Date: 06/06/2013
Size: Medium: Acrylic on canvas shoes
Artist's Comments: This year my friends and customers have truly challenged my comfort zone as an artist. A few weeks ago a friend approached me to see if I could paint a SitaScapes on her new Tom's shoes and although I had no idea how to approach the project, I was intrigued by the concept. I purchased some acrylic paints with a solution to make them washable and got started on the design. She loves pineapples and enjoys how I paint palm trees so I came up with a sketch that incorporated both. I was somewhat apprehensive to paint my very first attempt on her brand new shoes so I dug thru my closet looking for a similar material to practice on. I found an old canvas shopping bag which would do the trick and got started practicing with the new medium and surface. Unlike oils which can be slid and mixed on a gessoed canvas, the acrylics on unfinished canvas didn't allow for any movement so, I needed to lay each stroke down with the correct color and thoughtful placement. There was really not much room for mistakes! As I practiced, I gained more experience and courage until I was ready to tackle the final surface. I sketched the scene in hot pink outline as I do on all my paintings but I approached the process a little differently. Instead of working on the whole canvas simultaneously, instead, I focused on one element and painted it from start to finish before moving on to the next object. When I was finished with one shoe, I realized I would need to paint the same scene in reverse for the opposite foot! That was a bit of a challenge but I knew that it didn't need to be perfect. Once finished, I heat set the painting and enjoyed the final product! I can't wait to see my friend prancing about at work with Paradise on Her Toes!
To view other paintings in my collection, click on the section labeled "View all SitaScapes" located at the top right of my blog. I have categorized my paintings by the month as I complete them.
