Spatula Painting

Some times you just have to paint with a spatula! Okay, maybe only art teachers say this.. but really, it was a ton of fun.

 

So why did I paint with a kitchen spatula? Well, simple.. art specific tools are expensive. Things purchased at the dollar store are not!

 

I'm teaching a workshop on Saturday to two groups of 35 art students at a state level competition and I need tools that I can get super fast. Ordering palette knives would have taken a couple of weeks and would have been  at least a dollar a piece for plastic.. that means, expensive. .25 cent spatulas are the way to go!

 

So a little back story.. I offered to teach the palette knife painting workshop last Friday when the organizers realized that they were short workshop providers. I figured that since I am living in palette knife world right now, it would be perfect. I knew I'd have to revamp some, using acrylic paint instead of oil, but I didn't think about how difficult it would be to get 70 palette knives! eek. I'm a planner and this last minute stuff has my brain whirling!

 

After I searched a few stores and online for cheap and fast palette knife options, I decided to head to the dollar store. Walking in, I asked God to open my eyes to the options. (Yep, I am becoming one of those people. While I'm not asking God for close parking places, I am asking for eyes to see the provision that He provides!)

 

Here are the three vary different, usable options I found! The handle on combs, baby plastic knives, and spatulas.

Here are the new "palette knives" with the traditional ones!

I also only used the paint that I'll be using on Saturday. Primary colors plus white and black acrylic.

I used the baby knife for mixing the colors and for most of the base coat on the canvas. I loved the smooth way the paint went onto the canvas. This is a new go-to tool for me!

But then I needed something that would provide a little more of the traditional palette knife look. I trimmed the spatula so that it had a point and went to town.

 

Isn't it fantastic!?! :) I mixed all of the colors on wax paper. The biggest difference between the acrylic and the oil is that I had to let the paint "set up" a little bit before I could use it easily. Otherwise it was just too runny!

Me in all my glory. Sad. It looks like it's uber late.. it was for me. Probably 9pm! But I wanted you to see the finished piece.

And here is a close up. I think the students will enjoy the process!