I can’t see pictures in clouds across the sky. Can you? One of my kids can make rabbits, volcanos, foxes, anything and everything from the negative and positive shapes created by clouds. I think that’s why I’m having trouble with creating anything from my “for the bin” paint experiments a la Jean Haines. If you don’t know her work, you should check it out. She creates beautiful spontaneous paintings which are quite inspiring.
She encourages playing with paints and water, and considering them “for the bin” or the garbage can. Kind of like a warm up exercise. So far so good. She then takes her bin pieces and makes beautiful art. When I try that, the pieces are DEFINITELY heading for the bin.. LOL. I have a lot of difficulty seeing the bigger picture of a shape, so I can’t go in confidently and put in the darks and other values to make it happen. Instead I’m tentative, create mud, and get discouraged.
So these images are the “before” shots and we won’t even mention what they later became!
I will continue this practice because it teaches me about how certain pigments react with water and or other pigments, but I think I won’t plan on taking them to another level. At least not for now.
So, as with other painting experiments, when they don’t work, I cut them up. Sometimes the are cut into little squares, and in this case circles and I have ideas on creating something with them in the future. We’ll see. In the meantime I like seeing the beauty in these small pieces created from experimentation and sometimes frustration.
I see great beauty in ALL of these! No bin!!!
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thanks Jodi.
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What Jodi said, too. These look wonderful, Rachel. xo
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Super creative exercise, I love your “for the bin” art.
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Thanks Sharon. It was fun to do.
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What Jodi said!
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The salt picture has two dogs sitting looking up. One bright red and one sitting taller, brown with a cute little nose! I see dragons in the sky all the time 🙂
The cling wrap looks very underwatery
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Oh Wendy, if only I could see that! you and J are very good at this. I think the cling wrap does look like underwater plants. I may use these techniques in the middle of other paintings but not to find elements with in them.
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These are all gorgeous, Rachel!! ❤️😃I see a million things in these, but I’m one of those cloud gazers who find images all the time. Hehe… It how I keep myself from getting bored on planes. 😊
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I may need to try that on planes, Charlie. as it is, I just knit to kill the time there. Thanks!
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Ohhhh….knitting is awesome too! When I was a kid, my mom taught me to crochet, but I’ve never tried knitting. Hehe
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Me too…as you know. The circles are great…I see drink coasters!
Karen
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oh that’s an idea, drink coasters. like that!
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I especially like the cling wrap. Art never needs to “be” anything for me. (K)
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It is a cool way to suggest foliage and other things…
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Love how you can find the beauty and positive in your experiments that may not have turned out exactly how you hoped. Thanks for sharing this. ~Rita
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Rita, thanks for commenting and for your encouragement!
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This is a really cool post, Rachel. I think other artists provide us with our “eye candy” and inspire us to love this thing we do called painting in watercolor. It took me a long time to accept that what really excited me was the process and how very versatile our medium can be. …also how many other mediums can be used with it. Watercolors and paper provide the playground for other things to happen. Thank you for the idea of cut up shapes. I know you will create something beautiful with them.
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Leslie, thanks for commenting. I would love to sed what you do with the idea! If you choose…
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thought coasters as soon as i read you were going to “bin” them . 4 to a set, instant one of a kind Art Coasters!
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I would have to get a bigger circle cutter but worth a try! Or collage smaller ones. Coat with sime kind of varnish?
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