Texture Painting

 Texture painting involves adding dimension and physical depth using specialize paste like modeling paste. ~ JM

After using modeling paste to create the wave-like design, I selected a deep green paint to make it look like calm ocean waves.

In a different picture, I used a patchwork of lines at the top, plus circular motion on the lower half to mimic movement of the sun rising through bluish sky.

Misc.

 I have done small art projects here and there but did not think it would be enough for the monthly blog.  So, below are the miscellaneous projects I did the past few months. ~ JM

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Drop Cloth Art: In the April 2026 Elle Decor, there is a short blurb of Patrick Frey and his team recreating Belgian painter and sculptor Isabelle de Borchgrave's paint-splattered drop cloth.  Visit Pierre Frey's website to view his beautiful collection.  I thought it would be perfect to pull out my old drop cloth from the different art projects over the years and have fun looking at it as a "spontaneity of creation".

The drop cloth I use for art projects.

Pierre Frey

pierrefrey.com - "Inspired by the artist’s Brussels studio and the freedom of her gesture, this joyful collaboration brings together the three métiers of Maison Pierre Frey: fabric, wallpaper, and rug."

River Map Art:  I was inspired by both the Australian Indigenous art that was featured a few months ago at the National Gallery of Art and picture of the river I took from the plane heading to California.  It is interesting of how the lines flow and where it leads to and what it becomes.  

The perks of sitting at a window seat. 

My interpretation of the river viewed from the plane.

Read here about the Australian Indigenous art.

Rock Art

Decorating the potted plant with rock art. Some of the design ideas came from Pinterest.

Portraiture + Photography Exhibit at National Gallery of Art

 I need to dust off my Nikon camera.  A while ago I was practicing taking pictures of people.  Below is a picture of Edward who I see on my daily walks.  Edward always makes it a point to say "hello" and is impeccably dress while sitting on the park bench.

Many photography websites provide similar tips.

- When using natural lighting, consider the golden hour (hour after sunrise or before sunset).

- Position your subject in a way where the light is indirectly illuminating them to avoid shadows or squinting.

- Camera setting: use a low ISO; select a wide aperture for shallow depth of field and a blurred background; adjust the shutter speed to control motion and light.

- The subject: capture candid moments as well as posed shots.

- Composition: practice the rule of thirds and focus on the subject's eyes (so shoot at eye level).

Picture of Edward near the park.  Lessons learned - I am glad I took a picture with the neighborhood as the background and captured him in a candid pose as he was talking. But wished I repositioned Edward so that the sun was not so harsh and directly in his face, causing a shadow.

Relatedly, there is a fantastic photography exhibit at the National Gallery of Art that is closing January 11, 2026.  It is called, "Photography and the Black Arts Movement 1955-1985".

Grace Jones. 1970s. Anthony Barboza photographed Jones in this close-up portrait.  The description reads, "Jones's face is even more powerful for being tightly cropped and unadorned other than the glints of light reflecting off her nose and her lower lip."

I forgot to take note of the title and the photographer of this picture.  But this photograph instantly caught my attention.  

~JM