lately i’ve been loving using india ink! i tried it out with my birdie painting…

 here’s what he looked like when i shared the unfinished painting with you before….

i felt like he just didn’t have enough depth. so i covered up that sun in the sky to make the one in his belly be the main focus. then i tried writing words through the background with my ink. that did not work (not as one word nor lots of scrolling sentences…but, i tried them all). i painted over the words with the white and felt like i was pretty much back where i started.

but then i thought i could add some texture and color, so i spray painted in a few stencils in the sky and ground. i liked the look in the ground, but not the sky. so the sky got white yet again.

i thought, this should just be a simple, happy painting. it’s finished! so i applied a top coat of antique decoupage, but it turned everything way too yellow! when it dried, i repainted the white…again!

then i retraced my bird with the india ink and finally applied a clear top coat (no yellowing this time!). and then his was complete!

i just love how this little guy turned out, yet i’m feeling like i could still make some changes. but after all of this, i know it’s time to let it go. so this little birdie became THERE’S ALWAYS SUNSHINE IN THE END.

and that’s how my WISE OWL came about. only with my owl, i was having a ton of trouble finding my character. i think i painted over the entire canvas three or four times. some days i just find it easier to get rid of the entire piece and start from scratch. and from there, this wise owl came to life!

i had been thinking a lot about brian (husband) and his music and just how important it is for everyone to follow their dreams. so i pulled out my vintage sheet music and some of my favorite colors. once i had my owl in place, i got out my india ink and outlined everything! i’m using a bamboo brush which has these long thin bristles, and seems to be just perfect for extending the ink with each stroke and for varying its width as you go around curves!

happy monday everyone!

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ps. i have an interview over on polly’s inspiring blog pixie mama! read it right here!