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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Artistic Polar Bear Challenge: 100 Ways In 100 Days. #100 - The Start of the Very Last Bear

Well, the grey matter seems to be in more of a working order today.  Time to finish up on yesterday's bear, and continue on to today.

Once the gel had dried on yesterday's bear, it was peeled off of the glass, and flipped over.  Thin color washed were applied, letting them glide and pool over the slick gel surface.


Once that had dried, the image was flipped again, and color washes were added to the front of the image, letting the colors visually mix with the background colors.

 Totally Acrylic Bear

Yes, I know, this one is pretty awful.  Well, they can't all be successes.  I'm laughing at the absurdness of it myself.  You know where this one is headed....


Now...onto the final, the ultimate, the number 100 of 100, the concluding...yes.. the very last bear.

I thought about this one quite a bit.  What to do for the final bear?  I wanted something fantastically eye-popping to end the series, but decided that the whole idea behind doing the series was to stretch myself artistically, and try methods I probably would not have tried before.  What did I like?  What caught my eye and make me say "Wow, I'd really like to incorporate that technique into future works?"

There are two things that really rev my artistic engine: texture and depth.  So I'm going to experiment with combining some of the 99 previous methods to achieve this.

The first step is a little texture, as used in the Batik Bear.  Fiber paste was loosely applied to a wood panel, and when dry, the bear was blocked in.


Once that was dry, like the Encaustic Bear, a layer of acrylic "wax" was applied, thick and textural.


And that's where we'll leave it for tonight.  I want to play with this final bear, think about the combination of methods, learn what works and what doesn't.  Whatever works out of this experiment is going to be used in future pieces, and define where I'm headed style-wise.

Stay tuned, we're not done yet.  And yes, maybe I feel a little bear withdrawl coming on, and can't quite give him up yet.

7 comments:

RH Carpenter said...

Well, I didn't dislike that bear at all - you could have collaged it onto something and created a pretty neat card! Now...the 100th bear...waiting for the finale to see what you do to finish this one up and how it turns out. Just think of all you've learned in this challenge?!?!

Claire Beadon Carnell said...

Looks like a really neat start to Bear #100. Please take your time...I have enjoyed seeing this challenge so much, and am going to miss this little guy...

Nancy Goldman said...

Take that bear out of the trash!! I don't think he was a failure at all.

I'm looking forward to how #100 will end up. I painted a small painting yesterday on a canvas coated with the fiber paste. One minute I liked it, the next, not so much but I'm happy with the result. Thanks for putting that idea in my head.

Terri Buchholz said...

I can't believe you trashed Total Acrylic Bear! If you had seen him, isolated from your expectation, I bet you would have liked it. Is it too late to rescue? Well regardless, congratulations on seeing this through -if you were a superhero, you'd be Tenacity Girl (hands on hips, cape flowing in the wind). Do you have all these guys (except for all the perishable items bears) displayed somewhere? You could have a show and invite your friends!

debwardart said...

All I can say is - "hurry up, hurry up . . . . " and "What, there might be MORE BEARS???"

Jeanette Jobson said...

Go dig out that bear and reinstate him! nothing wrong with him at all.

Well done on reaching the 100th bear. I'm sure it will be as amazing as the others. I hope you'll do a summary post of what you learned, loved, hated, etc. about the process.

Now what next?

Lisa Walsh said...

Rhonda, when it doesn't work, it's gotta go!

Thank you, Claire. Glad you've enjoyed it.

Nancy, see the above comment to Rhonda. :-P You have to post your fiber paste piece on your blog, I'd like to see it!

Terri, also see the above comment to Rhonda. :-D Tenacity Girl, hmmmm? Nah, I really don't look good in Spandex. Really.

Apparently I have a bear addiction, Deb. Is there a 12-step program I wonder?

Thanks, Jeannette. Also see the above comment to Rhonda. Hopefully 100 won't be a disappointment. What next? Well first, I need a nap....:)