Folding a zine and an alternative use for a bank card

Hello again, and excuse me while I scratch my insect bites. I don't know what it is, but at this time of year I'm invariably itching like crazy because I've been bitten by bugs. It seems to coincide with blackberry-picking season, but whether that's purely coincidental I don't know. Whatever's biting me, I'm obviously a tasty morsel in their world! I might try using a highly scented oil like Tea Tree oil, see if that deters them. Anyway, let's get on to more pleasant matters -

I'm having a go at making a zine style booklet. Because I didn't have any paper large enough, I joined together two A3 sheets of sketchpad paper, using torn pieces of book pages for the joining. I thought that'd look less noticeable than packing tape or similar. Having chosen my colour scheme I used acrylic paint and an unwanted plastic bank card to apply the paint. Plus a stencil, sponge and modelling paste. Applying paint with a ATM card was fun to do, and very economical with the paint as well because you can apply it so thinly.

Then I folded and cut the paper into a zine, and began painting portraits. Or at least attempting to.

I took a tip from a YouTube channel I enjoy, and tried basing my own art work (... I use the term 'art' loosely ...) on an actual portrait by an established artist.

I came across a painter called Zees Van Dongen, and initially saw this beautiful portrait of a woman in a green coat and a rather wonderful wide brimmed hat. 'Dolly' was painted in 1911, though she still looks like a very modern woman, don't you think? My version of her is done in watercolour, and while it's not the best, it is at least recognisable as a lady in a hat and green coat! Unless I try, I won't get better at drawing faces, so this is a step - a small step - in the right direction.

This next picture's based on Van Dongen's portrait called 'The Corn Poppy', from 1919. I'll let you google the original.

The third painting I did, and added to my zine, was one that I'd found online and began copying before I realised it's not actually a Van Dongen. It's entitled 'Abstract portrait the big eyes of Kees van Dongen' by Danielle Ducheine, and I subsequently found her on Instagram. She's clearly taking inspiration from him too.

Well, that's as far as I've got. I think I might take this as an opportunity to find out more about Fauvism, which was the art movement Van Dongen was part of. It's always good to learn about something new, isn't it? As the saying goes, everyday's a schoolday.

Thanks for stopping by.

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