Negative Space

I can finally write about this week's card for our 4 x 6 exchange.  I put it in the mail this past Monday and  Brenda got it yesterday....we keep cheering on the United States Post Office! 

My theme for round three is negative space painting.

I created a rainbow under collage using scraps of my painted papers. I wanted the colors to bleed into each other...including down into the bottom where the stems and leaves would be. I didn't want the placement of the colors to be too literal or planned.

I sketched out the garden with white watercolor pencils that could easily be covered by the paint or wiped away with a damp rag.

Using Titan Buff Golden acrylic paint mixed with a little clear gesso I laid down my first coat.  It's weird painting the negative space....I have to really concentrate or I get it wrong. I had a hard time seeing the white pencil on the yellow...so I used a darker pencil forgetting that it would be impossible to wipe off once it was covered with paint.  oops!

I applied a second coat.

I should have auditioned the size and design sooner.  I don't mind the image going off the edge...but there was a lot of empty negative space. It could have used more leaves....in number and variety.

So I added some gold polka dots...because it never hurts to add a bit of bling.  Lots of lessons learned....one of them being don't get too attached to your under collage...most of it gets covered up. 

When I was helping Angie several years ago I collected things from her yard that I watched dry on her porch.  I had just learned about wabi-sabi from Philippa's Consciously Creative class so watching things shrivel up was novel and interesting. Since there's nearly a rainbow here on the table.....I thought it paired well with Brenda's card.  And...there's that beautyberry sprig I mentioned a few days ago....such a fabulous purple.  Wabi-sabi fabulous...from Angie's yard.