Progressing Further. . .

Finally!  Something new to add to my "Take It Further" work for this month!  Now that I'm passed the two projects which were looming large with January 15th deadlines (met yesterday!  Hoooray!), I'm free to paint, play and create to my heart's content!  Until I'm past the acrylics stage in this one, it's a little labor intensive to set up and work - - quickly enough to keep the paints from drying too fast, and slowly enough to ponder the piece while I'm working.  Then there's the (ugh!) clean-up.

Today I laid-in the blue shadows, created some texture, mapped the heart strings, and added-in the dot droplets.  Next step will be to handle the greens.  Then after that, clean-up and correct the color and add the highlights.

I'm wanting this 200 ct. cotton to stiffen a bit like canvas, and the repeated thinner washes of acrylic are building this up nicely.  It will be easier to embellish with an all-over stiffer texture, and I'm really anxious to get to that stage.  Up to then, the design is reasonably mapped-out because I'm creating the background fabric.  At the point that this is finished, the piece will have to tell me what it needs.  So while the design is set, the outcome will be a surprise, even to me!

Having chosen Sharon's color scheme instead of her theme, I have been left free to choose my own theme, which was from the beginning and is still, "Love Reigns".  It is very simply a valentine in a non-traditional color scheme which includes a play on the word "reigns", since there is the crown, and it is "raining" hearts.  Basically, it's my little symbolic gesture at saying that love is abundant (it rains love), and love is pre-eminent.  It is my valentine to love, itself.

Isn't art great?  It can turn an ordinary human being like me into a poet and a philosopher all at once! 

And now that I've got time while this dries a bit, I have done something further which will help me document this challenge and may, or may not interest you.  On my left side-bar you can find a list of my photo albums (one of the reasons I chose TypePad was the wonderful photo-rich feature of unlimited albums).  There isn't a header that says "Photo Albums" per se, but there are pictures with titles above them that are arranged alphabetically.  These pictures are the thumbnail links to the photo albums.  Scroll down a bit and you'll find the "Take It Further 2008" album.  If you click on that thumbnail, you'll reach a pictorial journal of my progress.  Similarly, you can find "Take It Further" on my right sidebar listed under "categories".  If you click there, you'll find all my TIF posts in one neat place.  Of course you don't have to do this, but it does make it simpler for me to map my progress in this lengthy and year-long challenge.

And now, the moment I've been waiting for. . .time for me to check on everyone else's blogged progress! 

Comments

[Kay]

I think we crossed in the reading and commenting--I had just read your post when I saw your comment on my blog. Anyway, thanks for the kind words. I like your piece, both the way you've used the colors and the composition. I don't do much fabric painting so that was interesting too. I'll be glad to see the embellishment.

[Thelma]

I really enjoyed looking at your progress with TIF. Can't wait to see what you do next.

[Michelle]

I really like how this piece is developing and look forward to seeing it evolve! Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving such a nice comment! Michelle

[~*~ Patty]

This piece is stunning already, can't wait to see where you take it next, lovely!

[Ati]

Thank you very much for the link to the book at Amazon !I like your TIF challenge work very much too :)

[Muza]

Very nice already, I look forward to seeing it embellished!

[Ruth Lane]

Love it so far! Can't wait to see it embellished.

[Barbara]

This really turned out nice Barbara love it.

[Linda]

I love what you are doing with this. The colours are wonderful and I like your theme. Thanks for the kind words on my blog!