Still Truckin' Along

 Yep - I am still doing ART - making MARKS - giving it an almost daily START - however, I am just NOT in the space anymore.  (and I will always do art - even if they have to tape a paintbrush to my hand)

Please visit my current residence where I post and write -

Pattie Wall Fine Art

 Thanks!!

 "Hermit Pass Road"

6" x 6" acrylic

Adventures in Pyrography

 Last year about this time, I purchased a cheapo woodburning set and some little wood pieces and tried my hand at woodburning.  I made a few ornaments (crude as they were) for my friends and neighbors who we share pet care with from time to time.

Fast forward to about Nov. 1st (just last month) - I was experimenting with that primitive woodburner (we're talking the $25.00 special) and it just wasn't doing what I wanted it to do, so I indulged and purchased a better woodburner set from Amazon.

Lo and behold, it was exactly what I needed to pursue more pyrography - with lots of tips and two handles - a way to regulate the heat and an easier way to attack burning an image.

I had several cradled basswood panels for 'painting' - the perfect surface for woodburning!

Having lots of fun and exploring ways to make different 'burn' marks on wood 

AND on watercolor paper! Here are my attempts - in order...

Actually, this piece was started with the OLD woodburner - and while doing it, I decided to

upgrade to a better and more extensive woodburning set-up. 

The surface I used is veneered cabinet wood plucked from a cabinet makers dumpster, 

in a small town in Kansas on a Sunday afternoon (we are talking YEARS AGO) 

on my way home from teaching a class.  Word was, 

one could go by with permission and gather scraps of this great veneered wood - 

I was in the area and figured, why not? DH cut down the pieces into manageable,

paintable sizes - and I have been enjoying the advantage - ever-since.

Smokes terribly and underneath the surface is some kind of glue that smokes,

quickly grabbed the facemask. The color was done by using watercolor, 

colored pencils and pastel pencils.

"Buffalo" on basswood cradled panel 8" x 8" - looks good on a table easel

or it can be hung on the wall. I loved the surface as it sort of lends itself to helping to

create the feel of FUR as it burns into the woodgrain.  I entered it in a small artworks sale at the gallery and it has been SOLD!

Look back one post and see this same image done in colored pencil.  

I ordered some more wood plaques/like tree trunk wood and tried this little guy. 

It was suggested that one uses sandpaper to smooth the surface on these - and I truly DO that

as it has lots of ridges to maneuver with those growth rings and cut marks.

The white accent is done in colored pencil and Posca pen.

(I think I will feel a 'learning curve' on this artform for a long time.}

I am finding it takes an 'uber' amount of time and 'there is no room for mistakes'.

I had read that one could BURN into watercolor paper, so I got out

a piece of Fluid 100, it has a weight of 300 lbs.  - thicker with some stiffness.

I used a photo reference, permission from James Burton, in a FB group I belong to.

"Succulent Sunshine" is 8" x 10" and I love the way

the paper handled the woodburning tools. 

I enhanced the shadowed areas with some

Sepia colored watercolor.

Definitely going to explore more of this 'way to burn'.

"Highland Coo" 8" x 8" love the look of these bovid mammals.

Again, I burned into cradled basswood..so smooth, no need to

use sandpaper on the surface pre-burn.  I painted the non-burned outer

area with coffee.  I need to add a couple more layers of coffee to get

the effect I wanted, but later on I worked that same area with some Sepia colored

watercolor wash. I like the effect.

Honestly, I have too many LOVES in my studio.  I have a hard time

staying with ONE medium - one way to express - experimentation 

is what it's about.  Am I looking for that ONE thing that I can stay with

forever - nope.  Never have, never will.

Copyright © 2024 Dust Off the Butterfly and Pattie Wall/All Rights Reserved

November/December art from the easel

 Thanks for stopping by - I am sporadically filling in my months (at least) - on this blog - but I have had lots of studio time so far this winter.  Trying some new stuff and revisiting my 'loves' - really liking GOUACHE - it's kinda like watercolor, but not.  Also loving Strathmore tan-colored paper (have some moss colored coming soon).  It takes to gouache and colored pencil very well!  The fox in acrylic (more abstract) is one of my practice pieces in a workshop group I belong to - investigating "intuitive painting". (See May 18)

"A Fenceful Hello"

gouache and watercolor 

on Fluid 100/300 lb. watercolor paper

Unititled  -as I am still looking at this one for any more ideas...

acrylic on cradled Ampersand

watermedia board

"Masked Avenger II"

colored pencil on tan-colored Strathmore paper

SOLD

"Just F.O.X."

SOLD

gouache on tan colored Strathmore paper

(I also had fun making notecards out of this image.)

"Effie"

Pastel on Kitty Wallis sanded pastel paper

Thanks for stopping by!  Come back soon!

Copyright © 2024 Dust Off the Butterfly and Pattie Wall/All Rights Reserved

Art Still GOING On

(I've been really neglectful of this space. Yikes!)  This summer we planted TREES on our property - spent so much time caring for them, and when not doing that, we tried to continue to GO traveling and camping.  Here are a few of the summer's 'additions to the stack in the studio'.  The gallery that I am a member of recently sponsored a week-long plein air event.  There are 3 painting below that I painted during that event.  AND I was on the planning committee as a PR rep.  I learned how to write and create press for different news media.  Exciting and fun!

"Andromeda" mixed media on canvas

"Sunrise Over the Wet Mountains" pan pastel on LaCarte 

(plein air outside my studio one morning)

"Snuggle Time" pastel on LaCarte

"Pure Purple" pan pastel and pastel on LaCarte

(plein air of MY petunias)

"Zinnias" pastel on LaCarte 

(this one won an award in the plein air competition)

"Wise and Wary" mixed media on Jack Richeson panel

"Pepper" mixed media on Jack Richeson panel
(I painted Pepper during the plein air event at Sky Fall Ranch 

in the Wet Mountains)

"Gnarly" pastel on LaCarte

Copyright © Dust Off the Butterfly and Pattie Wall/All Rights Reserved

Happy 17th Blogiversary to ME

 I would like to admit, it's still here, I'm still here and it's still worthy of my attention - although sporadic.   Here are a few new paintings/works in progress. I have been busy taking online courses with Kara Bullock Art with Kimberly Santini, different artists who do faces and figures and a monthly with Tara Will.  Learning, always learning new stuff, techniques and methods. I am filled to the top with ideas.  I have several commissions and am involved in matting and displaying for the 'kids art' wall at the gallery for Sangres Art Guild every month.  

 Both are works in progress in acrylic paint on board

One that is finished - 'Shades of Kansas', in acrylic.

We are busy improving our property and home, since we aren't going to Alaska this year (that's been the situation for the past two years - traveling to Alaska for a good part of the summer.)

Living on the high desert - we have had NO trees - but it's time to plant some.  We rented a tractor/hole digger/skidder yesterday and are making holes for new trees we purchased and will be delivered as soon as we can schedule the delivery, all pines for now. Making some places for some bushes and shrubs, too.

I'm doing some gardening this summer - vegetables that seem to grow here without much fuss, 

even though it's at 8200 feet - like zukes, tomatoes, popcorn - maybe pumpkins.  Very short season.

Working inside with painting and organizing. 

Needing to build a new deck on the back of the house 

to replace the one that is very old and falling down.

Getting pumped up for a road trip to Missouri for the annual Gray Family Reunion around the 4th.

If you are still reading this blog - thanks.  As I said, it's here, I'm here and YOU must be here, too.

Copyright © Dust Off the Butterfly and Pattie Wall/All Rights Reserved

More NEW art pieces

 

Lukki - watercolor 9" x 12"

acrylic done from Unsplash ph ref, thanks C Deluvio!

Time is a Flyin'

 I have been busy friends!  I have let my poor little blog - go to the wind - lately.  Thought I would take a moment to share some of my artwork since the first of the year...I have been involved in many online learning pursuits - most (but not all) of these are from a year long course called "Let's Face It" from Kara Bullock Art School, where we have a certain idea of materials and subject matter (although I usually change that part up to make it MY OWN).  One of my 2024 goals is to improve the human face and figure painting and drawing, so I can create better 'fantasy' and 'storyteller'  human interfaced with animal - themes. Let me know what you think!

Pencil drawing

Acrylic paint

Charcoal

Oil paint

Watercolor

Pencil drawing

Pastel (that's Ellie from The Last of Us)

Charcoal

Oil paint

Watercolor

I have recently reloaded my Daily Paintworks shop - see sidebar and click there.

I also am filling up my Etsy shop - with more of the same....

Check it out!