Cath Sheard Art

Blog

  • Full moon

    I’m one of those people who are really affected by the full moon. Perhaps it is the light through our bedroom curtains, perhaps it is some tidal pull – who knows? What I do know is, come the full moon, I am *wide awake*, and likely to be found painting or emailing at 3am 😉

    One afternoon Mum and I drove down to the beach for a quick look round and, quite by accident, I got some amazing shots of the full moon in a bright deep-blue sky, seen through the long grass. I have used the images over and over and over; and will continue to do so. Here is the latest moon painting. This one is acrylic on 30×40″ gallery wrap canvas and is heading for exhibition in Auckland in September.

  • Bare bones

    As I’ve said before, I paint mainly with paper towels and baby wipes and hardly use brushes. So how do I start a painting? I use old magazines as throw-away palettes; I choose a colour or three and squeeze some out onto a fresh magazine page. I squeeze a baby wipe in a paper towel, so the baby wipe is a bit drier, and the paper towel is damp. I pick up some colour/s with the baby wipe and start smearing them around, covering the canvas.

    If I want to remove some colour, I use the damp paper towel. If I want thin, even colour, I scrunch the baby wipe up and rub hard. When I want to change colours and the current lot of paint is used up, I throw the page away and start on a fresh one. Quick ‘n easy clean up!

    I this series of photos you can see the bare bones, done yesterday, and the almost-completed painting, which I have been working on this morning. So far, I have not picked up a brush. The middle shot shows the texture and variety of marks I get with the tools I use.  

  • Brushes…

    The other day I commented that I don’t use brushes often, and that’s certainly true. But it doesn’t mean I never use a brush, and it sure doesn’t mean I don’t own any. I own heaps in fact! I was lucky enough to buy a huge bundle of beautiful ones when an artists’ house was being cleared out. Here’s a bowl of them that sit on my desk.

    Basket of brushes

    I use brushes mainly for mark making towards the end of the painting process, now that I think about it. Most of the paint goes on with paper towels and baby wipes, and brush marks tend to come last, adding highlights here and there. I keep a small bucket of water beside me as I paint and the dirty brushes get dropped in the bucket as I go, so that clean up at the end of the day is quick and easy.

  • It’s not just the room that’s messy

    I am one of those artists that wears almost as much paint as the canvas. I have more ‘painting in’ clothes that I care to think about. I sometimes often have slightly unusual coloured fingernails – where the paint has ‘almost’ come off in the wash. Putting handcream on before I start painting would be a good idea, but I loathe the feel of it.

    I don’t often paint with a brush; most of the time I smear paint on with paper towels or baby wipes. Baby wipes are a favorite tool, but the paint does get all over me. I love them because I can move the paint around, strengthening colour here, fading it there. I use cheap, eco-friendly ones from the supermarket. Sometimes I keep the paint-stained ones as base for collage or using in my journals.

    Has anyone else tried painting with baby wipes?

  • This ‘might’ be done – and the mess

    Well, I did say I had art “stuff” everywhere – and I wasn’t joking. You can see what I mean about the bed being covered in paintings! And the winter light from the window is half blocked by my easel. Oh well…

    On the plus side, I think I am happy with this large moon painting. Need to live with it for a few days and see if I stay happy. It’s a terrible photo by the way, but the best I can manage today.