Carol Ann Conners Art Journal

Peonies

6″ x 6″ Acrylic

This is the painting for the first day of the Acrylic University 5 Day Mini Paint Challenge. I was late logging into the class on my computer to discover that my panel should have been painted with black gesso. I scrambled to paint the panel black and blotted it with paper towels. The subject was flowers. I had no idea what kind of flowers, but I followed along with Jed painting pink flowers and blending shades of green. Then, I lost the connection to the video feed on the computer. Eventually, I was able to resume the class through my phone. It was difficult and small to see the photo and Jed’s painting, so I made it my own using lots of magenta paint. I decided that the flowers look like peonies that are just getting ready to bloom in our garden.

I learned the following techniques:

1. Mix a little gloss with the paint to make it last longer – even applying it directly to the canvas.

2. Use a hair drier to help dry the paint a little when needed.

3. Be ready to improvise.

A Vermont Country Road

9″ x 12″ Acrylic

I painted most of this painting a few weeks ago during Friday Night Live with Acrylic University host and artist, Jed Forsey who was joined by artist, Farley Lewis. Farley had take the photo for the painting during a trip to Vermont. It was a lot of fun to paint along.

Brave

Inktober52 #13 Brave

Fay Canyon Trail

11″ x 14″ Acrylic

Tonight was Friday Night Live with Acrylic University. This is the Fay Canyon Trail near Sedona, Arizona. This morning I painted black gesso on a white canvas. Painting on canvas was a much smoother experience than painting on black paper. This painting took a couple of hours. It was a lot of fun to paint. I look forward to going to Arizona and visit family in Tucson and will bring my paint supplies.

Microscopic

Inktober 52 Week 12 Microscopic

This prompt brought me back to high school biology class when we looked at plant matter under a microscope. As a life long gardener, I have a fondness for plants.

Hazy Morning, Little House 6″ x 6″

Miniature Painting Challenge #3 from Acrylic University

Two miniature paintings in one day – on this morning and one this afternoon!

Mountain Reflection 6″ x 6″

Acrylic

Mountain Reflection is lesson 2 of the Miniature Painting Challenge with Acrylic University. With this painting I used the half-hour timer that was used during the lesson. The paint does start to dry fast, so it was a good time to stop. On to the next lesson. I am a few weeks behind.

#11 Spaceship

It took me some time to figure out how to proceed with this Inktober52 prompt. A couple of days ago, I brought along a pad of marker paper, a drawing pencil and an eraser to keep me occupied in the car, while Greg had an appointment. It was a cold morning, and the landscaping was a lovely distraction. Drawing a spaceship? I would rather sketch the budding trees. Imagination can be so much fun. I thought about my Granny Carol and her husband, a WWII Army Air Corps Colonel and an inventor. One of his inventions was a “bra” to protect the front of airplanes from ice. His drafting tools are still in my grandmother’s desk. So I channeled Colonel Godfrey Speir and sketched.Later, I used my parent’s wedding China to make the oval shape. I let it go for a couple of days, so I could figure out what to do next.

Today, It all came together. I mixed up my own ink by using Kuretake Zig Ink Stick mixed with water in a Kuretake Zig Bokuchi Suzuri stone reservoir. This was in my October 2020 Sketchbox Kit. This Sumi ink is easy to make and is fun to use. Fun!

A Creek in Oregon

This was today’s live lesson from Acrylic University.

I used black paper and primed it with pthalo blue before the class. This was the first time that I painted water with acrylic paint.

Sunlight Through the Trees

6″ x 6″

This is my interpretation of lesson one from Acrylic University. What I like about acrylic paint is that you can paint over your mistakes.