Suzzanna Frank Studio & Gallery

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I Love to explore and share creative ways to add personal touches to my life. To search out new DYI projects and tools, design concepts and much more. The really fun part is sharing all of this newness with YOU.
Suzzanna

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Botanical Abstracts

Lots of new things going on this week in the studio. This past month a visitor to the studio was looking for a larger journal and plan book. She liked the idea of having an original painting as the cover for the journal. After thinking about her suggestion, I decided to try painting on a new hard bound journal with lots of pages to be used either is a sketchbook, a journal, or even a daily planner. The first sample is below.

The goal was to create a class that would be easy and fun where you could create your own hand painted, hard bound journal.
So far this week I have been working on samples of different types of covers and making sure the process is simple and fun. Below are a few Sample images that I have come up with. They are part of a new Botanical Abstract series.

As of now it appears the class will run about 2 hours. I would supply everything you would need ( including the hard bound journal) Hopefully the cost would be around $30. I would love to hear from you. Is this something you might be interested in doing. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. I’ll post more sample journals next week.

Thank You for visiting with me today.
I hope you will check back often.
Suzzanna

8/3/2019 0 Comments

Mark Making...Favorite Supplies

Morning Warmup...12' x 12"

If you have been following me this past week on Instagram @sannaart you will have noticed that I have been working on new 12" x 12" pieces on paper. One of the final touches that I have been adding to these new pieces is "mark making". These are circles, squares, outlines, things that focuses attention on a specific part of the painting. Most of this months supply suggestions are things that are specifically designed for this type of art process.

All of this months supplies can be found at most art supply stores. They are all able to be shipped from online art stores like:
Blick Art Supply
Plaza Art Supply
Jerrys Artarama
Amazon

Sennelier Oil Pastel
These oil Pastels are my go to favorite. They are so buttery and the colors are extremely rich. I have shown this set of colors just to give you an idea of the possibilities. They are purchasable as individual stocks at most art supply/ craft stores.

NOTE**** Always use Oil Pastels in the Final Layer when covering over acrylic or watercolor paints. You will need to seal the final layer with the fixative listed below.

China Markers

China Markers, as I call them, is another one of my favorite tools for Mark Making. They are waxy and stick really well to the layers of acrylic paint already on the paper.
Creative Crayon sticks with fun peel-to-reveal action, no sharpener needed
Pull string and peel down to freshen tip. Convenient to used by children and kids
Oily, smooth sticks, easy to writing or drawing on the paper, metal, leather and even on cloth
NOTE**** Always use Oil Pastels in the Final Layer when covering over acrylic or watercolor paints. You will need to seal the final layer with the fixative listed below.

Krylon K01306 Workable Fixatif Spray Clear,
11-Ounce Aerosol

I use this Fixative spray to protect my final layer of Mark Making. It has a fairly strong odor and fumes so I always spray it outside, even in the winter months. It is quick to dry which I really Like.

Workable fixatif spray protects computer prints, pencil, pastel and chalk drawings
Prevents smudging, wrinkling and allows for easy reworking of the artwork
Acid free and archival safe

Golden Fluid Acrylic, 1 Ounce Set Of 10, Assorted Colors

These are my favorite brand of paints to work with on paper. The have fantastic coverage and mix easily with either clear or white gesso to thin out and spread better on the paper surface. Check out my previous blog post on the many uses of Gesso. gessothe-versatile-medium.html
Golden Fluid Acrylics are viscous, with high tinting strength, flexibility and durability on many surfaces. They are recommended for mixing, tinting, and shading. Ideal for spraying, brushing, or mixing with all Golden colors. When used with Acrylic Flow Release the Fluids work as staining or watercolor techniques.

Thank You for visiting with me today.
I hope you will check back often.
Suzzanna

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7/9/2019 0 Comments

GESSO...The Versatile Medium

What is gesso?
Gesso is an important art supply that is used to get your canvas ready for painting. It is very similar to white acrylic pain, but has a much greater versatility. It works as a primer for any surface, making it slightly textured. providing the needed “tooth” so that paint can “stick” on your surface.

You can apply gesso to almost any surface, and then paint on that surface with acrylic paint. You can apply a layer of gesso on fabric, burlap, paper, wood and you can then paint on it with acrylics! The possibilities are endless!

Here are my TOP 7 Ways to Use GESSO.

Gesso is traditionally white, but nowadays you can also buy black or clear gesso readymade.
Using the Clear Gesso you can mix it with your favorite colors to have a tinted version that goes with what ever color palette you are working with.

There are two different grades of gesso: Artist(Professional) grade and Student grade. The primary difference between the two is the ratio of pigment to filler. Artist(Professional) grade has more pigment, will be more opaque and higher in priced. The student grade has less pigment(more filler), does not cover as well and is cheaper in price.

I have found the consistency and texture of the gesso will vary from brand to brand. he The consistency and texture of gesso will vary from brand to brand. Some are more liquidy and others are more thick. Some apply more smoothly and others leave a more textured, toothy surface. Your choice of brands will depend on what you are using it for.

Final Thoughts: You will have to experiment with different brands gesso to decide which consistency and opacity best meets your needs. I have found that the Professional level best meets my needs for high opacity. Have fun experimenting.

Download Your own copy of : 7 Ways To Use Gesso

Thank You for visiting with me today.
I hope you will check back often.
Suzzanna

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4/17/2019 0 Comments

Favorite Supplies of the Month...April 2019

Most artist love to explore new tools and techniques. This side of exploration is an integral part of the creative process. My goal each months to share with you the new supplies / techniques that I have explored throughout the prior month. This experimental part of the creative process is something I have always enjoyed, whether it was in my pottery making classes, painting/sketching classes or just plain old"Lets Have Fun Classes" the exploration of new materials and techniques.

I hope you will join me each month as we explore the world of the Creative Soul.

I love this hard bound Journal. It holds up really well to day-after-day use. I used this journal in my first online class...
Plaster Painting Class released later this Spring and it is my main supply source for my soon to be released class Tissue Paper Journal.Classes
In this class I use gesso to seal the hardbound cover and it held up really well to the process without warping or changing shape.

After a friend mentioned these paints I decided to check them out. I have been painting for a long time with oil & acrylics and was looking for that great combination of low price + good quality in an acrylic.
The first thing different is the paint comes in a pouch instead of a tube. That turned out to be an easy asset which allowed me to paint directly on the canvas. The clear pouches make it easy to see the actual paint color for convenience.

With the addition of the abstract nozzle set added to the pouch I’m able to create various textures and shapes that give my artwork new depth and interesting impressions.

These paints are easy to work with and very reasonably priced.Here in Cincinnati Plaza ArtStores seem to have the best price and wide selection of colors. Have fun experimenting with the heavy, buttery texture of these paints.

Montana Markers.
There are many times that I want to add marks or specific shapes to one of my paintings and really want more control than a brush will give me. A marker would be my first Go To Tool, but most markers will bleed as soon as I apply additional acrylic paint over the marks.This is especially difficult to deal with, when working on a canvas surface. The marker ink seems to float on the surface of the canvas and smear and run as soon as the water based paint comes in contact with it.

Thank You for joining me this month. I am looking forward to all the creative fun and experiences already on the calendar for May.

Suzzanna Frank Fine Art
Suzzanna Frank
studio606
1310 Pendleton Street
Cincinnati,Ohio 45202
www.suzzannafrank.com

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3/31/2019 0 Comments

Build Your Own Stay-Wet Acrylic Paint Palette

Stay Wet Pallette

You can find them pretty much at any art supply store, some version of a Stay-Wet acrylic palette. They work fairly well, and come with all you need, including a hefty price tag. I have two of them that I have used over the years. The problem is the lid. It bends and before long, it No Longer snuggly fits the tray, air is able to get in and your paint dries out.

On one of my recent trips to Home Goods I came across these tightly sealing cake trays.

The size was perfect, it wasn't so deep that I would
have any trouble using either my brushes or palette knife. The lid had a really tight seal(since it was originally meant for a cake). The best part, it was about a third of the cost to replace the no-longer sealing stay-wet palettes I was able to pick up three trays for the cost of one traditional stay-wet system.

So What supplies will you need:
1. A metal cake pan with tightly sealing lid. ( since finding mine at HomeGoods I have also seen them at other stores for about the same reasonable price)
2. Spray bottle /water
3. paper towels
4. wax paper/baking parchment paper
5. disposable palette sheets (optional)

1. Fold up a double thickness
of the paper towel so it will fit
comfortably in the bottom of the tray.

2. Add some water to the paper towel and let it soak it up. You don"t wand to flood it, just enough to make wet all over. Pour off any excess water.

3. Cut or tear a piece of wax paper or parchment paper to the approximate size of the tray. Lay it on top of the damp paper towel.

4. I use disposable palette sheets on top of this. That way the paint stays soft but not too wet.
Have fun using your new Stay-Wet palette.

Be sure to cover tightly when not in use.

Have a great week and stay safe.

Suzzanna Frank
1310 Pendleton Street
Studio 606
Cincinnati, Ohio
859-472-4820
www.suzzannafrank.com

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Blog Categories

Botanical Abstracts

Mark Making...Favorite Supplies

GESSO...The Versatile Medium

Favorite Supplies of the Month...April 2019

Build Your Own Stay-Wet Acrylic Paint Palette

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