Rain Spritzer

April 01, 2023
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Rain Spritzer

An Abstract Sketch (a small painting or drawing usually made fairly quickly to test an idea, technique, composition or just for fun)

Materials

Pouring acrylics
Heavy-bodied acrylics
A4 triple-primed canvas sheet

Today, I am beginning a 30-day painting challenge, which is run by Artquest. And it started this morning with an emailed brief:

Day 1 Brief

Brief: What one artwork would you take to a desert island?

What one artwork would I take to a desert island? Well, I guess it would depend on what that island was like. It could be a holiday destination, lounging around in a hammock on a tropical desert island, sipping Pina Coladas.

But no, I think my desert island is going to be the classic deserted desert island, you know, the one you get abandoned on and only have a few possessions with you.

So I am thinking, what will I be enjoying on this island and what will be missing? Well, I will be surrounded by sand, blue sky and warm sea, which is awesome. But I’m going to be missing some pretty basic amenities that we take for granted, such as running water from a tap, a safe place to call home, where you live with your family and friends and are surrounded by possessions and items that make you feel comfortable in life. So what would remind me of those missing elements in my life on the desert island?

Rain trickling down a window. Yep, that would be it. You’re warm and cosy and safe indoors, watching the rain softly trickling down the window pane. It’s watering the garden and filling the water buts. The fish in the pond outside are enjoying the splatters of rain, landing on the surface of their pond. That was the image I had in my head when creating my abstract sketch today.

I started the painting by laying down acrylic paint with a palette knife, It was based roughly on a photo I took through a multifaceted frosted window of a garden. Then I mixed a few pouring acrylics, loaded them into a syringe, and squirted the paint onto the canvas paper, adding water and tilting the paper to encourage the paint to rain down the painting. Then I added spots of rain using the syringe.

I will post an update on how I'm getting on with these little paintings in a couple of weeks.

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