Woodpecker ACEO

Well I am still working on learning some new techniques so not getting a whole lot accomplished.   Seems I have to assimilate it for a while before I can put it onto canvas.  So now I am a little bit frustrated and just want to do something letting it fly without having to think much about it.   So I am going to work on a horse picture today that I have been wanting to do for a while and in my trusty pastels so hope to get something done that makes me feel worthwhile.   Me and Phil Collins are rocking out on Pandora.

This little ACEO is another experiment.  I used markers and color pencil on Duralar, which is a synthetic paper, I use the matte finish which is slightly frosty, used a lot in the old days by draftsmen.  The unique thing about this paper is that you can use both sides to add the colors.  Because it is see-through you can put it on colored paper and it changes the color complexion of the painting.    I know people who do beautiful work with color pencil but wanted to see if I could put a base layer of markers and then the color pencils over it.  It doesn't hold a lot of layers but you really can get some super detail.

Also wanted to give you an update on the studio organization I did a few weeks ago.  Val you are so right, I have been a little bit intimidated and not as productive, I think as I don't want to mess it up.  But you can see I am gradually digging in the crates and still is again accumulating on top of my table.  However what's up there with the exception of the pencil tray, I am using in my painting studies so it really can belong there.  I actually could have put the pencil tray away but I just got out some dark pastels from my art bin box.  I have all my pastels arranged in drawers or the art bin box by values and all my darks are in the art bin.  I have to take the tray off each time to dig out the art bin, but....  I also have a couple of wood box pastel sets that I am going to have to incorporate into my usage on a more regular basis.    Anyway, bottom line is I think it is working pretty well and both my table and my drawing table are staying pretty clean.

I am now working on purging magazines and pictures I have picked up over the years.  It's hard to throw some of them out, but again I find I get info more online than out of the books any more, so time to get tough and purge.  I created reference files for pictures out of magazines and newspaper years ago, I really don't use those picture references much any more as you can get almost anything, and in many cases better references, you need online.  So my motto now is "if I haven't used/looked at in a year - OUT it goes" (ok so the art magazines I am looking at one more time.  Anything noteworthy will go into an EverNote folder on my iPad)   When it will get really get tough is when I purge my art book collection.  I feel the pain already.

Thanks for stopping by and hope all are keeping somewhat cool - know that isn't easy these day - only another 90 days of hot and humid for us here in Georgia!!