paint with tempera paint and on copy paper. Morgan Harper Nichols had this amazing video on abstract strokes and fear. I can’t paint on canvas either. I fear I’ll mess up. I can’t afford to go through canvases like I do paper. It’s been a week since I’ve painted. I had to paint.
My goal is to paint better roses. I love roses. Like the other night, I found this artist on Instagram. I too want to pick up the brush, lather up the paint, mix tones and have my roses bloom before my eyes.
Here’s a few notables:
1. Paint the petals using curved lines. When the paint is almost dry use a moist brush to spread the paint over the white space.
2. A round flat brush gives you good texture.
3. You can layer with a light color and then add details with a darker color.
4. Each petal line begins thin, wide and ends thin. Vary the starting points of these lines.
5. The petal lines are small and get bigger as you move away from the stigma of the flower.
I like the shape and petals of 2,3 and 4. Am I wanting to paint an exact rose? Like the roses on my walks? No. I want roses expressive of how nature makes me feel. I want color. I want texture. In a world of classes and social norms, I can always revel in a rose. I can always carry my thoughts to the moon and the stars.
My paper collage flowers have been wonderful but that’s tomorrow’s post.
Siempre,
Mireya
an art journal of an expressionistic spirit 