Polish Painting

I just wanted to try one more before disposing of the hundreds of bottles of old nail polish. Well it stinks - literally -  but I did find a use for it as a background for photo manipulations.

It is called "Runaway." It could be called "Weather Forecast" because I always see wavy lines on the weather maps. I do this kind of thing just for fun. Fun over....moving on....

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Painting Pleasure

I have been collecting old and new nail polishes for about 6 years with the idea that I would paint with them. Personal friends and manicure salons were my source of supplies as I never wear the stuff! The time never seemed right to paint. I knew it had to be an outdoor project due to fumes.  I couldn't decide what to use as my canvas. I had tons of ideas and never executed any. The other day a friend and I went for a ride in the country and when she dropped me off she gave me two 11" x 14" canvases. I had once mentioned that I was thinking about painting again. I was instantly motivated. So....I experimented.

It was surprisingly relaxing to take my pliers (some lids never would twist open) and sit in a chair on the porch with another chair as my easel and go to work for a couple of hours for a few days. There was no plan, no inspiration and I just let the different colors go where they wanted to! Yes! Some were too thick and sticky, some were very thin and drippy. I tried to use at least a dab of every one.

As I was finishing up this morning, I was flattered by a young woman who jogs by often, pushing her two children in a stroller, when she stopped to see what I was doing. She was full of questions about my canvas and asked me if I was an artist. She asked me to show her what I was doing and when I did, she actually exclaimed, "You ARE an artist!"  Made my day!

She then introduced herself as a "down the road and around the corner neighbor" and said she is an art teacher at a local school. Surprised me.

Well this is my first one and I would like to add to it but my subconscious will have to go to work for additions. I did play on the computer with an overlay and the result is here to show the result. I discovered it is difficult to photograph the colorful and shiny canvas inside as I have to use a flash and that distorts the actual colors.  The first four pictures are the same canvas in different positions.

This has a digital overlay and I call it "Palette."
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In 2011 I tried painting on card stock but no one could "see" my woman.

The Nail Polish Art Project

Several years ago I painted (actually I poured/drizzled) a picture on paper with yard sale nail polish, but nobody could see that it was a face so that idea went out the door. 

Then about two years ago I got the "bright idea" that I would create a canvas painting and again use nail polish as the medium in a different manner. I even envisioned how I would apply the colors to make the creation. I had asked several friends if they had any unused, or half used bottles that they would be willing to give to me. Now, I don't now use nail polish and can't remember if I ever did, except for the clear which stopped runs in our stockings in the 50's. Heck, I don't even have shapely nails. At all! I knew that two friends have manicures and pedicures regularly. Another friend has teen granddaughters who are constantly experimenting with colors and then, after one use, never open the bottles again. 

And so, my request was fulfilled, more than adequately. The friends who visit their salons asked there and the owners and managers gave them outdated, unpopular and half used colors. A friend's aunt was an Avon Lady and she had a large stockpile of unused and unsold bottles. The lady with the granddaughters' unwanted polishes gathered them in a mesh bag for me and brought them with her from Tennessee to her beach place in the SC campground where we go. One brought some from West Virginia and another saved MANY for me from NJ and then met my daughter who was visiting my other daughter in the area. She then brought them back to PA with her for me. 

I had a fine time testing each lid, (top?) making sure I could open it and then put them all away in red plastic Huggie boxes that I had previously saved.  My plan was to start with a practice trial on a piece of paper. One sheet and I quit. I couldn't take the fumes! Of course I did this in the wintertime in the cabin and without any ventilation. Not good. I then planned to try again in the coming summer. That didn't pan out either because I fractured my humerus head and rotator cuff muscles and tendons due to a stub-your-toe fall in May. I now have a permanent "range of motion" disability. The recovery period took over a year. By then it was winter again. 

This year was going to be the year of the painting! Nope! I developed a viral infection of the cornea , AKA dendritic keratitis, in my "good" eye. There went my painting-using-nail polish project for another year. 

I WILL, someday, paint with nail polish. I WILL. My idea is to use as many as necessary to cover the canvas in little dots, all touching each other, and then overpainting with more dabs and dots, making a scene with a large naked tree as the feature. I plan to only use the brushes that come in the bottles. It will take time. You'll see.........someday. Look out Van Gogh!

By the way there is an art method called Pointillism which is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. I've never done this. and mine will be similar but different. I really don't know where I'll be going but I'll know when I get there and it is finished. I haven't ever had art or design training and whatever I do will be the trial and error method. It's my way.

Wordless Wednesday Photo

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