Showing off, really.

[pensnest]

I is going to see Backstreet next May! Hee. It's never to late to be a teenager.

I didn't have a lot of time for my computer yesterday, as I spent most of the day painting. I'd promised to make large cards for two people in the theatre group who have eightieth birthdays this month, so I sat in the dining room with 'Have His Carcass' being soothingly read to me by Ian Carmichael, painting and getting woozy with the fumes of glass paint.

I did produce other stuff as well, but the cards - both A4 sized, but the images are reduced! - are rather magnificent.


For the lady:


The flowers are a shape I do frequently (some of you may recognise them from your cards), which I originally found in a tacky reproduction medieval book. The card is actually a paler colour than it looks here, but the picture is reasonably accurately represented.

And for the gent:


The waterfall background is based on a lovely card I found on my first (or second) trip to the USA nearly ten years ago, and the kingfisher seemed like a good idea. I did a couple of oval glass suncatchers with this basic design some years ago, but I'd kept the drawing, happily.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_ducks/]

Those are stunning! I love the flower one, particularly.

[pensnest]

Thanks! I can't decide which of them I'm happiest with.

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

Those cards are absolutely gorgeous!

I is going to see Backstreet too, with you! :D Okay, I'm not sitting with you, but still. Yay!

[pensnest]

Thanks - and yes, definite yay!

[turloughishere.livejournal.com]

Wow!! They're absolutely fabulous!! Stunningly beautiful!! The colours and the lines and the whole composition. Absolutely fabulous!!!

PS Backstreet, wheeee!!!! I wonder if they'll make it to Scandinavia at all this time but if they do rikes and I are definitely going to see them!

[pensnest]

Thanks - I'm very pleased with how the cards turned out. (Also, with how the photos turned out - I think the flash made the shiny background reflect nicely.)

I had an idea Backstreet were talking about touring in Europe, so I hope you get the chance to see them.

[musiquedevie.livejournal.com]

Whoa, those are gorgeous! Very beautiful. :-) I love the colors.

[pensnest]

Thank you. I love the rich colours of glass paints, and the pearlised ones from Rainbow Glass are particularly fabulous.

[queenydiva.livejournal.com]

Those cards are beautiful! You're so talented. :) And congrats on getting tickets to see Backstreet Boys!

[pensnest]

Thank you! I can't actually claim any credit for getting the tickets, as nopseud did the actual work of that, but it is going to be fun!

[milosflaca.livejournal.com]

How did you paint them?....
I've never seen painting like that. It seems to be stain-glass paiting though.

Anyway.Those are beautiful.

[pensnest]

It's actually glass paint. The picture is outlined with the gold stuff, which hardens, then I fill in with the glass paints. And once it's all done, there's shiny, textured paper behind which gives it that sort of fuzzy look.

I have some particularly beautiful glass paints from Rainbow Glass, which are pearlised. The kingfisher's head and wings are done in pearlised turquoise, which is fairly opaque, so you don't get too much of the background shining through.

I love the rich colours of glass paints, and the point of painting with them is generally to get good, thick coverage so that when light shines through, you see the colours really well. In fact, it almost isn't painting at all, because you usually don't want the brush strokes to show, and actually flood the area with a nice thick layer of paint.

[rikes]

Ooh, I love the colours in the first card!

And yay for Backstreet! Did you get to see them during the Never Gone tour, or is this your first time?

[pensnest]

Thanks! No, I've never seen Backstreet before - I was just getting tentatively interested enough to think about going when they were last touring in the UK, but not in time to make up my mind and do it.

[rikes]

You're in for a surprise, then! :)

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Those are so incredibly beautiful!

And YAY for BSB!

[pensnest]

Thanks - I am rather proud of them!

Yay, indeed!

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

Wow, those are awesome! :D

[pensnest]

Thank you :-)