Exploring Texture and Color with Acrylic Palette Knife Painting

 Why I’m Painting More with Palette Knives

 (and Loving the Challenge)

Lately, I’ve noticed a clear trend among my collectors and visitors — they’re drawn to my palette knife paintings. The texture, energy, and movement really seem to capture people’s attention, so I’ve been painting more with my knives.

It’s a fun challenge, especially as an acrylic painter, since acrylics dry so fast that I have to work quickly and decisively. In a way, it feels like I’m back to being a student again — learning, experimenting, and rediscovering the joy (and sometimes frustration) of being a painter. 🧑🏻‍🎨 

Here’s a photo of me with one of my recent pieces, a 36” x 24” acrylic on canvas inspired by the clouds I saw on my way home one evening. 

Thinking About Trying Palette Knife Painting?

Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way:

• 🎨 Be prepared to use a lot of paint. You’ll need generous amounts of color — especially white — to get that thick, textured look.

• 🖼 It’s actually easier to paint larger. Palette knife strokes need room to move and breathe.

• 🧽 It’s messy (in the best way). Keep plenty of paper towels or rags nearby.

• 🪶 Use sturdy canvases. These paintings are heavier than brush paintings, so make sure your canvas has strong stretcher bars.

Palette knife painting is bold, spontaneous, and full of energy — just the way I like it.

All for now dear friends, Maggie

Yesterday, day 29, 30 day challenge

Yesterday, acrylic on paper, 8 x 10"
day 29, 30 day challenge
SOLD ©Maggie Ruley 2013

This is what the Gulf of Mexico looked like yesterday.

 

There really is something lovely and calming about blue and white. I really wish you could all have seen the water and sky here yesterday. Usually my camera is in the car, but not yesterday.  So I conjured this from my memory.

 

Distant Islands

Calm water, same color as the sky

very white clouds

no haze

I am having a give-away!

Here is how it works.  Leave a comment on my post and you will be entered to win.  I am going to give away one painting a week for the duration of the 30 Day Challenge, (the month of September, 2013). If you comment daily on my posts then you can be entered up to 7 times to win.  The winner will have their choice of any unsold painting of the week. 

Those of you who subscribe by e-mail to this blog can either reply to the e-mail, or comment and you will be entered.

Please note this drawing is going to be casual.  I am not hiring any fancy auditing company to do the selection.  It is going to be a plain old pieces of paper in a bowl thing.

If you are the winner your painting will be shipped to you after it has dried, which can take one to two weeks with oils

To see more of the challenge paintings click here.

MORE CLOUDS

On Friday I went to the same location to paint the clouds and sky again. The clouds were completely different than they had been on Thursday. There were lots of small clouds on the horizon and towering clouds, that threatened rain, everywhere else. As of yet this is untitled,but like the other painting it is 16 x 20 and acrylic on canvas.

CLOUD PAINTING

The cloud reflections were so lovely yesterday on Lower Sugarloaf Key I just had to try and capture the feel of them during our painting class. Most of the class did self portraits, but some of us did the landscape.

The clouds kept changing and I got frustrated by trying to paint certain clouds. So I switched my approach and decided just to paint the atmosphere or the mood of them. I decided to focus on their movement and their buoyancy. I might go back out and try again this morning. This painting is 16 x 20 inches acylic on canvas and untitled at the moment.