I am such a confused artist

 Okay. Not so very long ago I declared my love of Pan Pastels, pastels, pastel pencils and I have created many beautiful paintings with this medium. But, I recreated my YouTube channel to a Vlog and began re-collecting various mediums. I shared and revealed and shared again different media. I began a tiny infatuation with Neocolor 2 from Caran D'Ache but just yesterday morning,  while meditating on my next Neocolor project, Derwent Inktense marched loudly into the center of my mind and that was it. I'd created over 30 paintings with Inktense but stopped years ago as I moved into alcohol inks, watercolor, and pastels in all of its glorious variations. Oh there were oil paintings and acrylic paintings as well. And acrylic inks made a recent appearance in my art space. 

Now, I don't claim to be a creative genius although, sometimes I do have a creative spark.  But, I master every medium I use; become infatuated and, as a fickle lover sees the next pretty smile and moves on so do I. That's me, a fickle medium lover.  

So, what's this is all about? I only have videos on YouTube dating back a bit over 3 years. I have no videos of my Inktense paintings on YouTube. I decided this morning to find images of my Inktense work and create a respective intro of said images for my next, not-yet-taped YouTube video. There are a few of my Inktense paintings below this article.

 The colors are so vibrant. The pencils and block blend and cover so well. I used to have all 72 of the pencils and 30 something of the blocks but since I hadn't used them for so long, I gave them away. Well, I repurchased a twelve set of each and that's plenty to get me started because I have the knowledge and skill to blend these colors. Stay tuned to my YouTube channel to watch my next video featuring Derwent Inktense Pencils on Derwent Inktense paper.

Neocolor 2 portrait of a Bluejay

 I liked the drawing. I'm not pleased with the final result. I used Neocolor 2 on Stonehenge Kraft paper but realized into the project that I had to limit the amount of water I used because of buckling. This Kraft paper isn't meant to be used with watercolors. Hence, I ended up coloring for the most part and what I wanted was to have a loose, translucent image. I was able to achieve this with the branch the Bluejay is sitting on but I had to be very careful with the amount of water I was using. 

It's back to watercolor paper when I used any water-based medium.

I can't escape the politics

 In the 8th grade I questioned my Italian teacher who happened be truly Italian, accent and all, about something I don't recall.  He said to me "You would probably sit next to a Communist. You are like a poet sitting under a tree."  Well, I would sit next to a Communist. I would sit next to anyone. I remember thinking to myself. what is a Communist, someone with two heads who someone with different thoughts?

And as for being a poet, I am an artist. I've never really succeeded at poetry, though I've tried. And I'm not exactly a great success as an artist except that I love to create. l love to share pretty pictures. I love to raise the vibration of the planet with my artwork. That's what creative people do. 

Since this is an art blog, I'll give you a sneak peek at this year's Christmas card design. What comes next is not so peaceful or pretty.

This morning, teary eyed after a rant with Jesus about many social issues going on around me that I won't go into because they aren't quite as important as World Peace, I posted the following on my facebook page. 

Only .2 percent of the world's population is Jewish. How powerful must they be to instill such fear in the hearts of the Arab world. I used to wonder why the Chosen were so persecuted through time but now I realize that they are so blessed to survive all that's been done against them because they are Chosen.

I know that not all Jews agree on the issues of Israel and not all Israelis agree on their own political issues. Just like most citizens in the Western World. STOP trying to smit Israel and there will be peace in the Middle East. Remember who threw the first punch in this particular fight and ask them to stand down and make peace.

You don't have to agree with me and you are free to unfollow me but this is what I believe and your arguments can't change that.

I am a Lutheran Woman. I believe in a pure and loving Creator. I believe in the Trinity. I believe World Peace happens when the aggressor puts down their weapons.

Please remember that in this country, you can not only think what you wish, but you can say what you wish but please keep in mind what you say can come back and bite you in the ass. You may not yell fire in a crowded theatre. You may not slander others. and if you post it on social media you might not get that job. It's a different world than I grew up in. Sometimes I feel sorry for those who came after social media. Sometimes I don't.

Ink and watercolor

 

I've returned to watercolor still striving to create allowing the water to take charge. I chose to draw with waterproof ink and then color with Caran D'Ache Neo color 2 water soluble crayons. The three sleeping pigs were fun but the crayons aren't as free as watercolor paints. 

I met a crow and a robin in a supermarket parking lot and thought immediately they were a natural composition. I drew them in ink and painted with water color paint which allowed me to drop in blooms and color; to wash away darker  shades to create lighter areas. 

I saw an oak leaf on the ground and at first thought it was a feather. Instantly I had a flash in my mind of bird with leaves instead of feathers and again using ink and watercolor I created crow dressed as a robin for Halloween. 

But, that's what Halloween is all about really, aside from the candy. We get to be someone or something else for one evening. Unfortunately for us, probably most of us, we are oftern pretending to  be someone else and, if you think about it, ourt friends and family often help us with the fantasy. Or am I being too synical?

Just click on the images to watch the videos

Just a side note. I realized the other day, Tuesday, actually, while signing a card for a coworker, that my handwriting, once beautiful and controlled is shaky. I have arthritis in the fingers of my right hand and it is visible. Not so bad that it is beyond mildly uncomfortable but enough that fine drawing and detail is difficult for me. So, I guess, my Higher Consciousness has been guiding me to pen and wash and water media all along. I was just too sunconscious to recognize it, until Tuesday. So, it's time for me to stop punishing myself and let loose with pens and sketchy drawing and watercolor. It's fun. It's Whimsical. It can be serious if I so chose. 

Paper Weaving and Pan Pastels

 

This is my latest project, a multimedia portrait of a Cardinal at a bird feeder. I justed Pan Pastels and paper weaving with decorative and quilling paper. My paper was/is Canson black drawing paper. 

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Click on the image to see the short of me sharing this image and YouTube and stay tuned for my upcoming video. Right now its 3 and a half hours long so there is a lot of editing ahead but it will be out next week.

Halloween T shirt Design

I had a great time creating this Halloween composition. It's completely orginal, no reference photos, just memory, so if it's not scientifically accurate that's why.

This is the link to my Threadless store: https://manssonfineart.threadless.com/designs/halloween-2023-ala-joan   should you wish to buy one. It only comes in black or dark gray and orange.

I created this Halloween composition on black pastel cold press paper using Pan Pastels and a few pastel pencils. The paper is 12 x 16 inches, black as I mentioned by Colour Block (www.colour-block,com) I am not sponsored by Colour Block or Pan Pastels or Caran D'Ache. I just buy and buy and buy.

The colors I used: red, blue, yellow, yellow ochre, black and white I blended this limited palette to create all the hues, lights and shades I needed. I used a pale yellow and a dark blue pastel pencil from Caran D'Ache. And pastel pencil you like will do. I just buy and buy and buy so I have several sets of pastel pencils and other as well.

I decided just a few days ago to design a Halloween T Shirt so I did.

This is my second holiday T Shirt. I did one for Christmas. I missed a lot of holidays in between. I may make up for that in the coming months.

Thanks for taking the time to watch the YouTube video!

Pan Pastels and Me Forever

Watch this YouTube Short to hear me explain

 

2023 Has Been a weird year. Lots of drama with a capital "D"

 Yep.  Yes. Yeah. My year was filled with surprises, family drama, illness, hospitalization, legal "stuff" and more. Lots more. Because not all of this stuff is mine; I don't own it; I won't share it. But it all started in December 2022 when my sister's daughter, daughter's husband and grandson moved to Florida. That's where I live. Then my little sister came for Christmas to help her daughter settle in. Little sister stayed with us, me and our big sister. I'm a caregiver. Little sister came from Colorado and during the winter, Colorada's geography started to collapse, quite literally. Sinks holes on a major highway was just the start. Then came family drama but not mine to share. Then illness. Mine. February brought me two abdominal surgeries and oh  joy, my para ostomy hernia was repaired but, a week later my ileostomy had to be moved. I was home for six weeks. Little sister became caregiver. Grandson stayed with us and helped. Big sister did her best but she had doctor's appointments and her son and daughter in law had to step in for those. Family is important. We need one another or is it each other? 

In the mean time, I didn't post. I finally drew a portrait of my niece's dogs. That was my return to art. A touch of sanity. I couldn't lift but it  was only a couple of weeks before I could drive. Instacart was a godsend. Not cheap but great. Little sister has trouble walking but she fell in love with the electric scooters in Publix. Big sister has trouble walking. Not me. I can walk. Well, all of this healing and drama and recouping went on until my birthday in the beginning of June. I did a lot with trying to figure out where I was going with my art. Trying to make videos. My head and heart spinning. Just so dizzy. So dizzy. I feel as though I lost 2023 and my blog posts have suffered. I was trying to post at least 2 a month. My aim was one a week. It's September and it's hurricane season. 

Bad news. Little sister lost one of her dogs; a bull mastiff named Bella. Just 5 years old. We are sad.

Lots of other health issues with other Florida family members but we are somehow surviving and what I want most is to make pretty pictures.  I just want to sit in my newly revamped art space (I prefer that to studio) and pick a subject: create a compostion and paint with pastels or draw; or both. Although I do a lot of experimenting I don't want to experiment. I want to work with the medium that is best for me; pan pastels and pastel pencils and I want to work on black watercolor paper. Black paper and I had a whole Big Bang epiphany. Creation came out of the darkness ergo my creations come out of the darkness.

But I really want to blog. I realized just the other day when I finished my last blog post, that, while I'm not the author of the next great American novel I have a decent writing style; sort of like a reporter though I don't see a Pulizter in my future.  

So I hope that... scratch that... I plan to write more blog posts. I would love to hear from you, whoever you are; recommendations or questions or comments of the nice kind. Nothing nasty, just constructive criticism or requests for things you think I can share about art.

Here's the portrait I did of Lucky and Gwendolyn:

My Art Space ..... or what I did on Labor Day

 Here it is, my newly revamped art space. I hesitate to call it a studio, but, I guess it is. Most of it, including the closet (not pictured) is filled with art supplies. This first image is of my sister's 56 inch wide pine desk. That's where I work on photos, videos and my bank statements. From 8AM to 5PM with a few food breaks I moved furniture and reorganized supplies until I reached perfection. Well, my version of perfection. The video on the bottom is a taste of what I was working with.

This is the most important part of my art space. My work station; my drafting table equipped with lights and camera stands and easy access to all of my art supplies. It's only because I've kept my work table clean in spite of the mess that surrounded me that I've been able to draw and paint and make videos. While trying to make my space cohesive and actually I did, accidentally, I ignored what was most important; my work space needed to be free and uncluttered and allowed breathing space. Making sure that my supplies are neatly organized meant that I knew where everything was/is and there is less scrambling around for what I need to draw or paint. Right now I'm concentrating once again on pan pastels on black paper and my cart to the right of my table is filled with most of what I need. When I decide to use another medium, I can just pull out what I need before I begin the project and place it on my cart. I feel so pleased; so relaxed; so redeemed and I did this without giving away any art supplies to make room. In fact, I have room for more supplies if I want them. In truth, I don't need any more supplies unless I run out of a color or a pencil.  

Here is where most of my frequently used art supplies are now kept; in those brightly colored carts.  I have pencils, colored and watercolor, graphite, Neocolor, gouache, watercolor, inks, brushes for every type of medium and so much more.  In the far corner I have a cart for most of my white papers, mostly watercolor and drawing.  The larger pads are in the closet and to the right of my drafting board. Everything is reachable without moving anything. I do have to admit that I'm not comfortable with the stool which I've had for a year. It just doesn't feel steady although I've never fallen over. I guess I'm on the look out for a new one. 

This video is a taste of the mess I was working in. Please understand, I have been organizing my art space for the past 7 years and I finally feel as though I'm home.

My Journey back to Pastels...

 In my never ending search for my best medium, I have once again returned to pastels. As much as I like to draw (with graphite) I love even more what happens when I draw and paint with pastel pencils and Pan Pastels.  I'm sure I'll use other media. I have enough to keep me going for several years. But I realized, once again, that I am best when working with pastels.  There is a link to my latest YouTube videos under the images below. One is for the grayscale portrait and one is for the color portrait.  I hope you have the chance to take a look at them.  

I used Faber Castell Pitt Pastel Pencils, the 60 pencil set. I have several sets of pastel pencils and Pan Pastels. I also have a lovely set of soft pastel sticks from Sennelier but I don't often use them. Still, on occasion I do.

I used the grayscale portrait as my base for the color portrait, cover the gray areas with color .

This is my first portrait completed last week. Click on the image to see that video. I must warn you though that this video is nearly 2 hours long so bring some popcorn.

This is the color version. I never touched the black areas of Brix. That's his name. He's a beautiful Doberman I met at Mead Botanical Gardens in Winter Park, Florida. If you click on this image you can watch my second video. It's only 45 minutes long. So, in total, this project only took three hours. 

Although time has nothing to do with the selection of the medium, it is helpful to me that pastels require less time because of arthritis in my fingers. They are, for me, easier to handle, don't require the pressure of colored pencils or graphite and allow me to blend more easily than other media. 

And now I'm illustrating a song

 My adventure through creation is often a bit of whimsy, I think. An idea occurs and sometimes I act on it. I but lots of supplies and use them once or come back to them over and over again. A song has been going through my head and images that the words create. No, not some familiar tune of the 60s or 70s. It's a song I wrote to serenade my youngest great nephew with. It's called "I'm Tye the Viking Boy". 

I drew my first image yesterday. Page 1. There won't be many images. I'm not planning on creating a storybook. I am planning on creating a sort of animated book. The words will be animated. I may throw in a trick or two and it will be short. I will post it on YouTube for all the world to see and maybe hear. I'll probably sing it. 

I'm working in pen and ink on white cardstock and at some point, when my work is done, I'll add color. Now I don't know if that will be markers, or crayons or gouache or digital. It will come to me.

This is the first image. Ir's not a good photo. My shadow is in the way but I'll take others.

Here's a link to another YouTube story, The Great Friendship . You'll see what I mean by slightly animated.

Here is the link to my YouTube video of this drawing: Tye the Viking Boy

Portrait Paintings could be the end of my acrylic painting.....

 I got a bug up whatever and decided I wanted to paint children's portraits. After my adventures in child portraiture, that bug has been smashed.  I asked one of my niece's for permission to paint portraits of her grandchildren (my great-great niece and nephew. She happily obliged sending me photos from which I chose the following pictures:

First I painted my ggniece and it was a struggle. It had been over 30 years since I had painted a portrait in acrylic or oil paints. Pencils, pastels, yes. With pencils it's as if they are extensions of my fingers. With paints, well, in my video to which there is a link under ggnephew's portrait as well, I describe the process as using my brush as a magic wand trying to lay out the palette and determine the colors. Hermione Granger I am not. Well I finished the painting and it's her face. I made the smile less posed making it less like the photograph. I was pleased. My niece was pleased.

I waited a few days to tackle the portrait of ggnephew. When I did, though, I had as many misgivings about this project as I had with the first. Oh I have painted many beautiful paintings in acrylic but portraits are a different type of landscape. Children's portraits more so.  But I went ahead and if you watch the video (it's just over 20 minutes) you'll see all the changes I made because the painting just wasn't right. In the end I had this lovely boy to show for my efforts. Again, I softened the smile so that it seemed more natural. My niece loved this one as well. 

The cool thing that I did was chose two 9 x 12 gallery wrapped (Artist's Loft level 3 about $17 each) so that framing wasn't necessary and they could stand on an even surface like a book shelf or table. Check out my short to see how they work. They are sooo cool. Not cheap but they do save money on framing. And many companies make them for more and less money. 

I used Sennelier Extra Fine Acrylic Paint which is a heavy body paint though not has heavy as Liquitex which heavy body paints. Sennelier dries more quickly and requires less water than the Liquitex paints but I would use Liquitex for palette painting over Sennelier; if I ever do palette painting again.

So, I'm taking a break from painting right now and resting my head by drawing. Sometimes, color gets in the way and when it does it makes me dizzy. Had I done these portraits in shades of gray it would have been much easier for me. 

You can follow me on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. 

Acrylic Paints took me back!

 After a few years separation from acrylic paints, well, we still got together once in a while but it was nothing like it used to be, they've taken me back. Its' so funny. I really can't look at another medium right now. I am just in love with all things acrylic. In this painting I completed the background in acrylic inks, Sennelier Abstract Acrylic Inks specifically. The birds and turtles were painted with Sennelier Extra Fine Acrylic Paint. That's what they call professional quality acrylic paints. The colors are vibrant; the paints dry quickly and the coverage excellent. 

I recently, just the other day, experimented with acrylic markers but that didn't work. I want to create realistic work and I didn't. The result was much the same as what I did with alcohol markers. Pens jut aren't the delivery system I work best with. It's okay for a dab here or a line there but for overall painting I prefer brushes. All kinds of brushes. Click on the image above to see my edited video on this painting to see my new approach to painting with acrylics.

Here is the description of that video:

I have developed a style of painting using acrylic inks as an underpainting and a glaze, then building with acrylic paint. In this project I used Sennelier Abstract Acrylic Ink and Daler Romney Acrylic Ink and Sennelier Fine Acrylic Paint on a black canvas board.

I purchased the canvas board from a local art supply store but they can be purchased online. Ink colors: Blue, White, Orange Paint colors: Ivory Black, Titanium White, Primary Blue, Primary Yellow and Sap Green Acrylic Pens: Black, White Amazon Affiliate links: Sennelier Abstract Acrylic Ink: https://amzn.to/3Npnnlt Sennelier Fine Acrylic Paint: https://amzn.to/3qJchPh Daler Romney Acrylic Ink: https://amzn.to/43MhOmM

I love my Sennelier Acrylic paints and inks

 

Click on the painting of the Cardinal to link to my video of this project.

I used the Sennelier acrylic inks to create the background and the paints to paint the Cardinal and the branch. The coverage is wonderful and these paints dry so quickly. 

The gesso board is mounted on a 1 inch deep frame and is 8 x 8 inches square. I enjoy completing the background and then drawing and painting the main image. This painting only took about an hour to paint and I am very pleased with the final project.  

These are the Amazon Affiliate links to the Sennelier Acrylic Paints and Sennelier Abstract Acrylic Inks

Which watercolor pencil is best for my glazing technique?

 I recently finished a comparison of six watercolor brands. Well, five watercolor brands and Derwent Inktense. That comparison is now available on YouTube and it's only 1 hour and 20 minutes long. WHAT! I know. People only watch movies and Patreon lessons that are over 30 minutes. But I edited it down from 3.5 hours. Anyway, it's essentially three parts. The first,  in which I demonstrate Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils, is the longest because, beyond sharing how this pencil did with my glazing technique, I showed how the process. The next section is a time-lapse demo of the other five pencils, Caran D'Ache, Winsor & Newton, Derwent, Derwent Inktense and General's. The third part is about my very personal conclusions about which pencils did best in the this process.

I worked with 12 pencil sets. The colors weren't consistent but I did manage to create a palette of similar hues. That's where color theory comes into play. Looking at the painting of the six Waxwings, it's difficult to see a difference in colors used in each of the birds.

I wrote about glazing with watercolor pencils in my February 17, 2022 post should you like to take a peak.

In the end, Derwent and Winsor & Newton were eliminated. They just weren't strong enough to deliver a strong glaze. Derwent Inktense, while a vibrant and fluid medium, wasn't translucent enough to act as a glaze. Faber-Castell, Caran D'Ache and General's performed equally well in glazing but because of its cost, I decided against adding a larger set of this beautiful set to my collection. General's only has 24 pencils so I went ahead and bought this set initially. You can see my reveal shorts of the 24 pencil set of Faber-Castell's new Magnus watercolor pencils and the 36 pencil set of the Faber-Castell watercolor pencils which I purchased.

Oh, I've renamed or, is that rebranded my YouTube channel Joan Mansson's Art Vlog and I'm changing the direction a bit. while sharing my artwork I'm demonstrating new materials like the watercolor pencils. 

I'm Back! Almost

 

This is the drawing for my next, long awaited project. It's been four weeks since my second of two unexpected surgeries. I haven't been able to paint or draw until just a couple of days algo when I drew this freehand image of a squirrel. I'm not up to painting yet but I'm getting there and my plan is to study gouache. I've used the medium before but always the way I used acrylic paints. This time I want to spend this journal/sketchbook learning what I can do with gouache so, I'll move from creature to creature perfecting my skill and experimenting with the application of this paint.

The journal is watercolor paper and I'm painting with Caran D'Ache a gouache palette. The drawing was done with a Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencil, my first type of pencil and one of my favorites. I've decided I'll so all of the drawing in this book with this pencil but I may used gouache from a tube at some point. I just don't know yet.  

 

Neocolor 2: water soluble crayons. Sounds like fun!

 

My sister Rose Marie gave me a lovely gift of cash for Christmas and said that maybe I could find a new medium. Well, I thought about it. Was there anything I hadn't tried? I thought about oil pastels. I'd used them. I had some. But I'm not a fan. Then I went on Amazon and browsed through recommendations and came upon Caran D'Ache Neocolor 2 watersoluble crayons  (amazone affiliate link). They are from Caran D'Ache so quality wasn't an issue to me. I'd done some great work with watercolor pencils but I'd given them up and given them all away. I've got to stop doing that. Just for full disclosure, I bought these are supplies myself. I was not sponsored by Caran D'Ache or Stonehenge. 

I bought a 30 crayon set. I also bought a 12 pencil set of their water soluble colored pencils. They came quickly and I pulled out my Stonehenge Hot press Watercolor paper (jamazon affiliate link). This is my first attempt and I thought is was pretty good for a first try. Have I not been saying I was going to work with pastels practically exclusively not necessarily in those words but I thought I was done with water colors in all forms. Evidently not.

I used the Neocolor 2 to create this juvenile Cardinal. Just click on the image below to see the YouTube Video demonstration of my first sojourn into the world of watercolor crayons.

But I wanted to do more experimenting and that included some watercolor techniques like salt and blooms. This painting is my completed work. This video is still in edit. I'll be working on a review video next. I really prefer to have some experience with the medium before I review it.

I enjoyed working with the Neocolor 2. Blending with water was easy and smooth.  The rich color is muted with the addition of water but the pigment takes on the feel of watercolor. If you want to use the Neocolor 2 as just a crayon, the vibrance remains. You can build up over the washes you create to add more depth of color of keep the colors soft and translucent. I purchased the Neocolor 2 40 crayon (amazon affiliate link) but if you can't afford that, there is a  Neocolor 10 crayon set (amazon affiliate link) and as with any watercolor pigments, you can create more colors with the application of water and blending.  Just click on either link for more information about these crayons.