Meditation Garden finished…maybe…more process shots…and play…

I think I have may have finished the big Meditation Garden…I have to let it dry and see how I like the sky…I think I like it…but it is still shiny because it is wet and a bit distracting…it will flatten out and dull down as it dries and then I will know whether or not I am finished…actually, the more I look at it the more I am worried that the eye gets drawn right to the blue sky spots...and that isn't the point of focus...or at least it shouldn't be the main one...I might have to get rid of the sky...


















I took pictures along the way as I painted the leatherback turtle postcard…I am only so-so about the actual turtle…but I really like the sand…and the foamy water is ok…I did learn some things along the way and used something I had never used before...masking fluid...I have a masking fluid pen - which was great for drawing the outline of the turtle and then I used a paint brush to fill in the shape with masking fluid...














Once the turtle was masked with the masking fluid and where the water was going to be was taped off, I used a toothbrush to splatter different sandy colours of watercolour paint...I had 2 styrofoam trays with light biege paint and to one I added reddish and darker brown tones and to the other I added black...I think there are about 9 different colours splattered on to make the sand...














Then I rubbed off the masking fluid...it really worked...what amazing stuff...














And took of the tape...













I used both coloured pencils and watercolour pencils for the turtle...and white acrylic and grey pencil for the lines on its back and feet...













Blended the watercolour pencils with water...













I used the other side of the tape mask to cover the painted side of the card and then painted the blue water with watercolour paint...













Removed the tape mask...













I used an old, stiff brush and white acrylic to stipple foam onto the water...













Tonight I had planned to gesso some large canvases, but first I just wanted to play a little...so I let loose squeezing lots of acrylic colours out of tubes...I had picked up some nozzles that screw onto the end of a tube of paint...I was used a small canvas (8"x8") for this...


















Once I had lots of paint on it, I used a small screw driver (it was the first sort of pointed instrument I put my hand on) and started 'drawing' in the paint...drawing spirals and circles...