PAINT 7 Seven: winter Solstice

My seventh and last group of lettering art pieces will be released tomorrow, Wednesday, 21st December, which is the Winter Solstice. This is the moment in the year when we in the northern hemisphere are tilted furthest from the sun, giving us the shortest hours of daylight, and the longest night.

This time my choice of quotation from e e cummings was “o the star-hushed silence’ – thinking about the long dark nights at this season of the year.

The colours associated with the Winter Solstice in the Celtic tradition are red, green and gold. I used the red and gold, but couldn’t fit the green into my plan!

This is what I used.

So, red, yellow, gold and silver in Sennelier oil pastel, and Carbon Black and Indanthrene Blue acrylic paint.

First I used the oil pastel to cover the cradled gesso panels. I used the colours quite randomly, but made sure I had a solid covering with no gaps. I left the panels for a couple of weeks to dry off, as oil pastel is quite sticky when it is first used.

When the surface no longer felt tacky I coated over the oil pastel with the acrylic paint, beginning at the top with Carbon Black, and gradually introducing the Indanthrene Blue and reducing the Carbon Black as I worked my way down.

I allowed this to partially dry, and then took the paint off to form the letter shapes in little shimmering scratchy marks using the sharp cut corner of an old bank card – a very useful tool! – so that the ‘star’ colours beneath were revealed.

The pieces are framed in simple white wood tray frames and are strung on the back for hanging – although they will also stand up on a shelf if you choose.

The gesso panel is 15cm (6inches) square, and measures 18cm square in the frame.

This has been a fun different project through this year. I still have at least one of each of the seven releases, if you have been waiting to see them all before you choose! You can find all seven on the PAINT 7 page – see menu bar above.

It will soon be time for me to announce my painting projects for 2023, which I will do on 1st January, although if you subscribe to my newsletter you will be able to read all about them on New Year’s Eve.
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