Picasso

Hi eP friends, Micki here to share what may very well be my first Picasso inspired art piece!

I can not take all the credit folks!  I have been in a creative slump, possibly because it’s summer and we have been fortunate here in eastern Kansas to have some wonderful summer weather with only a couple of days of hot and humid temperatures sprinkled in.  A couple of months ago, my oldest granddaughter spend a Saturday with me in my art room.  I showed her how to create background prints using just paint, brayer, some sprays and of course paper. 
(Gelli Plate is on the agenda next time )

I just put all the paints on the table and let her have at it.  She amazed me with some of her color combos.  Of course several sheets were not as pretty, but still.  The background sheets have been hanging on my wall and I kept staring at this one:

I turned it every which way and brought it, along with my Stabilo All pencils downstairs in front of the TV.  It seems that in front of the TV I don’t put that subconscious pressure to create a masterpiece on myself because before I knew it (muse and mojo missing) the outline of this face appeared.  The next evening I ventured into my art room, intent on finishing the face. 
White gesso was added around the face.  Didn’t like it, stepped away for a little while and upon returning used a baby wipe to remove the now partially dry gesso.  (I’m so sorry about not taking “in process” photos – I was just ecstatic that I was creating.)  Surprisingly, most of the gesso came off.  Next I activated the black pencil outline and decided to go try Dina Wakley’s Black Gesso.  I liked it but I still wanted some of the under layer to show through.  Baby wipes to the rescue.  I dabbed or swiped with the baby wipe until I was happy.  Then using Ranger Inkssentials Craft Scrapper and Tonic Studio’s Retractable Craft Pick, I created doodles and marks into the still slightly wet black gesso.

With the background finished, I concentrated on adding some features to my Picasso.  I used Faber-Castell Gelatos, distributing them with my fingers, then coming back with a brush and Dina Wakley’s Heavy Body Acrylic White paint to mix it in which gave everything a different tint.  The cheeks were really red before I mixed the white paint with the red gelato.  I liked that effect so much that I did it pretty much everywhere I had added paint (hat, bottom of nose, above lips and chin).

I love how Emma’s brayered background still shows through, even through the black.  And I definitely love the different shading achieved by adding heavy body white paint to other paints and mediums.

 I am sorry about not having step-out pictures, but I hope you were still inspired to create using minimal tools and to get your kids and or grandkids involved.  Watching Emma brayer and spritz paint and ink, not worrying about color combinations or creating "mudd", was truly liberating for me.
Emma came over last night.  After showing her my "Picasso" and asking what she thought (she loved it), I told her that I stole one of her backgrounds.  Her eyes went wide and she had to take another look.  Thankfully she wasn't to upset with her 'nana' for altering one of her background master pieces!
And as for my "Picasso", well, he is kind of growing on me!

Supplies Used:

InLinkz.com