enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

playing with paint.

Canvas

I've been experimenting with painting abstracts for the past few months. Peeks have been showing up in "around here" posts or on Instagram (one, two, three, four, five). If I get 29 that I absolutely love painted and I get up the guts to list them, my plan is for these to be one of the MAKE29 projects. We'll see. Right now, both of those feel like big IFs.

I had a request to share "in progress shots" and so I took 26 photos (with my iPhone) while painting this past week. It took about six active painting sessions to finish this one. I still don't know if I love it or not but at least you can see my process. It's lots of layers. I change brush sizes a few times. I keep my strokes mostly on the horizontal or the vertical because after some failures, I've learned that's what I tend to like.

Paintprogress1

I start by getting a base, a mix of cream and white paint. Then I use color to determine my main shape. This one is sort of a diagonal.

Paintprogress2

More of the main color and then the introduction of the second color. I always absolutely hate it at this stage.

Paintprogress3

Still HATE it, so I start to cover the pink. Hate it even more. Finally in the 6th photo I am starting to come back around to liking it.

Paintprogress4

These photos should look different, I flipped the canvas 180 degrees. Starting to like it…

Paintprogress5

Give it two days. Hmmm, more pink? Yes, much more.

Canvas

…annnnd, after staring at it for another three days and adding a bit more light blue and a bit more pink… it's done(ish). I realize that this is not a tutorial (nor is this canvas anything spectacular), but sometimes it's fun to see a project break-down. 🙂

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39 responses to “playing with paint.”

  1. Helen Avatar
    Helen

    I absolutely love this and would definitely buy it. I really enjoy your abstract pieces.

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  2. fariha Avatar
    fariha

    Looks like so much fun! what paint are you using for this?

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  3. lisa valinsky Avatar
    lisa valinsky

    When do you typically do your painting?

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  4. Lynn hamm Avatar
    Lynn hamm

    Love it! Fun to see the process. I do watercolor painting. And I can relate to the hate feeling for most of my paintings before I can declare them finished.

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  5. Katie Avatar
    Katie

    Cool break-down. Weirdly enough my favorite stage was picture no. 3 (not counting the one below the headline).

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  6. Colette Avatar
    Colette

    This looks great. I love how free your strokes are. You go gor it. Painting is about having fun, the first stroke is the hardest and you have to know when to step away and let it be. I get the fun bit but stepping away is the hardest for me and I often end up ruining a peice. I can’t stand starting over. I always have to come back to the fun. Enjoy it. Love your blog.
    Hugs,
    Colette

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  7. Jane B. Avatar
    Jane B.

    You rock, Elise. I LOVE that you showed us your process. I, too, always (and I do mean always) go through a stage of hating my mixed media collage paintings that I do. It’s so fun to stick with the process and come out the other side of loving it. And, as Helen said above, I would totally buy this! I love the colors. AND I love that you painted it!

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  8. Chrisy@GoodNorthCoastLife Avatar
    Chrisy@GoodNorthCoastLife

    I’m a real fan of colours so love this sort of approach.
    You know Elise l reckon you’re admirably brave with how you put yourself and your projects out there – especially when you’re unsure whether you like it yourself! For what it’s worth l reckon it’s pretty good 😉

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  9. Libbi M. Avatar
    Libbi M.

    Wow! This is gorgeous. Your break down really helps & now I want to paint one.

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  10. Julia Molewyk Avatar
    Julia Molewyk

    I have seen some peeks of your paintings in your pictures here on your blog. I love them! Thanks for sharing your process.

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  11. Anna Avatar
    Anna

    This is really neat, I’d love to see it as a MAKE29 piece. 🙂

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  12. Megan Anderson Avatar
    Megan Anderson

    Cool to see the process, Elise! I like that it looks weaved at the edges, almost.

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  13. Casie Avatar
    Casie

    Great post & love seeing the in progress work & your thought process! Thanks for sharing!

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  14. Brianna Avatar
    Brianna

    This is fun. It feels a bit like a Portland sunset with all the pink and green. I’ve never seen a Portland sunset, but you have so maybe that was your inspiration.

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  15. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    Love the Colors woudl totally buy it, I have the perfect place for it and have been looking for art for this room for 2+ yrs!
    Thanks for putting it out there.

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  16. elise blaha cripe Avatar
    elise blaha cripe

    the Liquitex Basics brand – it’s acrylic. 🙂

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  17. elise blaha cripe Avatar
    elise blaha cripe

    oh man, whenever I can! Ellerie’s naptime is ideal or before the sun goes down, but she’s already asleep.

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  18. Gemma Avatar
    Gemma

    Love this and would totally buy one!

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  19. elise blaha cripe Avatar
    elise blaha cripe

    oh, it’s terrifying to share these steps. But thank you so much! 🙂

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  20. elise blaha cripe Avatar
    elise blaha cripe

    thank you so much, Helen. 🙂

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  21. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    I want to play around more with abstracts soon. I really enjoy your color palette. I think I might look into Flora Bowley’s Intuitive Painting class. She really layers beautifully and it seems like a good change from my normal portraits. Maybe you should check her out. One of my life goals is to attend her painting retreat in Bali because why not go somewhere beautiful and paint?!?

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  22. Jennifer D Avatar
    Jennifer D

    I love this and would totally buy this exact one. 🙂

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  23. Sarah Milligan Avatar
    Sarah Milligan

    I’ve been curious about your process on these so thank you for sharing the steps! I think it’s probably crazy common for artists to hate their work halfway through the process. So that just puts you up there with the experts. 🙂

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  24. Sarah Milligan Avatar
    Sarah Milligan

    And PS I really love the final painting!

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  25. Jenny F. Avatar
    Jenny F.

    Awesome! And so inspiring! I love painting abstract pieces but only I do it about once every five years, so this makes me want to try again.
    Also, it was sort of funny but when I looked at one of your “in progress” photos, I though, “oooh, that one looks awesome.” And then your caption read, “I absolutely hate it at this stage.” Ha! Goes to show you how subjective art can be 🙂 (it was the 12th photo, if you’re interested…I just liked how simple and light it felt, yet it still had some movement to it). Love the finished product as well!

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  26. Laurel Holman Avatar
    Laurel Holman

    Yay to being brave and I just love that you are doing this. You are living up to what you wrote about in yesterday’s post – creating and not just consuming. You’re just going for it, not waiting until you feel like an “expert.” Love that. Keep it up!

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  27. April Avatar
    April

    I know you didn’t intend for this to be a tutorial but curious if you primed or sealed the canvases? I have two 3ftx4ft canvases that have been sitting in our guest room for 5+ years. Would love to do something like this to one or both. 🙂

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  28. elise blaha cripe Avatar
    elise blaha cripe

    I didn’t prime other than paint with white and cream to give it a base. I am planning to seal this, but I have to do some investigating to find a good method. 🙂

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  29. Maureen Avatar
    Maureen

    Good for you to show your process. Courage & fun. A good combo.

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  30. Ana Avatar
    Ana

    There are already 29 comments, so I am tempted to let it be, but I have to chime in and say that I’ve noticed these paintings in your photos lately and I love them! Sign me up for the painting Make 29!

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  31. JC Avatar
    JC

    I love these, and totally think you should list them. I have seen these around your site, and actually experimented with my own painting, but couldn’t make it past the I hate it stage. haha Maybe i’ll give it another shot.

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  32. jessica o'brien | @jessohbee Avatar
    jessica o’brien | @jessohbee

    you are elise the great. elise the fearless (or at least the stellar fear manager). you need no courage to list! we are all impressed! we love them! SELL!!!!! 😉
    Q for you: do you paint with the canvas leaned on the wall, not on an easel or anything? and do you just set your paintbrushes on the top of your shelves there? just curious.

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  33. Carolyn Williams Avatar
    Carolyn Williams

    Isn’t it interesting? I love it at some of the stages that you hate it. I love that about art – it’s so subjective. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. So fun to see all the progress shots!

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  34. April Avatar
    April

    Awesome! Thanks for responding! Please update on that part of the process. I think I’m dragging one of my huge canvases out this weekend. Eeeek! 🙂

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  35. Kerry Willard Bray Avatar
    Kerry Willard Bray

    Love the colors…I’m sure you’d have a buyer for this one!
    And, love that you said “it’s done(ish) — that makes me think of the book “ish” by Peter H. Reynolds. If you are not familiar with it, be sure to look for it next time you are at the library or a bookstore. It would make a great additional to Ellerie’s library or your own.

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  36. Meghann Sunners Avatar
    Meghann Sunners

    I would for sure buy one of these if you listed them on Make 29. I love the colours and the structure. So gorgeous.

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  37. hannah Avatar
    hannah

    I love the finished product. I read your post about abstract art ages ago and it inspired me to start playing with paint. I found foam board to be really awesome for practice sessions (you know the big cheap sheets you can get from the dollar store?).
    I’m still not quite on the whole ‘envision what you want and then do it’, I still work on the whole ‘throw paint on it and then add more until you’re happy’ mindset. I think that’s what makes it interesting. When you’re creating things, it’s important that you have the opportunity to see the results of different techniques, how else do you learn.
    Hannah

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  38. J3SS1C4 Avatar
    J3SS1C4

    Wow, I love how this has turned out! I’ve enjoyed seeing some peeks at your abstract art around the place, so it’s awesome to see some behind the scenes looks as you go!

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  39. Mon Avatar
    Mon

    I love the colors! I want to play with paint too I wish I have the time!

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