An progression of brush strokes

I have a stack of these little 4x4 Ampersand Gessoboards. They are fun to play with when there's that little bit of paint left over and it's hardly worth saving. It becomes a perfect time for experimentation. I also have a new rubber tipped tool that can remove paint from this hard surface, so I was having a little bit of fun there lifting paint, in the first one on the left. The second was a series of loose strokes that I then totally blended out because I didn't like the direction it was going. Oil paint is so wonderful for this blending out ... you just need the right clean brush—not too soft, yet not too bristly. A few strokes were added back in after the blending. The final was a bit of a repeat of 2, but the brush strokes were applied in this musical syncopated way. Does anyone else paint fast when a quicker paced song comes on? I like the movement and flow of these 3 pieces, and think I will have them framed with little fillets around each of them, then arranged together on one panel. Have fun playing with your leftover paints!

"Atmosphere" triptycht of 4x4 gessobords painted in oil. ©Laura Gable

"Flavors of Red" and "53"

"Flavors of Red" and "53" oil on 4x4 gessobord. ©Laura Gable

These tiny little easels are the perfect size for the 4x4 Ampersand Gessobords. Sometimes it's good to have these little boards lying about, as they are a quick way to get quickly into right brain mode for a longer painting session. A loosening up exercise in abstraction and movement using similar values and tones ... and then integrating the "53" in honor of a friend's year of birth. If their keepers, I usually frame them either separately or together, but there's really an infinite number of possibilities for their final use. People often pick them up and are surprised by the lightness, since they look like ceramic tiles.

My friend from Florida sent me an article a few years back of an artshow that was made up of these miniature boards. Each was designed by a different artist using any or all mediums, from paint, to clay, to fiber art, to collage. They were then hung together on one wall. The combined art that was created by all these individual pieces was truly amazing.

"Siblings" finds a new home. Like a child departing the nest, this sweet little painting has attached itself to the heart strings of a new collector. "I'm almost 90" she quipped "with little room for more art in my home, so I will just admire." But you know, the more time she stood before it, listened to its message, and absorbed it's soft song, she "allowed" it's presence into her life. Quietly she said, "I'm going to buy it ... An early mothers day gift for myself". Her daughters acknowledged this fitting gift, and chuckled at the title - "siblings". A joyful moment -- a fine gift shared. (which has especially touched this artist. Thank you MJL.)

Location:"Siblings" find a new home...