Thai Boats

I love to change the artwork on our walls at home to keep it fresh and I also love to have reminders of our holidays.  I love delving into mixed media techniques and I decided to make a canvas of these two Thai fishing boats tied up on the beach at Kata.

I stuck my head in a couple of technique books to try and get some initial direction before heading off with absolutely no idea (same as usual) LOL!!!

I planned to make this for a guy we met at Christmas in Phuket who has an apartment at Kata Beach, but I've decided to keep this one and make him another as I want to put it up on our wall!! 

The canvas measures 12" x 18".  I painted a coat of gesso first before starting to add my paint colours.  I used glass bead gel to create my circles.  It has taken a few days to finish as there were several delays to allow it to dry.  I bought acrylic inks to experiment with and they are really fun to use.  Their colours are so strong and they act like a resist when dry.  If you spray them with water as they run, they fan out and create gorgeous effects.

The sand was poured over regular gel which I applied with a palette knife and pushed the fragments of glass and shells into.  I used rock candy crackle for the bottom and side sections into which I sprinkled turquoise seed beads.

I nearly had it all completed but felt something was missing so the addition of the fish was the final step before I was happy with it.  I re-tinted the fish with acrylic paint to blend it into the canvas and then used a spritz of heirloom gold perfect pearls to give a little sheen to his scales.

I wasn't planning on entering any challenges with this project, but I've just come across the Eclectic Paperie Get Altered Challenge which is to 'Using Canvas' ... and it seems a waste not to take part!!

Right ... off to get the hammer and put up a new fixing on the wall.  We are back to wet & grey today with a chance of snow so this will help me to remember sunnier days!  x