Samstag, 29. Dezember 2018

"White" - Art Elements Theme Challenge



This month it was my turn to host the Art Elements Theme Challenge and I chose the topic "White". Although I love to work with neutral colours, this was a real challenge for me! I found a lot of wonderful inspiration (just have a look at the challenge launch blog post here).

Also I had a kind of head start since it was also my turn for a blog post at Art Elements in the first week of december that I used to explore the theme (have a look here). A tiny wee voice in my head tells me I should be lucky for that or I could have crushed the theme challenge I host myself ;)


After creating some monochromatic paintings with acrylic paint for that blog post, I switched to water colour. I really enjoy learning and exploring and right now water colour speaks to me. I think it is the combination of the free flowing paint and the control that can create such wonderful expressionistic work. I am still struggling to balance too much and too less details and sketching in general. But as much as I see the mistakes in my own work, I also see and feel the progress I make.


It could be true that I own a little bit too many Schmincke Hoaradam paints... but another part of me want to have them all! (still not there yet) Also when working with water colours, one realizes really soon that it is not only about the colour itself but how the pigments inside react. Colour shades may be quite similar but the physical properties of the pigments can vastly differ, how they move in water, how transparent they are, how the react with other pigments (yes, water colour has a lot of chemical theory in it), how they interact with the surface...


...I thought for some time I had too many shades of yellow, orange and red. Now I am rather like, for this I need exactly that paint! Or.... no, I don't ever want to miss this paint because there is no other like it!


I am also becoming more and more an advocate for high quality material. No doubt a skillful person can create wonderful work with any kind of material. But it like with high quality tools. The material works with you and not against you.


In the past I was tempted to get and try all kind of companies and materials. A part of me still is (and still doing this although not as much anymore) but I have to confess that I get also more and more disappointed.


Of course, I am not always buying the most expensive material but it also depends on what I want to create and use it for. For example I use different acrylic paints to antique my polymer clay work, to paint, or to use it formonoprints on gel plates. But even then I am taking care to use an acrylic paint of at least medium quality in the binder.


Okay, I started rambling again. I have a bad cold for a week now, survived christmas only with a lot of "drugs", and am so tired due to not being able to sleep... and tomorrow will be the next big family celebration. I tend to ramble if I am tired ;)


But if you would like to get a little bit deeper into properties of paints or other materials, just write in the comments what would interest you. That could be a good inspiration for a blog post.


Back to the theme challenge. You see I had a lot of fun sketching and painting white animals.Most of the time the didn't stay pure white but rather became somehow studies of shadows. But in nature a lot of white animals are also not true white. Even snow has a blueish tint especially on sunny days since it reflects the sky. This was what I learned in this challenge: How colorful white "spaces" in nature really are!


I also want to show you some of the ceramic work I made. Okay, I only show you the pieces that are fitting in this theme. They were not done especially for this months challenge but rather intended as christmas presents... but I let myself get inspired by the theme! Normally you would see way more orient blue in my glazes ;)


Clear glaze in white clay on the outside, opaque white glaze in the inside (the transparent glaze crackles easily and can only be used in a thin layer, I prefer a thick and close glaze layer where it may come into contact with food!).


I played combining different textures... and was so tempted to keep it for myself. *sighs* The next one... or I may take this one back if it is not loved!


Find the one that doesn't fit ;) My brother and my sister both wanted plates from me for christmas.


My favorite one! Nothing beats the beauty of nature...


This texture was made with a dried corn cob. I love the organic texture and can't wait to see how it will turn out with colour!


Just love! The contrast was made with black underglaze. It is so expensive but I prefer the results...


This tiny wee bowl was made with a laser cut paper dragon fly. I love that you can use any kind of material to create texture and images in clay!


I also made a new tiny sketch book with upcycled cardboard I got from some packaging. Since this was not usable with water colours I played with pens and pencils!


The eyes and the moon are painted with metallic markers but it is difficult  to capture the shine.


Oh, and a last sketch I made during a telco at work...that went on for ages! I coloured it in when I was back home.


I am so thankful for all who participated in this month's theme challenge especially doing this beside holidays in most countries and the usual end of the year craze! I was not expecting so many and can't wait to have a look at all of your creations!

Please have a look and we see us next year again! :)


Guest Artists

Art Elements Team

28 Kommentare:

  1. I love all the animal sketches, but also the plates.
    Actually, after you announced the topic I took a much closer look at white in photos and paintings I saw, trying to find all the color in it hoping I would have the beads to translate them into my own piece (which I didn't).

    The polar bear is my favorite, he's so beautiful!

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  2. Love your little animal paintings and your ceramics, I love the texture you got with the corn

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  3. Oh Claire, wow! For being sick and busy, you sure are creative as well! Love all the drawings and the ceramic pieces are wonderful! Thanks for a great theme!

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  4. Wow, that's a lot of inspiring creativity! Your sketches and paintings are beautiful - for me, the monochromes are especially interesting. As for the ceramics, the B&W and textures are quite captivating - I like the organic ones as well as the laser-cut.
    Thank you for a great challenge! Hope you feel better soon.

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  5. So much to love about this post. Not the part where you have a cold (I hope you feel better soon) but everything else is wonderful, from the rambling about paints and materials to all the wonderful works of art. The corncob texture piece looks like snake skin, which has given me an idea and now I need to find some dried corncob. Thanks so much for the inspiration theme and best wishes for 2019.

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  6. Loved reading your post Claire... Your watercolours are stunning, love the cat and polar bear! I really like the corn on the cob plate too... that's a fantastic texture.

    Thank you for a wonderful theme, it was really inspiring and great fun!

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  7. Wow! You were definitely inspired by the white. I adore how many different incantations of art you were able to accomplish with the theme. I think the plates with the fabulous textures are my favorites in this bunch, but they're all so great! Thank you for an inspiring challenge. It was a lot of fun to work with this inspiration.

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  8. Love the corn on the cob texture, that looks amazing. You are prolific with creating! Love your watercolours especially the cats ;)

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  9. AS the host of this challenge, you have done true justice to it. Not only have you explored different medium, you have done it with such great attention to detail. You have a way with water colours that can only be called poetic. Fabulous job, hats off to you.

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  10. Wow - what a lot of wonderful pieces. I love all that you did with the animals! And the textures on the clay were fantastic!

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  11. OH MY!! I love your drawings-all of them. I can't decide which is my favorite but the hare sure looks like he's looking at me:-) I love seeing your ceramic creations and the use of natural materials impressed into the clay makes such a beautiful organic pattern. But I LOVE the dragonfly. And the new sketchbook made of upcycled cardboard-so clever.

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  12. First, I want to say Thank You for giving us such a great theme to work with.
    Secondly, Claire! Claire! Claire! you've outdone yourself and being sick to boot? I love the first white cat, the wolves, the white frog! Oh, the dragonfly too! Well, actually, all of them and the ceramics too! Alysen.

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  13. Love all you pieces. Your drawings are wonderful and the ceramics are divine!

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  14. What a wonderful selection - you're paintings are just beautiful and the ceramic pieces so pretty.

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  15. Thank you for hosting this challenge.

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  16. Thanks for hosting this challenge. I enjoyed your sketching and painting of white animals. The plates you made as gifts are wonderful. I love the one with the flowers. Well done and thanks again!

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  17. Awesome post.Thanks for sharing

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  18. Wow. Please tell me you look at reference photos? Because your drawings are so naturalistic in look, proportion, etc... Just wow. This was a great challenge and I am so sorry I missed it. Your post alone has me longing for monochromatic palettes, and that so isnt my normal. Your ceramic pieces are also lovely - I like a close glaze for interiors too! And the corncob? Recognized that one right away! ;-)

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  19. Wow Claire! I always feel I need to pick up my jaw and then over time rub the joints from how much your work makes me just smile with joy. Remarkable! Thank you for a great challenge for this month. :)

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  20. Those paintings are fabulous, I just can't stop scrolling through them! I'm truly impressed with your ceramic art! And you made a small sketch book? Wow!

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