Fig 1. Paisleys underway. Click to enlarge.
I don’t know where the time has gone, but Christmas is just around the corner. And funnily enough, just as I did throughout last year’s Christmas gift-making process, I am once again learning a language with Pimsleur as I work. Or should that be play. Because it’s not work to me, Christmas is a wonderful excuse for doing what I love, dabbling with art materials and trying to turn a far-fetched idea into a work of art.
Luckily for me during this stressful, crowded and busy shopping season, I have lots to occupy myself with, here in my amazingly beautiful house, as my 31 paisleys in 31 days project is in full swing. I did say they were going to be A5 sized, but as you can see in the paintings, some are quite a bit smaller. I wonder what they could be for? As those are for my Christmas gifts, I can’t offer any clues I’m afraid, lest some of my loved ones are reading this blog and cotton on to what mischief I am up to.
Fig 2. More work has been done on each paisley. Click to enlarge.
Anyway, I don’t want to sound like I am offering a full-blown gift-making tutorial, heaven forbid, but I thought I would share my paisley painting process.
Fig 1. As you can see, I start off on the first day (of my 3 or 4 day process) with some very basic, soft, watercolour, paisley shapes on high-quality watercolour paper. You can see some of the edges of finished paisleys in Fig 1 too.
By Fig 2, you can see those paisleys after day 2 with a little bit more detail. I can’t paint in that detail on the first day, because the background is still wet and could smudge or run in together. Day 3 and day 4, and those paisleys are finished and more started, probably with a different design than the one just finished from the previous group.
That’s why I never get bored, because each one is unique, even if it is based on the same design. I hope you’re not bored either, with my paisley indulgence – maybe there is something that you love to do (a sheer indulgence) that makes you wonder whether it is difficult occasionally for others to tolerate? Surely I am not the only fanatic with my creative ideas.
Art saves lives.