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Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Watching paint dry...cherry blossoms on fabric



 the fabric on the left is the drip painted fabric.
 I like it tipped like this, and am considering what to do with it.

The experiment was to see how drips hit the snow and if they would create crystalline shapes on the fabric underneath.

The piece under the snow did show some snowflake shapes, but it's quite subtle and doesn't photograph well.
(see next picture)

Pastels are as important to have as strong colors, sometimes more useful actually and that's the way it turned out in this case...



It's really hard to see the subtle shadows in this photo. I admit I was a bit disappointed at first, then being a person not prone to waste (#hoarder)(#cheap)

I brushed off my creativity muscles, and thought,
"what can I make of this?"

Well, I do have stencils, ink, paint, and an ability to play... and my motto this year is "use it" so.....
Here goes... lots of process pictures...


As I looked at this subtle painting I began to see cherry blossoms... so I found a blossom stencil, and Seta Shimmer paint in fuchia and superwhite, got a sea sponge, and dabbed white blossoms.

It was subtle yet created depth. Pink was next, then a mix of the pink and white. I allowed one area to dry, then moved the stencil adding blossoms randomly til I filled a sort of branch like area.

I quickly became engaged seeing the color build up.


Time for a branch. I changed to textile ink markers for this. I traced inside the lines with pen, then went back and colored in the big branch with three colors, and drew in free-hand additional branches, again with several colors. Moving the stencil around, adding some birds where I liked, adding branches where I liked with either the stencil or just drawing in.

Do you know, when I am doing a project like this, I am focused.
I am into the process. I lose track of time, pain, noise.


I forget everything but "what if?"
I don't dither over decisions, I try to look anew with each glance, and add a bit. Look again, add again.

I love the splotches of lime green, as they feel like Spring green leaves replacing the cherry blossoms.

The birds were done with markers as well





Adding color here, there...
 lines in pen

 defining edges

adding definition with dark marker on the gold metallic cages, then adding highlights with white gel pen

I only wish you could see it in person.
It's so evocative. So moody.
Cherry Blossom Festival is coming to DC as is Spring.

To see the video of painting follow this link  Click here

27 comments:

  1. What an interesting technique. I've never heard of that method for painting/dying. I saw those cherry blossoms immediately, even when I was just looking at the thumbnail of the photo on my phone.

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  2. Oh cherry lips, pinkly! So like a sculptor with her stone and chisels, you drew out the essence inside your so very recently born fabric. i love to watch paint dry, it is what i do, it wets my imagination! Big thanks for sharing process with all, as it is hard to remember to pause and pick up camera while in the zone of what if, a country inhabit often! Oh, the top piece, beautiful saturated sunset sky did appear to my eye.

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  3. Cherry blossom time!
    It's great seeing how you turn the ordinary into the extraordinary!

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  4. FABULOUS use of creativity and color. Those bird cages are just too cool for school and turned out exquisitely! ღ

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  5. Nice! I have been meaning to try something like this.

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  6. Love your cherry tree. Kept waiting for the black horse. wooo whoo
    Diane

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  7. You are an art magician, making something from nothing!

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  8. I just love the process and it looks so Spring like. Terrific work.

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  9. Very pretty. I love how it came out.

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  10. Oh my gosh.....I need to send you all MY fails!

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  11. Enchanting. I really like what you did with this, and I can feel how much fun you had in the piece as well as the post. Walking with my friend this morning, we came upon a cherry tree in full flower, so I have a recent visual. You did a wonderful job capturing it, including those little green pops of green spring just around the corner. Thank you for sharing this!

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  12. Enchanting. I really like what you did with this, and I can feel how much fun you had in the piece as well as the post. Walking with my friend this morning, we came upon a cherry tree in full flower, so I have a recent visual. You did a wonderful job capturing it, including those little green pops of green spring just around the corner. Thank you for sharing this!

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  13. Love this Leeanna! So pretty, and just my favorite colors. Truly looks like spring!

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  14. I love watching this creation unfold, how lovely to see each addition add depth to your painting. Love the stencil too.

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  15. Did you see the soul of it before or after you decided to "use it"? I've never seen the DC cherry blossoms. The first thing I saw was Japan, not a mass of blossoms, but the delicate branches and scattered flowers. The cages made me think of Paris. I love the bird flying free out of the cage, just like you!

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  16. This is breathtaking. I love where you took those pretty, but random, splotches of color. I'm having spring fever today, and this post just reinforces my excitement for a new season.

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  17. Lovw what you did with this!!! Must try dyeing too.

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  18. I really like this, LeeAnna! In fact, there is nothing about it that I don't like. :) I love the way the metallic gold paint for the cages reacts to the pink blossoms...I realized as I looked at your picture that, although I enjoy putting little song birds on things, I don't think I've ever put cages on anything. This reminds me of a friend who used to hang her bird cages outside for the birds (mostly big cockatoos and parrots) to visit with the wild ones. :)
    Also reminds me of the Chinese habit of keeping song birds as pets.

    :) Linda

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  19. Oh how beautiful LeeAnna, this reminds me of walking down the streets of Kyoto, and Kamakura Japan in April and seeing so many magical little spots just like this. This is cherry blossom time all right; you have captured it completely in one small exquisite piece of art. Glenda

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  20. You've created a work of art. Thanks so much for sharing the process photos. I can see how much fun you had and it helps to see what you started with/where you went with each step. Great post!

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  21. Very interesting result with your process shown in great detail...I love the thoughts with it....thanks, Sandi

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  22. I love this piece. What inspiration seeing the process of you going with the flow and ending with a gorgeous item. Unreproducable.

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  23. I am *flabbergasted* at the paths your mind took to create that gorgeous piece! I don't think my mind would ever have gotten outside the box like that - at most, I may have decided to use the piece as a lining, but you created art. I am clapping my hands in your general direction --- VERY well done - and so inspirational!

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