The last (for a while) Winny the Boxer painting is finished. After the six paintings are photographed, I am putting them in an old 6 pane window that we took out of our house. I don’t have anywhere to hang the window in our house right now, so if you have been looking into ordering a large painting, hit me up.
Just like the other 5 paintings, she is painted on canvas paper and glued onto the background. I downloaded the background from Canva using their free service. I have to change the quality of the print in Photoshop because it is the free version on Canva. It is a fun program. If I were doing more of this style, I would definitely subscribe.
We have been driving the US for a month, and I am home now. I guess I needed a lot of visual stimuli to feel like creating again. I have had a productive week of Winny art.
Amish Winny
I am doing a series of Boxers with photographs as part of the background. I love the look of the combined media. I am going to incorporate my own photos into my art in the near future. I am excited about it.
Mademoiselle Winny
I am pretty happy with the way her beret looks like cashmere.
One more Winny to go. I think it might be Whistler’s Boxer.
Long story short, I could never paint well enough to be happy with my work by painting in reverse on glass. Reverse and glass are two words you won’t hear me say again.
This is my latest and last attempt.
I decided to do mixed media on canvas paper, then put it behind the glass. I am still doing 6 versions of Winny.
This is Boxer in Pearl Earring. What you see at the top is my latest attempt at crackling the background like an old Vermeer. Paint a coat of white glue, any brand, and while it is tacky, paint over it with paint. When it dries, it looks crackled, but mostly in one direction no mater how I paint the undercoat. I say good enough. This is my plan for the background.
I was thinking of an over-all name for the piece. Maybe Tiny Boxer like the Tiny Dancer song. Maybe she will be wearing Elton John sunglasses. The words for the song fit her perfectly.
Hold me closer, tiny boxer
Count the headlights on the highway (like on a road trip)
Lay me down in sheets of linen (in our bed)
You had a busy day today (watching walkers by)
That's all for now. I have a way forward that I am happy with.
May I wish that for you.
Gator Girl
This one small plane of glass might be 2 blogs. It is interesting to try to figure this method out. Reverse Glass Painting has been used all over the world since the 1500’s. I fell into it because we replaced a 6 pane window with a door in the back of our house.
The painting has to be well thought out. I immediately did not think this through. I just figured I could learn as I go. I sort of can, but the first thing I had to learn was how to take the paint off.
This is the prototype. It’s called Boxer with Pearl Earring. I put this collage behind the glass panel. The tricky part is painting in reverse. If I make a mistake, I have to take the paint off down to the glass. It is important to look at the back of the glass often. That is cumbersome if you have a heavy, old 6 pane window. The first time I forgot her pupils.
The following image is the side of the glass that I am painting. I tried putting glass beads in the black paint to make it look crackled like an old painting. That didn’t work. I need to order some stuff called Crackle from Blick. This attempt is sort of basic, but not too bad. Just wait…
This is the viewing side. I put on so much paint to make it opaque.
This is where I am now.
I took off the most offensive paint with nail polish remover. I learned this handy information from a YouTube educator. Kayla BameThe entire research I did was watching this young woman’s video; 7 things to know about Reversed Glass Painting.
I am ordering Crackle. And I am trying to not start all the way over. Stay tuned.
Gator Girl Art 