Oil and Water Don't Mix Or Do They

I see painting as an evocative magic, and there must always be a random factor in magic, one which must be constantly changed and renewed. (William S. Burroughs)

Recently I received an online newsletter from Caran d Ache with an interesting video using both wax and water soluble crayons.  These small sketches were made using white wax crayon with charcoal and water soluble pencils with water medium.  Trying to discover how they react to each other. Both I would call WIPS because I may go back to these. This mixture is worth more experimentation!

Here are 2 sketches trying out this technique! Both done on watercolor paper in my sketch pad.

9.5 x 7 "

Water Color Sketch Pad

9.5 x 7 "

Water Color Sketch Pad

Day 30 January 30 x 30 2017

What's hiding in the shadows?  This is the second section of #25  for the start. Tried to simplify but not too successfully, Added veiling to make this section more unified   Think this needs more work. Maybe destroy and build again.  

Hiding

17.5 x 12  cm

Brown Paper

Crayons Acrylics

Start

17.5 x 12  cm

Brown Paper

Crayons Acrylics

Day 29 January 30 x 30 2017

Cutting #25 into two pieces I will be using these as starts. For this piece, I used the top section as my start rotating it. Added acrylic paints and added crayon work. Felt it had a pastoral feel hence the title.

Pastoral

17.5 x 12 cm

Brown paper

Crayons and Acrylic

The Start

17.5 x 12 cm

Brown paper

Crayons and Markers

Day 28 January 30 x 30 2017

For my starting image, I took the top of Day 26  and also turned it on its side. I toned down the image with grays but kept the bold black marker structure. Did some crayon work and some collage work using a picture from my art alumni magazine, rows of colored pastels.

I am finding it very difficult working in such a small format,

Dreams of Spring

17.5 x 12

Brown paper

Crayons and Markers

The Start

17.5 x 12

Brown paper

Crayons and Markers

Day 27 January 30 x 30 2017

So I cut Day 26 into two smaller pieces and turned it on its side. This is a very strong piece and I had no idea how I was going to proceed. I had to go for babysitting duty and wouldn't be back until the next day, but I did want to make a start before leaving. I sort of veiled it with watercolor crayons, adding a bit of water and then blotting. Left it to dry. It was quite difficult to completely cover the strong black marker.

Taking this later today I had no idea what I was going to do. I just started playing, working with my watercolor crayons, dipping them into water. Letting them drip in places and soon the image started to emerge.

It is quite busy for its size, I want simple and keep getting complex. Thought maybe to add som fine lines but that would make it more complex. I was quite limited in how many layers this piece could endure.

I named this piece celebration. All is well in the "Apartment to Let" and all the residents had a nice party to celebrate!!

Celebration

12 x 17.5 cm

Brown Paper

Crayons and Markers

After cutting and turning this is the piece I started with this.

12 x 17.5 cm

Brown Paper

Crayons and Markers

Day 26 January 30 x 30 2017

Already the 26th. Four more after today. Some say just four more as if in another few days they can rest. I feel now towards the end that I am really just getting started. Have tried many different ways, media the underlying theme was that these are without references or anything preconceived idea. I have made many more than I can post on the challenge. Some I will post in the following month.

Back to my WIP. Here are
 the start and finish before they get the scissors.

WIP # 4

18 x 25

Brown paper

Crayons and Markers

WIP # 5

18 x 25

Brown paper

Crayons and Markers

Here I didn't add wet paints but went boldly with my crayons. Then following the "Apartment to Let" theme put a few of the residents,  Now I can cut in peace!

See you !!!

Day 25 January 30 x 30 2017

OK, I have cut yesterday's study. Posting the first half as a reminder of the start.

WIP  #2

18 x 25

Brown paper

Crayons and Markers

I got out my acrylics, at last, and added color by putting the paint on a piece of paper and blotting it on the work. Blotted excess paint with clean paper. When it dried added more crayon work. Dotty said that yesterday's piece reminded her of an apartment building. I agree, What better apartment than Lea Goldberg's Apartment for rent, Dira L'Hazkir.   So below see the new version, before it also gets cut into two smaller pieces. I can see a small kitten in one of the windows!

WIP # 3

18 x 25

Brown paper

Crayons and Markers

The Start

I just may go along with that theme in this second half. 

See you!!!

Day 24 January 30 x 30 2017

This is what became of Day 23 after I got out my black marker. Also added a white gel marker,  Really went to town on this. Looked at and said, "What have I done?" Put it away and worked on some others with the black marker. 

This morning looked again, maybe there is something there, who can tell. Maybe a bit of color. Scanned it and cut it half.

WIP # 1

25 x 35

Brown Paper

17.5 x 15

New Start for Day 25

See you!!

Day 23 January 30 x 30 2017

This is WIP and was done with watercolor crayons and ink intense watercolor pencils on brown paper and will be my start for my first exploration in changing, cutting. re-doing. I have been fascinated this whole month with this process shown by the work of Dotty Seiter. Some of my reasons are: not to get to attached, to explore more options, and to be looser in my work. I hope this exercise will help me get out of brick walls, where I freeze and don't know how to continue, although I know the work is not finished.  This piece has areas that I love, so normally I wouldn't touch it. But today I am going to dive in. It's just a piece of brown paper and crayon marks.

Work In Progress

25 x 35 cm

Watercolor crayons and watercolor pencils

This was started with the pencils which I blotted with a little water. Then I did crayon and pencil work, then some brush work that was also blotted, like a dry brush. 

I will start with my dread of a marker, black or any other color. I only have a F and M markers but will purchase a wider one. So wish me luck and see you tomorrow!

Day 20 January 30 x 30 2017

I guess I must miss the snowy winters of my childhood. Sometimes we get snow in the Jerusalem area. Small brown paper, I rubbed white on the whole sheet and used water on a brush, almost dry. Didn't want too much of a wash, wanted to keep some of the strokes. Then kept adding the white marks and the blue-gray. 

17 x 26 cm

Brown Paper

Watercolor crayons

Day 18 January 30 x 30 2017

Found a small piece of heavy brownish red paper. Stiffer than the usual brown paper, more like card stock. Made some dancing lines and then just scribbled away. Lot's of fun. Seems I made some dancing trees. 

15 x 20 cm

Heavy Paper 

Oil/wax crayons

Click to enlarge

Day 17 January 30 x 30 2017

I often ask myself what is urging me on with painting, drawing, and creating. I know I am not going to famous, have my work in galleries; something more primitive is working here. Making my mark. Making something that will say  "here I am" "I was here". I am exploring, traveling paths I haven't been. Trying new ways to express whatever seems to come through. What is there, is what is there, nothing more and nothing less.

30 x 23 cm

Brown Paper

Mixed crayons + mechanical pencil

Click to enlarge 

Day 16 January 30 x 30 2017

Small mixed crayons, mostly my oil/wax crayons, neo-color I, caran d'ache. Looking at this on the screen I am thinking what if... so I may tweak this. Think it could be warmed a bit... 

15 x 25 cm

Mixed crayons + charcoal

Cheap drawing paper

Click to enlarge

Day11 January 30 x 30 2017

A monster has invaded my sketch. I don't usually associate abstracts with subjects but sometimes they come out without you're asking.

21 x 15

Mixed Crayons 

Plain paper

Day 10 January 30 x 30 2017

Another mixed crayon sketch on a piece of brown paper with gesso.  The gesso gives a nice texture background to the crayons. Used a bit of water on the water soluble crayon, almost a dry brush. This did not effect the wax crayon marks.

25 x 18 cm

Gessoed Brown Paper

Mixed Crayons

Click to see in lightroom