Creative Inspiration: A new way to quick-start abstract painting

Creative Inspiration: 10 minute mark making & abstract painting!

I’ve decided to include a new item to my blog I will call “Creative Inspiration”. This blog write up will be dedicated to giving you something inspiring to support you in your art and creativity. Often it'll be something you can do or try.

Today I’d like to share with you a really fun 10 minute abstract painting practice piece you can do easily and quickly.

If you have taken a workshop with me or planning to in the future, you’ll know that I am big on practicing painting with little paintings, I call Little Gems.

These pieces are all about getting you into your groove, allowing for mistakes, working with ideas in a small way and simply getting starter – which can often be the biggest hurdle.

So, let’s get started.

Materials. 3 pieces of paper. 9 x 12” size is good. Paper that is labeled for use for acrylics or a heavier watercolor paper (90 pounds or heavier) this would work fine or you could also use canvas pads, but for this exercise

Gather some drawing tools you have on hand. This could be conte sticks, charcoal, pencils, water soluble graphite sticks (derwent or Lyra).

Basics: Yogurt containers for water, a few brushes, papertowels.

White Gesso. For best results I recommend Liquitex gesso (it’s the same consistency as cream and works beautifully for this exercise!)

SET UP. Get your three pieces of paper out and ready to use. Also fill up your water buckets, fold your paper towels, have your brushes and white gesso ready and available.

FREE SKETCH. Make marks on your papers just free scribble, lines, images, words, curves…no rules, be brave, make a mess, be fearless and have fun, play. Putting on music that energizes or inspires you may help free up your creative spirit here.

WATER & GESSO. Now paint over some parts, all, just a section of your lines and marks with water and white gesso. Experiment blednign the gesso with your black media and see if you can make shades of grey that add dimension to your piece.

MORE PLAY! If you are using the thin Liquitex gesso, you can put these painting aside and they will dry quite quickly. Then when the painting is dry you can go back and add more lines and marks and then another layer of white gesso. Or scrape back.

Just working in black and white can be liberating.

You could also add colour your final paintings if you choose. The only limit – ever – is your imagination. ( used Quinacradone Nicko Azo Gold in GOLDEN Liquid acrylics here to create the yellow/gold glaze over the black and white under layer image)

These are a few photos of practice pieces I did for this exercise. They are not great, I wouldn’t even call them that good. But It’s not the point here to make great art. We are freeing our creative spirit and practicing here and making bad art is a good way to do this.

My hope for you is that you allow yourself to make some bad art and have some great fun doing it.

Be Brave! Go do it!

Illuminate the Artist WIthin (TM) Retreat - this December

This December 9, 10 & 11th, 2011, join Deb Chaney and a small group of artists for a 3 day, two night ‘illuminated’ retreat experience in support your self and your inner artist. This is a retreat for YOU. Take time for yourself. Take time for your art.

This retreat is for artists looking to quietly work on their own personal creative project,

receive support on their inner creative process, and learn the secrets of an illuminated artist : how to stay inspired creatively despite any obstacle.

Participants will have 24hr studio access each day of the retreat, home cooked meals provided, the optional of morning yoga, the option of a local hike to a 40 ft. water fall, the invitation of a group evening campfire (weather permitting), quiet time by the fire to read a book or socialize,

an available hot tub, and the joy to breathe the fresh air and feel the calming sound of the creek running through the retreat property.

Materials List -- bring the supplies you need to work on your art work/creative project, your bathing suit & towel, everything you need to be comfortable for 2 nights, hiking boots, rain jacket, journal and pens.

DECEMBER 2011 - 3 DAYS - Roberts Creek, British Columbia

Illuminate the Artist Within(TM) Retreat.

Location: Rolling Earth Farm Retreat, Sunshine Coast, British Columbia

Dates & Times: Friday, Saturday & Sunday December 9, 10 & 11th, 2011.

Start 10 am Friday, end 4 pm Sunday.

Cost: 3 days, 2 nights, meals, all incl: $ 550 shared accommodation, $ 650 private room.

(Meals and Accommodation included)

Registration: Space is extremely limited. info@debchaney.com (604) 736-5111

Here's what students of Deb's recent workshops have to say:

" I loved the weekend, Deb's energy was wonderful. Having never picked up a paint rush, I was made to feel like an artist. What I learned was that art is a process, such as life. My art will now become part of my life process and my life part of my life art process. Bring it on! Thanks Deb!"

- Rosie Watson, RN, Vancouver, BC

"Deb is a great teacher who bring out the best in all of us. My experience was very rewarding and inspirational. The class allowed all levels of artist to experiment without being judged."

- Lauren Morris, Graphic Designer, Vancouver, BC

" Be ready to be wow'd...The information taught is fantastic. It is refreshing to see a successful artist teach techniques, secrets and more....while have fun doing it."

- Donna Stewart, Radiographic Tech, Sechelt, BC

To Register please Email info@debchaney.com or call (604) 736-5111.

Illuminate the Artist Within (TM) HIgh School Drawing Contest

Dear students who kindly submitted their drawings to the Illuminate the Artist Within (TM) drawing contest - Thank you!

First off, thank you for those of you who took the time to make the drawings and submit. Your time and efforts are much appreciated, thank you.

The winner is: Hannah Franes of Ashcroft, British Columbia.

The first image of hers shown here of the girl swinging totally captured the essence of what I was looking for and is my favorite of her three submissions. The drawings are great and I feel like Hannah really read the guidelines and followed them exactly as well as putting in her own creativity and feeling into this project. I can't wait to see other drawings if she's willing! Thank you Hannah! All of these drawings are (C) Hannah Franes and you must have her permission to use or reproduce them. Please stay tuned on this blog for an interview about Hannah.

Hannah has won First Prize.

- She will be featured as a selected artist interview online and published on this blog - Hanna, please call me to discuss the interview and then check your Email inbox for you interview questions... THank you.

- The winner will have your images published and used in one of more illuminate the Artist Within™ creative products. With your permission, Hannah, I'd like to use your drawings in my 74 card pack "the secrets of an illuminated artist". I'm hoping you'll be wiling to do more drawings too!

- The winner will be offered a spot of their choice in any one 2-day weekend workshops offered in 2011 in basic abstract painting, or advanced thick acrylic painting, or collage creations by Deb Chaney (visit www.debchaney.com “workshops” for full workshop details) valued at $350. Hannah, Please check out the workshop descriptions and consider which workshop you may want to take and let me know at: info@debchaney.com. Currently there are openings for the Collage workshop this November and the Basics in Abstract painting in acrylics and mixed media in January 2012.

- The winner will receive a $150 gift certificate valid at OPUS Framing and Art Supplies. I will talk to the folks at OPUS and see if we can get you an online store credit for $150 so you can order your art supplies from them online and get them delivered to your home as I don't think there is an OPUS art supply store close to Ashcroft. Check out the online OPUS store and start picking out some cool new art supplies: https://store.opusartsupplies.com/

There is no second place or runner up for the contest as no other entries fitted the feeling and image of what I was looking for as well as Hannah's. THank you for all your entries.

Breathing Space: Lynn Canyon, North Vancouver, BC

The tag line for the province of BC is currently: " British Columbia, the most beautiful place on earth" and I tend to agree. Here are some snap shots from Lynn Canyon in North Vancouver during a little afternoon day hike, breathing space for myself and a nice break from the studio. Enjoy!

Photos from inside the last workshop!

The following are some select photos from our last Energizing and Experimental Workshop here in Vancouver, BC which was a two day intensive focusing on the basics of abstract design and colour in abstract painting with acrylics and mixed media. We had a full house of amazing woman and I think the pictures tell all....

Little 9 x 12" practice pieces begin to emerge and unfold with layers being added and taken away.

Students begin to explore adding various m ixed medias into their acrylic paintings.

Stamps make great focal points and add interest into paintings.

A view from above. We have the contents of a few art supply stores in our workshop!!!

Working away creating....

Emerging completed and nearly complete paintings start accumulating on window ledges, extra table space and the floor underneath the tables where we paint.

I just fall in love with all the little paintings that are created in this workshop. It inspires me every time. Always different.

Getting into the mixed media here...

Using LYRA wager soluble graphite - 8B really soft and dark. Or as Jude said B = Black.

The round circles were made using rubbing alcohol and a dropper on the wet water soluble graphite pencil marks. Way cool!

Black india ink PITT pens are wonderful tools to add on acrylic paintings. Let them dry and then spray them with fixative before adding paint over top, unless you want the writing to smudge.
Getting out the chalk pastels to add a punch of colour on my acrylic canvas pad paintings.
Kelsie looks great here! Everyone else is seriously watching the demo!

Workable fixative is wonderful to spray over dry mixed media on acrylics so you can either finish the painting or keep painting over it without ruining/smudging the mixed media.

Practice pieces lined up for the next demonstration.
The demonstration table, little paintings ready to be added too!

Closer up of paintings in process!

Another view of the students working away. Playing...Work or play? :)

Deb wonders around the room to offer help or simply oohhh and ahhh at the amazing work that comes out of everyone!

More photos of workshop participants busy working!

The girls going at it! Music is playing and everyone is busy painting!

A view of the beautiful private studio we used for this workshop.

Deb getting the mixed media ready for day 2 -- coloured pencil crayons, chalk pastel, charcoal were just some of the items we used on dry acrylics.

Margo in action painting and pondering her work!

Georgina is working here with tape and removal techniques to create beautiful depth and interest into her work.

We all had fun. Lots of questions were asked.

In the background of this photo you can see some fun tools we use to remove acrylic paint and create interesting effects. Dollars stores and hardware stores and great for these: sanding blocks, pot scrubbers...
We all gathered around the "kitchen" area of this beautiful Dunbar studio to watch Deb demonstrate the next technique.

Up close, removing acrylic paint with sand paper and water.

Deb demonstrating using painter's tape from the hardware store to create shape lines in a painting, either curved or hard edge. We also made our own stencils using this tape.

For this workshop I introduced the Muse of Creativity, inspired by Katy Perry. We played her hit song "high school dream" and got into this groovin' archetype to support ourselves in grooving into our creativity. Oh yeah!

Coffee, tea, journals, tears, smiles and laughter were often at our morning and end of day circles.

We started each day in a circle, touching base and sharing how we were doing in our own process.

On the last day at the very end we did a group critique of one or two of each of the student's paintings. We all learned and grew and were inspired to continue painting!

Join Deb Chaney for her next workshop, details: http://www.debchaney.com/debchaney/Workshops.html