PAINTED GLASSWARE
Painting glassware is fun and easy. I promised to share this technique with my friends. I hope it makes sense to you.
Starting with a watercolor brush, about 1 inch wide, apply a base coat of acrylic paint mixed half and half with a polymer gloss medium.
I used a mixture of Burnt Sienna and White, twirling the glass as I hold the brush steady.
Margarita glasses are easy to paint, too!
A second coat to add some value begins to look like Southwestern Desert country – maybe some mountains?
Adding some Cobalt Blue and White, paint in the sky. Water goblets look beautiful as gifts, also. Using a small brush, add in some detail. The darker shading is making the mountains look more dimensional. You could use Burnt Umber for this.
Keep away from the rim, and remember always to mix the gloss medium in with your paint!
A little bit of Bright Gold adds a good deal of beauty.
A mix of Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Yellow Medium and White make a nice neutral desert foreground. Adding a little Bright Gold to the clouds is a nice touch.
A large vase makes a nice gift, too! Be sure and put a minimum of two coats of Gloss Medium over all your paint to seal it. Let each coat dry thoroughly, handle with care. No dishwashers, and no soaking in hot water. Your beautiful glassware will last for a long time with a little TLC!
About Why I do what I do.
One thing I have discovered about writing anything: people you like will like what you have to say. Others could care less, but if they aren’t people you like, what difference does it make? I have found that most of my friends, students, acquaintances, want to see what makes an artist tick. It’s like they think maybe something magic is taking place, and maybe it is. I watch a musician play notes on the guitar and I think: “No way will my fingers move like that.” The truth is, my musical friends were not born with fingers knowing how to strum the right chords. That pianist was not born, probably, with the ability to hit the right notes. The whole learning process is just like riding a bicycle – you practice! When you find the longing to draw or to paint, to dance or to sing, I really think that is what must come first - then you practice. You fall off, you get back on. You fail, or goof up a painting and paint it out and start all over, but the most important thing is no matter how foolish you feel, you keep on!
That’s what these blogs are about: the process. Being willing to look stupid, or egotistical, or even just a bit whacky, so that others might be encouraged to step out and try. I’ll take that risk. Travel along with me. Enjoy the process, and if I can encourage you to find the passion I have found, it is worth the risk!
