Category Archives: Acrylic

It’s Thanksgiving already?!?!

Where does the time go? It’s a question I ask myself almost daily. There are hundreds of reasons this question enters my mind but without a doubt each day at some point the reason is because I want to know if I will I get a chance to paint or draw today. Sadly, that answer has been no in recent months but maybe that will change.

Per my typical rants, I blame my lack of creative works on a busy life and demanding job. These can be good things at times; however when it comes to fueling those creative fires, it just gets in the way. Now I am a realist, so I understand I cannot quit my job, move to Italy and live in a cluttered little apartment surrounded by canvases and lovely things but there is a dreamer living in here who is constantly trying to access the situation and find a scenario that would work.

Recently I have been lucky enough to travel, quite a bit to be honest and most recently my husband and I went to New Orleans. Seeing new scenery and experiencing new cultures is always inspiring to me. The laid back, relaxed mentality of New Orleans has me reaccessing my current ways, which include constant worrying, over planning, and staying at work way too long. My sister said it well the other day when she sent me a pic of a quote which stated the following. Find three hobbies you love: One to make you money, One to keep you in shape, and one to be creative. I’m trying to keep this in mind.

So today, after work let us out early for the holiday weekend (and I actually left), I had extra time and I decided not to fill it with some unecessary task. Instead, I picked up my paintbrush and started to lay down color. My mind was filled with what felt like a mountain of ideas but I couldn’t organize my thoughts.  I decided to start with the under painting and build on top of that.

As I sat there watching the paint dry I started to drift. My mind has always had a fun way of seeing things in just about every shape and shadow I see. As much as I struggle to put my ideas down on paper my mind is constantly creating, imagining, and pulling from the abstract to build something more… and so it began. A brush stroke here, a dollop of color there and then some scraping to take those actions back.

Below is the first piece I have completed in recent months that has felt complete enough to share. It’s a smaller piece, approx 9″ x 5″ painted with acrylics on Bristol paper. It has moments from past works, organic aquatic imagery intertwined with feathery orbs and floral accents. To be honest it contains most of the bits that make me happy.

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11/23/2016 Calla Grace Fogarty

All I can say is that I hope that this is the beginning of something new and that I can continue to keep my eyes open and senses alive, Absorbing all the wonders of the world around me. You only live once #YOLO and you have to love what you do!

See you you next time,

Calla Grace

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Two Hundred!

Can you believe it! Two hundred images thus far….

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Sad to say it is a Saturday night and I really never had an urge to leave the apartment so when I got bored I decided to tackle this image again. I really like the way this image is developing.  I’ve started to paint into the image, in the hopes of connecting the entire piece. I know it is not there yet but I am tired and want to sleep. I know who do I think I am… Sleeping! Regardless, the transparency of the lite acrylic washes in contrast with the super opaque color is wonderful. Interesting things are happening with the conversation between the graphite mark and the painted marks… curious! Enjoy I look forward to continuing with this image tomorrow, see you next time. 200!

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One Hundred Ninety-Eight!

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Small bit of a painting, started working on this image after I finished a painting for a Christmas present. I had an abundance of unused paint that was going to be wasted so I just started painting with acrylics on watercolor paper. I enjoyed developing the shapes, maybe next time I paint I’ll finish the image. Enjoy and I’ll see you next time.

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One Hundred Eighty-Three through Eighty-Eight!

Well it has been quite some time, but here are a few images that I have been working on. I have some serious catching up to do but it will all work out. Seems as if I am starting to get back into a routine which was key in my success in the beginning. The images below are literally a random assortment of thoughts, ideas, mediums and projects. They really don’t have much to do with one another but who says they have to!

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One Hundred Eighty-Three, one of the first tries at the tattoo layout.

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One Hundred Eight-Four, a more complete rendition of the tattoo idea

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One hundred eighty-five, this came after I had been working on a few different tattoo images for my husband and well his birthday just happened to stroll along, so I decided to theme his card after some of the ideas. Minus the color of course, that was just me coloring!

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One Hundred Eighty-Six, completely unrelated to the above images and completely not near finished. This is the first element on a new larger scale piece. Truthfully, it has not even been brought to its final degree of contrast and depth but it shows something I have been working on.

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One Hundred Eighty-Seven, in my attempts to get back into drawing, I have been just sitting with basic drawing materials and building imagery. They really are not even connected quite yet, but maybe as the image develops further they will begin to integrate a bit better

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One Hundred Eighty-Eight, I love this. I did not work it far enough yet but I was out walking the dogs at night and looking into the woods and loved how things overlapped and intertwined themselves together. I may be revisiting this idea very soon!

Enjoy and I’ll see you next time!

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One Hundred and Seventy-Two!

The newest project, day one. This is the newest painting I have been working on, it is far from complete and to me right now it looks like a crayon box. All of the primary colors, not really blended together well, but this is the base of the painting and only part of it really. Anyway Enjoy and see you next time.

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One Hundred and Seventy-One!

After the fourth day of painting this image this is where I am. I don’t know how people paint with oils because the idea of not making changes along the way is HORRIFYING! Anyway, for right now I’m loving acrylics although I miss the richness of oils. One day right? I’m happy with the over all set up of the image, its busy but I think once I tone down some areas it wont be a visual explosion merely a wonderful color and shape experience! Below are some detail shots… Enjoy!

little egg forms hiding in the corners

I do love the fan/fin element… I used it in the past and it’s always a visual success, or at least I think so.

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One Hundred Sixty-Eight, Nine and Seventy!

Alright so I have been working on one piece for a little bit recently and it is taking up multiple days. It was totally intimidating because it is the largest acrylic painting I have done since high school which was a while ago. Anyway I’m delighted I am trying this but I was super nervous about posting it before it was completed. It still is not done by any means BUT I have to show you what I have been doing. These are a few pictures of days 168, 169, and 170. The lower right corner was the first day, but unfortunately I did not photograph it at the end of the night so you have to use your imagination, a fearful endeavor I know! Enjoy!

So imagine day one bottom right up to the tips of the yellow cone-ish things that are nested within each other. Day two I added all the components on the left side, even the HORRIBLE lime green, which luckily did not last. Day three was the addition of the blue elements and some tweaking.

details, who doesn’t love a good detail!

After the third day, the green has been retouched, still not exactly where I want it but much better!

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