For The Love Of Art: Part One

Before I became a silk painter, more than fourteen years ago, I painted in oils.

Here are a few of the many paintings I did back in the day.

I loved everything about oil paints... the smell, the texture, the Turpentine.

Then, one day, I discovered silk painting and tucked all the oil paints away!

But I still wanted to paint landscapes, so I did a few on silk. Like this one.

Then I started painting flowers on silk scarves and that was all she wrote! I was hooked!!

A few months ago, I went on a road trip to San Francisco and the wine country.

My nephew, Brad Gruno and I went to visit Katrina Frey at the beautiful Frey Vineyards.

I took a ton of pictures and when I saw this one, I knew that I had to paint it... in oils!!

Since I got that idea in my head, everything I looked at became a potential oil painting.

Here's another photo from Frey Vineyards. I love that place!

Katrina invited me to come down and be the artist-in-residence! Ohhh yeaah!!

(Katrina, if you're reading this, thank you again!!)

Another potential painting. (Minus the dashboard.)

From a recent trip to Descanso Gardens.

Another one from Descanso.

And another.

On a recent trip to Oregon I fell in love with the moss and thought that it would look gorgeous in a painting too!

Moss climbing on the side of a wall. A cool abstract!

Look at this lushness! Love it!!

I finally decided to go-for-it, but I couldn't find any of my old supplies!!!!

A few years ago, I came across my huge assortment of brushes and thought, "that's a weird place to have put them". Making a 'mental-note-to-self' I went about my life.

The moral of the story, don't put stuff in weird places and don't make mental-notes-to-self!

It ain't gonna work for ya. I've searched and searched for those brushes and supplies and can't find squat!! I finally gave up and bought some new stuff. Just the basics.

A container to put the globs of paint in, without having them dry out.

Two 16" x 20" canvases. Canvas'? Canvas? Canvy?

Some brushes and a palette knife. Ohhh! I had sooo many!!!! Still do... somewhere. :(

Over the years I've become very sensitive to chemical odors and I don't think I'd fare well with the smell of Turpentine, Turpenoid, or any of the other things associated with oil paints.

So I decided to try acrylics. I've never liked acrylics before, but I thought I'd give them a shot anyway. Maybe the texture is better now. I also bought a palette to mix the paints on.

I love a huge assortment of colors! I want them all!! But I behaved and just bought a set.

Okay... I caved and bought a few more.

I couldn't find my easel either, so I got this little inexpensive one.

Of course I had to buy a book.

I had to!!

So, wish me luck, my friends!! I'll give you an update and show you the painting in-progress and completed, in a future post.

"Peace-out, dude."

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you.)

Signing off for now,

gabriele