An idea that isn't working

I like to paint small things. Small things feel approachable. I also like to paint “garbage” – make art out of things that are just going to be thrown away.

There’s a practicality to painting small garbage: if you mess up or don’t like the results, you can just bin it, minimal resources expended. And if you DO like the results, it’s easy to find a place to put it. (Sort of; I’ve got tiny canvases, scraps of paper, and random painted things floating around my desk like a halo. But never mind that.)

So here’s an example of a fridge magnet gone wrong. It started life as a magnet that held a calendar from the real estate agent who sold us our house; it’s current incarnation is a mess. But I’m learning from it, I think – need to get better with matte medium, and textures, and the control for very fine lines.

So, some bad art for your viewing pleasure:

a rectangular magnet with rounded corners, painted with layers of browns and oranges and ochres. Darker brown veins run through, and flecks of gold are visible. The lighting - harsh white from above, creating shine blowout and hard shadows - isn't helping matters.