What's new, pussycat?

It's been a wild time in the studio lately, learning new techniques and mixing up the old ones, and playing with all the 'what ifs' when it comes to mediums.  I go through periods when I'm not painting, I'm merely the mad scientist in my laboratory (thanks for the metaphor Alice ).

I've been playing with a cobweb technique (see Alice's blog post in the link just above), messing with alcohol inks and smooshing drywall compound to the point where I'm awash with colour, agog with amazement and alert with possibility.

The cobweb technique, via Alice, from an  Ursula Reynolds workshop, is truly amazing, and I'm totally hooked, to the point where it will be one of the first techniques I teach in my level two mixed media workshop.

The results create such a mouth-watering background I've not needed to eat for days!

And while I've known about drywall compound for some time (it's akin to working with modelling paste), I'm enjoying the thickly textured pieces that arise.

When you can take a widely varied piece like this textured one,  throw some colour at it, layer upon layer,

then life doesn't get much better!  (Check out the cobweb technique in burnt umber over top of it all!).

And while I'm not showing you the results of my alcohol play (that's ink, not wine), rest assured they are just as much fun, and something that will undoubtedly turn up in level two as well - watch for the COTR late spring catalogue for further details.