Six Winter Socks from the Nanoscapes' Archive

After four years of above-zero temperatures, in mid-January 2013 Minnesota plunged to a few days of high temps below zero. To celebrate,  I retrieved Six Winter Socks from the nanoscapes' archive. The tiny original watercolor which was made in 2008, is no longer for sale.

Six Winter Socks

This image is on a postcard at zazzle.com.

Two nanoscapes accepted into Altered Aesthetics' "Straight Trippin'"

The nanoscapes Fractured Glass 3 and All the Colors and Paths #1 were juried into Altered Aesthetics' 2013 "Straight Trippin'" Exhibition which will run from February 28 to March 28, 2013 at the gallery which is in the Q'arma Building at 1224 Quincy Street NW, Minneapolis, MN 55413 in the Northeast Minneapolis Artist District. 

Wild Triangles

Fractured Glass 3 is part of a series of watercolor paintings that answers the creative question "What happens when triangles go wild?"

I make these with my five-part Painstaking Exuberance process: (1) make a pencil drawing, (2) outline each shape with Winsor & Newton Davy's Gray, (3) paint inside the lines, (4) paint an outline for each triangle with a contrasting watercolor, and (5) paint a border for the entire piece. The paintings don't really come to life until I paint the outlines for each tiny triangle.

I have also used the triangles in a some of the whimsical creatures (small friends) in the Stained Glass Family, which includes Sarah Stained Glass Cat, The Stained Glass Elephant, Hernando Stained Glass Hippo,  Amelia Tall Glazed Window Cat, a Green Stained Glass Camel, and one of  the 7 Hippos Marching.

Fractured Glass 3 (22x33) Framed  $800

Bright Boxes

All the Colors and Paths is part of a series loosely called Bright Boxes which celebrate the depth of color achievable with watercolor while challenging space and perspective. I like to think that I am painting in two-and-a-half dimensions. Most (including this one) were painted on 300# paper which is like painting on felt or a very welcoming sponge.

All the Colors and Paths #1 (13x23) $350

Altered Aesthetics Gallery is at 1224 Quincy Street NW, Minneapolis, MN 55413 in the Q'arma Building in Minneapolis' Northeast Minneapolis Artist District. 

Puzzle Maker's Choice: jigsaw, tile saw or paint brush?

Puzzle Pieces Work in Progress

I understand the addictive quality of working out a jigsaw puzzle, and have myself uttered the plaintive cry "Just one more!" when my parents were trying to call me to dinner or send me to bed.

There are no jigsaw puzzles in my house today: Too much space is devoted to painting, and Max the Kitten, who has already walked into wet gesso and spilled water onto a nearly-finished painting, would be drawn to puzzle pieces like a moth to a flame.

Having a "no puzzle policy" hasn't kept me from making puzzles, though. Typical puzzle maker's tools are either jig saws or (for the really ambitious) tile saws, however, my puzzle-making tool is a paint brush.

This work-in-progress puzzle is made with a 6H pencil and a Raphael Martora Sable #0 brush that I bought at Wet Paint in Saint Paul, MN.

Further reading: 11 Reasons To Do Jigsaw Puzzles

Flying Crystals for December 2012

What started as a random pencil drawing became a series of chances to challenge space and gravity. Each Flying Crystal is painted on 12(w) x 9 (h) 140# Arches Hot Press Paper. 

The five original Flying Crystals will be for sale ($50 each) this weekend at the Vine Arts Center Holiday Sale, and Flying Crystal images are available as prints and postcards at zazzle. If you can't make it to Vine Arts this weekend, contact me directly to purchase originals or to commission one in a size that works for you or in your favorite color..

Green Flying Crystal

Red Flying Crystal

Ultramarine Blue Flying Crystal

Turquoise Flying Crystal

Purple Flying Crystal

New Obsession: Tiny Random Shapes

They started with a watercolor doodle, but after a week, they became a celebration of Tiny Random Shapes, and, perhaps, a modest and harmless obsession. The original paintings are all watercolor (lots of pigment, not a lot of water) painted with a Raphael 2/0 brush.

First Green 

First Green became digital Purple Leaves
cool stuff at zazzle

Tiny Random
Multi

Tiny Random #2 (digital)

Bigger Tree (7.5 x 10.5")

Tiny Tree (Original 5x7")
zazzle postcard

Tiny Bubbles (8x11) zazzle postcard

Tiny Bubbles Inverts in Photoshop (zazzle postcard)

Tiny Green Out the Window (Digital)

Wrapped Kimona (8.5x11")
postcard at zazzle

By the end of the year, I will have put all of the 2012 Image-a-Day project paintings onto postcards at zazzle.com. If you see an image that you would like on one of zazzle's zillions of products, or on fabric or wallpaper at spoonflower, contact me directly at susangainen@comcast.net.

Philodendron: Then and Now

Stained Glass
Painted Penguin
In Progress

In early 2011 I became slightly obsessed by an image that reminded me of large philodendron leaves. I made one large (22x33) and several smaller "Philodendron" paintings, and a few postcards, just for fun. Until this morning, I'd left them alone.

Having worked on the Stained Glass Penguin for nine hours yesterday, I never quite got around to making a tiny painting for "Image-a-day" so I looked into my archives and found Philodendron 3. I "cut" a piece and made digital magic with it in Photoshop.

Philodendron 3 (22x33 $500, framed)

A piece of Philodendron 3

Philodendron Magic 2012 (poster at zazzle.com)

Image-a-day other visions geometric magic (and a challenge)

Although I do this everyday, taking a tiny watercolor painting and creating digital magic continues to astound me.

Using Photoshop, I scanned in Puzzle Pieces #1. After posterizing it (more Photoshop magic), I created #2 and #3 by copying and flipping the image horizontally and vertically. I take great care to line up the flipped images each time because each new image builds on the previous one. Once the lines are off, I have to start all over again.

Then, the fun begins. Once a pattern is set, then I get to use Photoshop's magical tools.

Red Puzzle Pieces.

Green Puzzle Pieces

Blue Puzzle Pieces

Puzzle Pieces Invert Two

Puzzle Pieces Invert One

Puzzle Pieces One

Image-a-day and the OTHER VISIONS challenge

With nearly 300 images, the collection of digital "other visions" will comprise the the bulk of my 2012 Image-a-Day project when it is complete. I welcome suggestions for organizing and cataloging these images. 

Prizes!

The prizes: an "other vision" poster in your choice of design for the two best suggestions. Deadline: October 22, 2012.

Where are OTHER VISIONS now?

Some are at the nanoscapes website under "other visions." A small number of the designs are on products at zazzle.com, and others are on fabric and soon on wallpaper at spoonflower. Find a Puzzle Pieces Postcard at zazzle.com now.

Because I post each day, my Facebook and Pinterest friends can see all of the images in date-of-posting order.  

Beginning on October 25, 2012, "other visions" designs will begin a limited rotation on this website. I have defined three categories: fabric, tiles and stained glass, and wallpaper.