Art Canvas Stretching Problems

 Hi there, I hope your year is going okay so far.  My year hasn't been very eventful which is a good thing.  As you can see I have started a new painting which is bigger than my last painting.  It's 40 x 30 inches.  I am about half way through.  As with the previous painting I stretched this canvas myself.  I was worried after I made it that the canvas was not taut enough on the frame and it turned out that I was right.  You can probably see all the detail in the middle of the sunflower, I used Acrylograph pens for that.  This meant that I was pressing against the canvas a lot and consequently the canvas has loosened and become slightly slack.

I don't know if you can see but the bottom right of the canvas is slightly buckled, as is further up where the sunflower is. I know of tricks to tighten the canvas, like spraying the back with hot water; drying with a hair dryer and I read about a product you can buy to spray on the back of the canvas.  I also know to use wood keys in each corner which I have in the past.  

I have decided the best decision is, once I have finished the painting I will pull out some staples on maybe three sides and restretch the canvas.  I don't think it is necessary to pull the whole canvas off and stretch from scratch again because it is not very loose.  I am hoping this will work.  I had trouble stretching this canvas because it is so big and I couldn't tell very well if I was pulling the canvas tight enough.  Also because I am not experienced at canvas stretching I always worry about damaging the fabric.  I did do a canvas stretching workshop many years ago so I have a basic knowledge of canvas stretching but I just need more practice.

The canvas I am using is Fredrix Cherokee Polyester Cotton Canvas, which feels very good quality and thickness compared to cheaper, readymade canvases.  It is much nicer to work on.  The stretcher bars are Art Spectrum stretcher bars which are very solid and good quality, I think they are the heavy duty ones.

So that was my canvas drama!  I will post with an update when I have finished or at least once I have stretched the canvas again to show you.

Goodbye for now and have a great day!

Summer Floral On Canvas

‘The Fluid Summer Blooms’

Acrylic, Pastel and Acrylograph Pens On Polyflax Canvas

30 x 24 Inches

Hello and Happy New Year, at least I hope it will be a good or better year for all of you😊.  We have had such hot weather this week, too hot to be outside but it was okay.  I haven’t taken my Christmas tree down yet because I just love the sparkling lights and that festive feeling that seems to be gone the day after Christmas. 

So I posted this painting last year because I thought it was finished but I would stare at it on my easel everyday and I knew it wasn’t right but I just had to wait for the solution to come and it did last week.  I added more to the outside with the acrylic pens and I am happy with it now.  So now onto the next one which I am looking forward to.  

Goodbye till next time😊 

Girl With Florals

 

15cm x 10cm

Gouache and Watercolour on Arches Hotpress.

Hi there😊.  I hope you are all okay today.  It’s a hectic time of year especially with the virus on top.  I just wanted to post this little painting.  I made her a few months ago but I couldn’t get her face right so I left her for a few weeks and then eventually finished her face and I think she turned out okay.  I haven’t made any portraits for a while, I think I just needed a break.  Thanks so much for looking🙏

Floral Canvas Painting

I have been practicing painting florals with acrylic paints on canvas for a couple of years now but have been reluctant to post them here because I wasn’t happy with my efforts.  I was finally happy with this one but part of me still isn’t sure about it.  I used acrylic paint, soft pastel, Acrylograph pens and Posca pens.  It was a lot of fun to make because it was a really intuitive process except for using my reference photos to help with accuracy.  

I went to the beach yesterday and I had to wear a windproof coat because the wind was so cold even though it is now summer.  We have a weather event called La Niña which means that we will have a wet, cool summer, which I don’t mind because I don’t feel in the mood for the scorching heat this summer for some reason.  I am just happy for the sun to be out now and then😊.  My health is slowly improving and I am grateful for the good hours in the day.  Thanks for reading and looking🙏   

Journaling

Hi there😊.  I have a hobby besides painting which is journaling and I have become a bit of a nerd about it.  I love art journals, junk journals, minimalist journals, just all journaling really.  I decided to paint a small portrait on this tag from Oeda Letterpress who make lovely stationery in Japan I think.  Unfortunately I did not paint the poppies but wish I did.  They are from a washi tape by Loi Design.  My mental energy levels are still low so painting small was a way of being able to still complete something even though I am not feeling great.  Also, when I paint in my everyday journal I don’t feel so much pressure.  Thanks for looking☺️

Sketching and Health Issues

Hi there again, another girl completed in my handmade sketchbook with handmade paper which I think could be Khadi paper but I am not sure.  It is A5 size.  I was really happy with this one, I used Diamine Shimmer Ink which is a fountain pen ink.  At night under a lamp the dress has a sparkly gold shimmer which can’t be seen in daylight unfortunately.

My health has been bad lately though it’s not Covid so that is something.  Making small paintings like this allows me to carve out a small piece of light and life that alleviates the darkness for a short time.  Deep down I know I will get better eventually with patience and persistence but it is still tough.

Next time hoping for a lighter post🙏

 

Animal and Floral Painting

Hi there again!  So here are two more floral paintings, one with a bunny and another with a puppy and I was happy with how they turned out.  They are both painted with Gouache and Watercolour on Arches Hot Press paper and they are about 7 x 5 inches.  I am really having fun with the florals because I have really been able to loosen up and not worry about getting details correct. Although there are artists I admire who are much more loose with their painting and I would like to get to a point where I am not worrying about the painting being correct at all and just letting it come out of me and onto the page but I guess that will come with time.

I have another painting to share but I haven’t scanned it yet so I will show you next time😊

More Floral Illustration

Gouache/Watercolour on Arches Hotpress

7 x 5 inches

Floral Cat Illustration

7 x 5 inch Gouache/Watercolour on Arches Hotpress

So Cold

Christies Beach, South Australia

A sketch made with Schmincke Watercolour and Gouache in a handmade paper sketchbook.

More Portrait Illustration

Watercolour/Gouache on A5 Arches Hotpress

Gouache/Watercolour in a handmade sketchbook with handmade paper.

Winter Now and Indigo Portraits

Just some girls painted with Watercolour and Gouache.  It’s winter now and it has been raining a lot lately but I am glad of the water because it was so dry for so long.  I do like all the smells in the air in winter.  I find so much to love about all the seasons.  Winter is a good time to watch all the surfers at the beach in the late afternoon.  I will be back soon with some more paintings😊

Portrait Illustration

Some art made with Watercolour and Gouache made mostly on A5 Arches Hot Press paper.  I hope you enjoy it.😊

Merry Christmas

I made thes artworks for family and friends and they were made using Watercolour/Gouache on Khadi paper.  They are actually cards that came with envelopes which was great.  I really like working on this paper. 

I hope that wherever you are that you have a safe and happy Christmas even though the circumstances in the world at the moment aren’t great.  I also hope the coming year is much better for all of you.  Goodbye for now ☺️

Girl With Dahlias

Watercolour/Gouache on Arches 300gsm Hot Press Paper

I really enjoyed using this indigo colour for the girls clothing.  I’m not sure why, I think it has a luminous night sky quality about it.

 

Girl With Salvias

Watercolour/Gouache on Arches 300gsm Hot Press Paper

I am no closer to solving my naming problem.  My girls are like all actual people to me, with their own personalities.  But still I am unsure whether to give them names.  I like the mystery of them not having a name and I like not interfering with how the viewer might see them.  Naming my paintings has always been hard for me though for some reason.  I’ll sleep on it again :)

 

Naming My Paintings

Watercolour and Gouache on Arches Hot Press 300gsm Paper

I am happy with this one.  I am having trouble naming these paintings of girls, I’m not sure how to go about it.  I thought of giving the girls names as I have seen other artists do but that doesn’t feel right.  I used to really labour over names for paintings when I was a less experienced artist.  I thought the title of a painting was all important.  But now I feel that the title or name I give a painting is not as important as the actual painting.  I feel like the viewers perception or experience of the painting should be not distracted by any perception I might have of the painting in creating an elaborate title.  If I had gone to art school I might have learned this stuff much earlier😊.  

Thanks for reading and looking.