Click Image for a larger, clearer view.
Acrylic on watercolor paper
7×11″, matted and framed to 12×16″, in a gold frame with archival ivory mat and backing board.

$320.00 plus $30 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

I started this painting on Tuesday morning, overlooking the Quarry Pond at Manitoga. It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful and serene spot, with the sounds of waterfalls and singing birds.The light on the far cliff, contrasted by the dark mass of foliage and rock in the right foreground, immediately drew my attention. I was planning to do this smallish painting as a sketch to test drive colors and composition, and then do a large version; but as usual, I got carried away and this became a full-fledged painting rather than a sketch! I tweaked it a bit in the studio today, and now I’m calling it done. I still do plan to do a large version of this scene. In fact, having done this small one, I am now even more enthusiastic about the potential of a large one. It really captures the transparent glow and value contrasts that I was after when I arrived at the location.

This painting is the latest in my experimental meanderings with acrylic paint. I love the archival integrity of acrylic. Add to that its tremendous versatility, and it is truly a medium without equal. There are so many different kinds of acrylic paints that they have the ability to mimic virtually any other media. This painting displays the transparent glow of watercolor, and the opacity of oils.

The painting was done using the Golden Acrylic Airbrush paints. No, I am not using an airbrush! I’m using them with traditional synthetic brushes. The colors I used were Hansa Yellow Medium, Diarylide Yellow, Yellow Oxide (Transparent), Red Oxide (Transparent), Quinacridone Red, Phthalo Blue (Red Shade), and Titanium White. I also used some Ultramarine Blue from the Golden Fluids line, and diluted that with their Airbrush Medium. It didn’t behave quite the same, but I was desperate for that color! I am loving the results I’m getting with these paints, as well as the process. They enable me to spatter, drip, paint transparently, mingle colors on a wet surface, and lift like watercolors. Then I can go 180 degrees in the opposite direction, and paint with great opacity, like gouache or oils. I think I’m in love!

6 Responses to “Quarry Pond Meditation”

This is beautiful, Jamie. I’m glad to know how much fun you had painting it, too!

Beautiful painting, Jamie…you work so well in so many mediums!

Jamie,

I am about to start experimenting with acrylics as well. I love working with both watercolors and oils and thought this might be a happy mix of the two. I have a question for you though. I was surprised to see that this painting comes matted, assuming that means it needs glass. I was thinking that I would be able to offer acrylics without glass. When is it appropriate to protect with glass and when can you just varnish it and put it in an open frame?

Thanks,
Robin

Robin, an acrylic painted on paper can be mounted to board, given isolation coats to seal it, and a final varnish, and framed without glass just like an oil painting. (You cannot “just varnish it”, because acrylics do need isolation coats before varnishing.) Sometimes I like the look of a matted piece. If a buyer wanted me to mount, seal, and varnish it to frame without glass, I’d certainly be willing to do that. I don’t always state that in my descriptions because sometimes it’s better not to give potential buyers too many decisions to make! So I am offering this one matted for now, and I can always mount, seal and varnish it at a future date. Some I do, some I don’t. 🙂

Corinne, thank you so much!

Meredith, thank you for stopping in and commenting!

Something to say?