Seahorse Fancy

Today finds me playing with Seahorse Fancy. 

This one is on a 16 x 16 shadowbox canvas that Chris built for this upcoming show season.

He changed the design for this group and I really like it! The original canvases had a 6 x 6 opening in the center with 5 inch borders all around. He did his own redesign and I approve wholeheartedly. The new openings are 8 x 8 with a 4 inch border, and are actually much easier to draw out and paint. 

The openings on the original canvases look so tiny to me now.

Great call Honey!

Meanwhile, back to artwalk on Friday. I managed to sell one octopus and someone from church wanted the Mahi Mahi in the gallery photo. I delivered it today to him and he loved it even more in person! I am so happy to know that Mahi will give him a great feeling when he looks at it in his office. I love it when a man makes a decision on his own and purchases!

The other thing is, people are constantly asking me, do you paint the canvas and then stretch it over the frame? No folks, these pieces are completed in place after all the stretching and white paint have been added. I literally do a drawing inside the opening, and out on the front, connecting the two together on the sides of the box. I then make sure the painting wraps around the edges as well. The canvas ends up in my lap, sideways, upside down, and sometime laying flat on my work table. It is a simple process for me, although my girlfriend that is also a painter thinks I'm nuts!

The paint that I use is a custom mixed color that I start the summer fresh with a new batch before starting the 100 days. This years batch is more "blue" at the request of my collectors. The paint is applied in as many as 6 layers for the darkest areas. I use a lot of layering, scrumbling, glazing, and occasionally yelling. (well not yelling per-se), but fussing when the paint 

lifts faster than I can keep it on. Sometimes the graphite from the pencil lines will mix with the paint giving it a more brown appearance. All in all, they look good with each other no matter what year you purchase them. 

Thanks for dropping by to the blog!

I really enjoy your comments.

Seahorse Fancy, Acrylic on 16 x 16 Shadowbox canvas

Day 35 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2018