trying new things

I recently received an e-mail inviting me to participate in a class called "Big Bold Bloom Wild Painting." I was so intrigued by it. Flora and fauna are my go-to subject matter, and the idea of anything "wild" appeals to me on many levels.

Here's the video explaining the class:

While I can't really justify dropping $165 to learn to paint things I already paint well, I definitely appreciate Lynn Whipple's style (both painting and fashion-wise!) and wanted to experiment with pastels and acrylics playing together on one surface.

I did see her starting with charcoal, but since I'd recently purchased a set of Pentel Oil Pastels, I dove right in covering up an unattractive flowers-gone-awry piece with this beauty:

 

I started with very sketch-style flowers, filled in with layers and layers of paint and added more detail lines, drips and splatters. One of my students brought up an interesting thought: the black areas with white dots looked, to my student, like Monarch butterflies hidden in the piece. Insightful! 

 This piece and two others are part of a "Smallworks" show. I'll post more information as it's available!

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