Fall is Craft Time!

Although my blog is mainly for fine arts, specifically watercolor painting, sometimes I share other crafts. I have recently been lucky enough to get several old pallets that I am using for several crafts. Today I will show you a great use for pallet boards for seasonal crafting fun!

I took one pallet apart (with help from my husband). Pallets are hard to take apart and still have salvageable pieces of wood. This pallet had been left outside in the weather for quite a while, so the wood was "antiqued" - just like I wanted.

My project today is a seasonal "harvest" sign. I selected a piece of pallet wood and used sandpaper to remove any extremely rough edges. I like the rough, worn look, so I only sanded lightly.

I painted the front side only in a bright orange using acrylic paints. Allow to dry. I wanted a seasonal sign for fall to use through Thanksgiving. So, I decided on the word "Harvest." Any word of your choice and any font will work. I saw a font I liked on a card and simply copied it. To be certain of the placement, I cut a piece of paper the same size as the sign and printed my word on it first. Once I had the spacing like I wanted, I transferred the letters to my pallet board. Since the surface is so rough, it is difficulty to do. Use a pencil and draw your letters on the pallet. Press lightly with the pencil and any errors can be erased. Once you have the placement correct, use an old brush to paint the letters

Caution: Be certain to use an old brush. The surface of the wood will ruin a good brush for painting.

I used a dark brown color paint in keeping with my harvest theme!

Until next blog -
Happy Painting!
Karen

Red Rocks of Sedona - Part 6

With our background and rocks painted, it is now time to add some details. I want the red rocks to be the dominate feature in this painting; therefore, I will not use detailed trees or yucca plants.

The yucca plants in the foreground will be the last step in this painting. The trees at the base of the rocks will be painted next.

Prepare the following paints:

- Deep Green mixed from Indigo and Sap Green
- Light Yellow/Green mixed from Sap Green and Light Yellow
- Sepia for trunks/branches

Using a small, dry sea sponge, pick up a little paint and using the painting above as a guide, dab in the foliage working across the horizon and varying the heights of the trees. Use a mix of both shades of green. When dry, add a small truck/branches using a liner brush and the sepia. Allow to dry.

Using the same mix of light green and a flat brush, add grasses working from the horizon to the foreground.

See close up photo below for details.

Painting the base of the Yucca plants:

Use a round brush and the following colors of paint:

- Sepia
- Yellow Green used above

Using clean paint and the round brush, paint in the shape of the bottom of the yucca plants. While wet, drop in the sepia and pull to the lower part of the plant and drop in the yellow green in the top part of the plant.. Allow the paints to blend and using the round brush, paint the foliage using sweeping strokes. Allow to dry. If the color is not as intense as you would like, repeat.

Remove the masking from the yucca blooms using an eraser.

Using a pale wash of the yellow green, add some color to some areas of the blooms, but not to all. Allow the majority of the bloom to remain unpainted.

Add the stems/stalks of the yuccas using a small round brush and wash of both green and sepia. Let the colors vary slight.

Add some darker areas to the base of the scrub brush in the background.

Allow to dry and check for any additional details you would like to add.

Sign your name - your painting is complete!

Happy Painting!
Karen