Tag Archives: Acrylic on Paper

Impressions of Ireland

I have been going through all of the images that my partner Tim Anderson took while we were in Ireland. It helps that he is a professional photographer. He did all of the work, I just soaked up what I was seeing a experiencing. With every photo I am taken back to that spot and the way I felt while being there.

Photo by Tim Anderson of the Atlantic

Although there were indeed 40 shades of green, we spent much of our time on the west coast near the Atlantic so there were also many shades of blue. I have seen the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic, but the waters on the Irish Atlantic were very vivid and distinct.

Ann Hart Marquis-Painting sketch, acrylic on paper.

There were also shades of red and orange and tones of violet. Those colors were lovely also, but they didn’t impact me like the blues and greens.

I saw many places like stone circles and standing stones and 12^th century abbeys, where grey stone was the predominate color. I haven’t processed grey as possibilities for a painting, but I like the idea of using greys and tones of color.

This week I have finally had a chance to do a little sketching with paint to just get a feel for what colors would come out. I played with many colors, just letting my imagination take over without doing any pre-planning. I felt like I was painting my impressions of Ireland. I like that feeling. I like to pick up a paint brush and just start putting down color.

Ann Hart Marquis-Impression of Ireland, acrylic on paper.

I still went for layering paint the way that I have been doing. I do like to see under colors peeking through. The paint sketches in this post are a start to bigger paintings that I hope to get to soon.

Mark-Making

This past week I was in Phoenix, AZ attending Art Unraveled, a creative week of workshops and an art retreat that takes place every year. I always like to take workshops and classes. It helps me to grow as a painter when I can be inspired by new ideas. It is an adventure for me.

I spent my time taking classes from the abstract artist Joan Fullerton. Her style was fun, interesting, and effective. It is her belief that “abstract art encourages the imagination to run free. Inner and outer worlds collide making a space for new awareness to grow.”

Joan taught several mark-making and layering techniques that were what I was hoping for. We worked in mixed media which included acrylic paint and medium, acrylic paint pens, oil pastel, charcoal and ink. Each work started with random mark-making. We then used our materials to create whatever inspired us.

Abstract 2, mixed media on canvas, 14 x 18 inches, 2015. ©Ann Hart Marquis

I worked on stretched canvas and watercolor paper. The paintings above and below are on stretched canvas. They both developed rather quickly, in about 1½ hours. They may be finished, but I never know when a painting is done until I have lived with it for a while.

Abstract 1, mixed media on canvas, 14 x 18 inches, 2015. ©Ann Hart Marquis

They seem a little busy to me. What do you think?

Painting Style

It seems that at least once a year I decide that I want to try some new painting technique or content focus.

I know that part of being a painter is having an identifiable painting style, that special something that enables someone to look at a painting and know that it is by you, regardless of what the subject of the painting is.

It appears that you develop your styles as you go through your life as an artist. I’d like to think you can have many different styles if you want to, and those will likely change as you grow as an artist. I certainly hope so, because I like to experiment.

Blues, acrylic on canvas, 11 x 14 x 1.5 inches, 2015. ©Ann Hart Marquis

The area that attracts me the most at this time is abstract art. I have been experimenting with new forms and ideas as I try to get more into the conceptual. As of yet I can’t say that it has given me any particular sense of painting freedom, I am definitely working a new area of my brain which feels exciting.

Here is another example of my exploration into the unknown.

Ann Hart Marquis-Blue Vase-painting style

How about You? Do you have any experiments in your future?

Acrylic Painting on Paper

I have been experimenting lately with different painting techniques, styles and layering effects. Since one of my goals is to play, to loosen up, I decided to use watercolor paper with my acrylic paints rather than canvas.

To me canvas means being serious. It means working until I have a finished piece no matter how long it takes because I have an investment in the outcome. That is not what I want to do at this time.

Acrylic painting on paper is a wonderful combination and has a lovely look and feel. Watercolor paper has many different weights, textures and colors. I don’t buy expensive paper because I am playing and experimenting. I generally like 300 lb. paper. This grade of paper or a higher grade prevents most buckling and sagging. It also looks good in a frame, however, it is not my intention to frame my paintings.

I first tape my paper on a piece of plywood using painter tape. I then gesso it. I like to cover paper prior to painting over it with acrylic gesso. It seals the paper so that the paint does not sink in. It floats on the paper like it would on canvas.

This week I cut a large piece of paper in half and taped both pieces to my board so that I could use the same palette on both of them. Again, I was playing. I haven’t worked on two pieces with the same palette for a long time. Here they are with green Frog painter tape in the middle and around the sides:

Playing with acrylic and paper

Next, I separated them to see how they looked alone and added some finishing touches:

Ann Hart Marquis-New Mexico Winter #3-acrylic painting on paper

Ann Hart Marquis-New Mexico Winter #4-acrylic painting on paper