| Back to Back Issues Page |
 |
|
Acrylics Anonymous, Issue #082 -- Let's Get Beached. May 01, 2019 |
Passionate about painting with acrylics? Need a monthly fix chock full of inspiration? Need some help to take the pain out of your painting process? It's all here for you. Acrylics Anonymous. Zero elitism. Dive in. If you enjoy Acrylics Anonymous, and you know someone who might also enjoy it, you can share by forwarding it to your friends! If you are receiving this because a friend has forwarded this to you, and you would like to subscribe, click here! 
Every month, we will produce a Subscribers Only "sealed section". It could be a painting technique, a short video tip, or anything we can think of that we reckon you might enjoy. Please let us know what you think, we love your feedback! To leave comments, contact us here.
Stuck For Ideas? Go out into the world and really look at the tiny moments which intrigue you. The way light shines through the back of a leaf, or the way the sun glints off a rock - it could be just the simplest thing that draws your eye. Not every painting has to be an enormous, world changing piece. It can be a tiny moment that pulls you into it. Sometimes they’re more dramatic I reckon. 
Meet The Wallers. Filmmaker Jim Stevens has been following Mark around for the last 17 years documenting his life as an artist. He will be having several "taster" screening sessions around Australia this year and is looking for funding to produce and distribute this compelling story. For more information, go to this Documentary Australia Foundation link to see the trailer, and to make a tax deductible donation if you'd like to see this film produced. Click here for more info on Meet The Wallers Got Your Beachscapes Paint Recipe Book Yet? What would you like to see in our next recipe book? Underwater? Marine life? Landscapes? Something else? Let us know here! Tell us which recipes you'd like to see next! Workshops Abound! Mark has workshops coming up in Victoria, Lennox Head - demo with the lot event - and Woolgoolga in the next few months. Keep up to date with all the workshop information through the link below. Click here for all the workshop info! 
Every month, we choose an Artist from our
forum
to showcase. You can even nominate someone if you like. (Or yourself!). To do this, check out the forum and then send us an email! It’s that easy. This month, it's Mark Kreiss from New Jersey, USA, who has just come back to painting again with his piece "Getting Back To It Again". He’s done a beautiful job reflecting that warm light up and underneath the tree trunks. Love that you can feel this time of day so well. Click here to read more about Mark's "Getting Back To It Again"
Erik Jensen is the genius behind this work - an amazing artist using discarded computer keyboard keys to create gorgeous pixelated artworks. Check out his fabulous work right here. And oh, wow! Will you be thanking me for this gem if you haven't seen this already flooding your social feeds!! Check out Tom Deininger’s incredible found object works here, press play on the video play button. Go and look at this now! If you have a link you like, please share it with us! You can contact us to let us know. Thank you! 
This is the section where you can "get your name in lights!" (well at least out there in the internet world!).If you have works in progress you would love to show off, or finished pieces you are particularly proud of, we would love to see them! We especially like to hear about the story behind the creation. This month's submission comes from great artist and all round lovely human being, Anne Strambi. From Anne: "Beach Shadows" This subject is inspired by lovely Wategos Beach in Northern NSW, Australia, and also by Mark’s beautiful beach and pandanus paintings! I have chosen a stretched canvas measuring 76 cm x 51 cm. Firstly I block in the dark shapes and the sea. I block in the design in dark purple, then paint the horizon in ultra blue and the closer sea is various mixtures of pthalo blue with lemon yellow and white. The small pandanus on the left, balances the design which is almost a circular composition.
Adding foliage and branches - I add more foliage overhead and on the trees on the right. I also put white marks in the sea for small waves and a headland in soft purple on the far right.
I start to add more detail. The painting is still quite dark - I need to soften the trees and delineate them more.
I then start refining the foliage in the trees. I need to separate the Pandanus trees from the Casuarina. This is quite difficult, as the branches are a bit complicated in my reference photo. I take some time to think about what changes are needed.
Time for the finishing touches. I use my artistic licence to simplify the structure of the trees, and add some sky holes to make the scene a bit lighter and brighter. I redraw some of the branches so that the trees ‘make sense’! I then refine the light and shade in the trees and on the sand, with the focal point being the right side of the small pandanus where the sand is light against the dark leaves. I make sure that there are no ‘black holes’ in the shaded areas. I am happy with the completed painting and the balance of the composition. I think it has a lovely restful feeling.
Thanks so much for sharing your painting processes Anne! For more of Anne's work, make sure you check out the following links. For Anne's website, click here. For Anne's Bluethumb catalogue, click here. For Anne's Instagram, click here. Hope you enjoyed this issue of Acrylics Anonymous! If you have any suggestions, comments or feedback for the ezine or our site, please don't hesitate to contact us. Until next time, make sure you chuck some paint around! Cheers from Frankie & Mark :) |
| Back to Back Issues Page |
