Week Five of Painting Class


Vintage Floral Sheet, acrylic and gouache, 6″ x 12″ wood panel
This was the final week of Lisa and Mati’s online painting class, Get Your Paint On, and our assignment was to choose between starting a new painting, or revisiting one we’d done during the other weeks of the class. I was anxious to start a new painting, and had already begun rolling around ideas in my head.
That is, until Emma recommended I not paint a quilt this week.

“Why?”, I asked.
“You’ve painted alot of quilts already, you might get tired of them.”, she said.
I chuckled. I’ve painted only 4 paintings IN MY LIFE and they happen to be of quilts. I’m not really tired of anything yet.
However… taking a talented artist’s advice is not a bad thing, so I decided to change it up this week.
I picked one of the painterly floral sheets I’ve collected from the thrift store as my subject matter. These are the cheeriest thing in my studio these days… they even made their way into this month’s inspiration image (wrapped around the skeins of wool). I love the cheery patterns, the blues and yellows of the florals. I chose to focus on the wrong side of the sheet, but included the hem detail at the top (which shows the fabric’s right side), including the content tag. It was an extremely satisfying image to paint. My color mixing has already become quicker and much more intuitive since I started with my first piece. I have a better understanding about what area needs thicker paint, what needs watery, thinned down paint. I wanted the detail of the tag to be as clear as I could make it, and to make the floral pattern as painterly as the original sheet. I changed the background of the original sheet to a more modern gray shade in my painting, instead of the original white.
I want the sheet I painted.
This course, my first experience into painting, has been incredibly eye opening for me. I know that I will continue to paint, I really love it. I am realizing that so much of this is practiced and learned through time and patience.
See week’s one, two, three, and four.
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I hope everyone is enjoying last Friday’s granny squares! I want to be super clear that we are not copying that original pattern. Do not want anyone to get the wrong idea. This is a newly created pattern, combining different granny squares in unique combinations. I have no other sampler version to show you to help with gathering your yarn, but once I have a picture of my own sampler to show you, I will.

19 Comments
  • Betz

    May 21, 2012 at 5:54 am

    Brilliant! I love this, Blair! The idea and the execution. Can’t wait to see more.

  • scissor variations

    May 21, 2012 at 6:40 am

    This is really lovely Blair–I especially love the tag detail.
    I think week four and this one are my favorites—would be wonderful transformed into greeting cards…

  • Annette

    May 21, 2012 at 8:25 am

    I love this, especially the tag and hem detail. Brilliantly done.

  • lisa s

    May 21, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    the tag and the diagonal line at the bottom really really do make this !!!!!!
    congrats blair.

  • Laura Dodson

    May 21, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    I want the sheet you painted too. Love the grey. You have done such a great job, Blair. Hope to see you in beyond basics!

  • beth

    May 21, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    changing the white to grey was spot on and this will painting could really make a room something special…way to get your paint on : )

  • susaninfrance

    May 21, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    oh wow, you are a talented artist. amazing work. can’t believe it’s your 4th painting. bravo, really. tag, the flip side showing–changing the base color to grey….love the heavy stitching esp.

  • KerryQ

    May 22, 2012 at 8:44 am

    Me, too! Looking forward to the fabric line starring this print!

  • Melissa Crowe

    May 22, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    Oh, this is my favorite one! Nice work, lady!

  • blair/wisecraft

    May 23, 2012 at 8:15 am

    Thank you Betz! I’m itching to start a new painting, but I should finish a rather lengthy to-do list first. But soon!

  • blair/wisecraft

    May 23, 2012 at 8:17 am

    Thanks my dear! Each time I finish one, I say “This one’s my favorite”, so I think that’s a good sign, but painting 100 it’ll be amazing! 😉

  • blair/wisecraft

    May 23, 2012 at 8:17 am

    Thank you Annette, I think the tag was my favorite part. The piece definitely needed it.

  • blair/wisecraft

    May 23, 2012 at 8:17 am

    Thank you friend! Guess what I’m working on today??? ;D

  • blair/wisecraft

    May 23, 2012 at 8:18 am

    I am planning to do the beyond basics class, it’ll be fun to “work together” again in that one. I think your pieces are so lovely, you have an eye for color. Keep it up!

  • blair/wisecraft

    May 23, 2012 at 8:18 am

    Thank you Beth!

  • blair/wisecraft

    May 23, 2012 at 8:19 am

    Thank you Susan! I couldn’t really believe how much I enjoyed this class! Didn’t think it was my thing, but even if it isn’t, it sure is fun.

  • blair/wisecraft

    May 23, 2012 at 8:19 am

    I wish! ; D Thank you Kerry!

  • blair/wisecraft

    May 23, 2012 at 8:19 am

    Thank you Melissa!! xo

  • Erin Wilson

    May 25, 2012 at 5:41 pm

    Yeah, I don’t even think I could begin to tell you how much I freaking love that you’re painting sheets.
    Holy cow. Totally fabulous!

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