best. My only objective was to see the effect of each kind of paint on that paper.

I was going to throw out this first set, but then I thought that if I cut them out, I can use them in my journal. My husband loves these bits and pieces for his journal too. I cut around the shape with a pair of scissors, used a micron pen to add an outline and veins, and they were ready.

Floating Leaves

After that I tested the aforementioned paints on a set of larger leaves. I didn’t worry too much about painting within the lines on this one either. Then before tossing it out, inspired by Japanese and Chinese brush paintings, I started painting brush strokes with no purpose in mind. I used blue mostly because it provided a good contrast against the orange. I got carried away, and the strokes started to resemble water. I ended up keeping it.

My husband got me the two pumpkins when I was sick. Two, because one needs a friend.

All of these finishes started as an attempt to learn or experiment with new ideas. I specially love this time of year because even though the colors are limited, they call me out to explore both indoors and outdoors.

I am feeling a lot better now and I can’t wait to be outside a lot more, collecting ideas. So I will see you in December!

Until next time,
-Soma

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Hello Everyone! Last time I talked about working on a painting. This painting began during a visit to the mountains, although I didn’t know it as such then. It all started with the tree. Then, slowly, a painting formed in my head, accompanied by the beginnings of a story. After a fair amount of prep work, I was ready to paint. After our last visit to the Sierra Mountains, I added the final touches to the picture. The beginning in 2020 and the ending in 2024 both came from the mountains.

During that visit in 2020, I noticed this tree outside the window of our cabin. I drew it in my sketchbook at the time. I was very sure a story would come to me some day, and that this tree would be a part of it. This year, out of nowhere, it appeared – a story about a dragon and the tree.

Once I finished the drawing, I scanned and printed it out so I could color it with color pencils. That gave me a basic idea of what colors I would use and how I would layer the colors.

I did a small watercolor painting before starting the larger one. This was a good way to make sure of the watercolors I would be using on the larger painting.

I love dragons, so I hand made the green book ( handmade clothbound journals in my shop ) for dragon paintings only. This was just the perfect addition to that book.

Once More Unto The Trail

The original painting did not have the background mountains. I added them after my last visit and trek to the Gaylor Lakes in Yosemite High Sierra. The surrounding mountains there inspired me to add mountains to the picture.

Let me just say this out loud – I hate using masking fluid. I avoid using it as much as I can. It can stain the paper, and applying it is not easy either. This time, however, I had no choice. I needed to keep the tree white. Some of the branches are really thin and small. There was no way I could paint around them without staining them with the surrounding colors. I had a mishap with my first prepped picture while applying the masking fluid. It damaged the paper enough that I had no choice but to retrace the drawing on a new sheet and restart.

With both the pencil colored drawing and the small watercolor painting beside me as a reference, I started painting. Since I work by layering, it took me many hours to finish this 8″ x 10″ painting. All the prep work I did really helped.

I do love dragons. I think of them as gentle and solitary creatures. Every story in my Girl and Her Cat story book has at least one dragon in it. Each dragon I draw has its own little story.

Story time

The blue dragon comes to visit this tree once a year, every year. Around that time of the year when mountains are wrapped in solitude, she flies in during the early evening hours. She sits at the shore, and spends the night there longingly looking at the white tree. Once dawn breaks, she flies away, not to be seen for another year.