Adventure, The California Central Coastline

Santa Cruz Seawall

 For the last two years I've enjoyed traveling the central coast of southern California.  These are a few oil paintings I've done during that time frame.  Santa Cruz Seawall and Viridian Cove were done from the deck of the Conception, a 75' dive boat from Santa Barbara, CA.  The first time I sailed on Conception was the first time I picked up an oil brush.  The work I did on that trip (at least the oils!) will never see the light of day.  I attempted to paint on warped canvas board supported by a tenuous watercolor easel and some bristle brushes that quickly shed every bristle!  It was painful!

Viridian Cove

   Several years and two trips later I'm very comfortable both on the deck of a boat and in front of the canvas.

El Matador, Cormarants

I was happy to hit my stride on my most recent trip.  I painted two paintings a day and returned to the mainland ready to continue painting outdoors on a regular basis.  I currently go out on Thursday mornings both alone and with another painter or two and have taken trips up and down the coast from Santa Barbara to Malibu.  Someone's got to do it....The day I painted El Matador I managed to forget my white paint and had to hike up and down a considerable cliff to retrieve it!  I shared the experience of being at Point Magu with my daughter from Seattle.  I want to make sure she remembers just how special it is here!  I'll post some more on my web site in the next few days.  Getting my web presence up to date has been a little painful!  More on that later.  In the meantime, happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Point Magu, I Found the Ocean Breathing

Surf Club or If I'd known it was this easy, I'd have done it a long time ago!

                     

Surf Club

It's not all about painting or working.  Sometimes life is just about being.  Settling into a life as a full-time painter I met some very special people.  I've learned to be a freer, more daring woman just by being around them.  The sharks won't get me; the water won't freeze me; it's kind of fun to get tangled in seaweed and it's always good to laugh when you fall down~

Me, in heaven

I started painting outdoors over a decade ago when my children were little and I had a few hours a day to devote to whatever I chose to do. So I went to the beach several times a week and painted.  I actually had my first show based on plein air watercolors I did the year I moved to California.  After that my work changed and shifted to the studio until a couple of years ago when I decided to make a go of it and do this full time.  I moved my studio to Studio Channel Islands Art Center where I met the painters, printmakers, photographers, weavers, etc. who have become my good friends and have forever changed the way I make art and live life.

That second wave looks perfect:)

About a month after moving into my SCIART studio I met an exceptional painter named David Gallup.  David was just getting ready to take a group of painters to the California Channel Islands in September of 2010.  The only thing was that it was an oil painting workshop. I didn't paint in oil at the time but I really wanted to go.  It seemed like the perfect way to break myself in to full time painting.  Immersion is always the way to go. lol  

The best thing about being so inefficient in the water is I use up soooo many calories .  

Little did I know how much the impulsive choice to go on a painting trip with some new collegues would change my life.  I have learned to paint in oil.  I paint outdoors more than I have since that first year and I'm part of a community we now call our "Channel Islands Family." Our love of painting the outdoors, enjoying each other, being physically active and being grateful for every day we walk or swim the earth brings us together.  

Who else but painters and surfers know that one of the best reasons to learn to surf is to get to know the waves better.  Well, maybe poets know, or sailors, or children, or small dogs...

Whoever they are they are good company.  

I don't know why but I love this pic.  Nicely framed Nansi Bielanski

I do know why I love this one.  Here's one of my surfin' sisters Diane Gold!

All of the photos were taken by the ever so talented Nansi Bielanski.

More Painting on Yupo

Painting on Yupo

    "Emergence" 11x14 watercolor and gold leaf on Yupo, Held in a private collection

I've recently heard from a number of artists interested in step by step directions on displaying watercolor painted on Yupo as you would an oil painting.  I love finishing Yupo this way because it highlights the textures that are such a dominant feature of working with this medium.  I've actually had to warn people not to touch pieces hung in a gallery! 

There are three steps to the process I use.  First, I mount the paper on board.  Then I paint on it.  Finally I seal it.

Mounting the paper

I've switched from mounting on raw masonite to mounting on gatorboard or an art panel that is water resistant. I had an unfortunate accident with a piece I mounted on masonite. When the matte medium got  the board wet, one of the boards buckled enough to compromise the surface of the seal on the painting. So, if you do mount a piece of Yupo, make sure to seal the board first to protect it. Here's my process:

I do this before I paint on the paper. 

1.)  Seal your mounting board or use something that is water resistant. 

2.)  Use a sponge brush to spread liquid matte medium on the board before adhering your paper. You are working as if you were a collage artist. You could also look at techniques the mixed media artists use to adhere papers. Matte medium is one of their staples. 

4.)  Line up the paper with the edge of your board and carefully roll it down across the board. You'll want to get rid of all the air bubbles and make sure there's no medium on the front of the paper. That will show in the finished work.

5.)  Use a rolling pin or brayer to eliminate air bubbles. If you have some that are especially difficult to get rid of pierce them with a straight pin. Go over the surface of the paper with rubbing alcohol on a soft towel or tissue to remove oils and medium that may not be visible. 

6.) Place a heavy object on the board overnight to make it adhere flat.   You'll be ready to paint. 

Then go ahead and paint your masterpiece:)

I can suggest methods to use for painting in another blog.

Sealing your finished work

Craftsmanship matters at this point in the process. Do the work carefully and read the product labels on your mediums. 

1.)  Take your mounted and finished painting and spray with a spray matte medium following label instructions.

2.)  Then use several layers of liquid matte medium.  When you are working on top of the spray the painting is still very vulnerable to being "messed up." Apply in small amounts and be sure to experiment on something you aren't too attached to.  Build slowly and let it dry completely between layers. I usually do 2 sometimes 3 layers. Tip:  stir, don't shake your medium if you need to mix it.  The air bubbles will cause problems otherwise.

I make sure not to go too far. More is not better. The matte medium can peel off if it's too thick or if the seal is uneven. I ended up with a photo transfer effect one time by doing that. It went into another work but...it was unplanned. 

I also check my finish with water and a soft white cloth or tissue. If there is ANY color that comes off, the painting it is not safe to frame without glass. Be very sure of your craftsmanship before you sell your work when you're using a new process.  These are really nice to sell to collectors because they can even be displayed without a frame on a small easel or propped against something. 

I love exploiting the characteristics of Yupo to create exceptional paintings.  My one encouragement is that you let the painting do its thing!  Let me know if you have any questions and if you're in the southern California area come find my studio!   http://studiochannelislands.org/airs/mary-gail-king/

I have regular classes and quarterly workshops.  I'm also happy to schedule something in your area.