WIP - Hands

More hand prints.  It is sooooooo unbelievably hot and dry here, normally we have a humidity level around 50% or higher this time of year, which is causing problems with drying times.  Problems as in everything is drying within minutes, sometimes seconds, making it difficult to work the cloth.

Waiting

... on gesso to dry, after this layer has dried I'll apply a final layer of gesso. 

Garden Update 060912

Praying for rain!  Just finished watering the garden, by the time I was done it looked as if I hadn't even watered.  Tomorrow I'm putting down the final layer of heavy mulch along with the seaper hoses!

My grapevine has grapes on it for the first time in 8 years, mainly because the neighborhood thief didn't shear it off to the quick this past winter!!!  Yes I actually have someone who has been coming into my yard and cutting back my vines, and then stealing them!!! 

Anyway, we'll be putting netting on the arbor this coming week to keep the cardinals, and other birds, from stealing my grapes.  Mainly it's the cardinals that have been causing problems, they did a pretty good job of stripping the cherry tree that's just behind the grape vine, and the cherries hadn't even turned red yet.

Studio Update 021212

Waiting on one of the large shelves to finish drying before I start putting heavy items on it, waiting for paint to dry/cure can be torturous!  The two floral teapots on the top shelf belonged to my mother, they really pop against the verdant green color.

Mono Print with Golden Paints

Below: Golden's Thick Body Paint, Indian Yellow, on the foam plate. Above: First print printed onto commercial stationary.

Will have to mix some extender with the Golden Paints they dry out wayyyyyyyyyyy too fast! I thought I'd try it with just straight paint to see just how fast the paint does dry out.

Madder Root

Fresh Madder Root from my best friends green house - picture and roots courtsey of Karen Hartshorn!

Dried Madder Root - picture and roots courtsey of me!

YES there is a discernable difference in the color and the intensity of the colors you get when using fresh or dried madder root! If you can get fresh roots that is the best way to go, much better reds. The lightfastness and washfastness will be the same but the overall intensities will be different.