More Rough.....

Than Ready.....

I left you last week, Dear Readers, with the beginnings of my attempt to create a bark-like texture on the Lilac Shrub stems. I was not entirely satisfied with the "texture additive" I had added to the paint. It was very granular and not very thickly applied. I wanted a more linear grain to the surface of these stems and was pondering the addition of sawdust or something that would "read" more like bark. But when I looked at the stick I had used to stir the texture additive into the paint, I noticed it had a much more densely textured finish than the shrub stems had achieved. I thought that maybe I should see whether adding a whole lot more of the additive to the paint, making it thick and syrupy, would then improve the surface texture of the stems. It was worth a try at least!

So I added more texture to the paint and slathered it on!

It definitely is more rough, but  really not ready.

So I was pondering all the ways I might get

 more "linear bark-like texture"

 and was considering things like

 lots of the "glue trick" carefully applied... 

when I remembered that I had some artist's "modeling paste".....

maybe if it was carefully applied over the texture

 it would smooth out some of the texture

 while adding the linear quality I was wanting....

I tested some on a spare piece of

 the twisted paper wire the shrub is made of...

And liked the results!

(I know it is hard to see from just that fragment...)

So I started adding the past to the stems....

One stem at a time.... using a thin coffee stirrer a bit like a spatula.....

applying the paste and carving the lines in it at the same time.

Here you can see it closer..... it is quite a rough texture!

 But it dries a little less thick.... 

and dries relatively quickly, and keeps its flexibility too.

Most of the stems covered.......

All the stems covered.

And waiting to dry.

Meanwhile, I have begun the lilac blossom number twenty-eight!

And it was Also that weekend, Dear Readers, 

when the house plants had to come indoors for the winter...

And the Doll houses had to move to their winter spots 

(on all the extra chairs)...

Because there was frost on the rooftops......

(actually a bit late this year!)

I could no longer deny that the seasons have changed!

Even though I am still dreaming of lilacs in bloom....

Once the modeling past was dry, 

I painted the stems (again!) with the dark gray latex paint.

With the stems a solid color, I could maybe judge

 whether the texture was what I had hoped it would be.

It looks promising.... 

even though it doesn't look as "flaky" as I'd like.

And the color is still needing lots of correction.

So I started mixing the paint to make a "brownish gray"

 like the one I made before... 

only this time rather than artists acrylics, I am using latex house-paint

 (which is much more difficult to mix properly!)

because it is flat and will therefore look dry and flaky...

(once it is dry!)

And I forgot to take any progress pictures....

because I needed to get it painted

 and go test it outside before the light was all gone....

And it was really hard to get a good shot 

(especially with a mosquito trying to bite me.....!)

The color is not quite as good a match as the previous one.... 

 

Or perhaps it is just the golden evening light...

but there will be many more layers.

There will be spots of lichen and moss... 

there will be lighter striations on the lowest stems....

And darker defining lines too...

There's still a long way to go!

And this is just the first shrub!

I will get lots of practice by the time they all are done!

And blossom twenty-eight is finished!

I have not attached it to the shrub..... 

with all the painting and pasting that is still being done,

 I don't want to risk harming the blossoms... 

so they will wait in the box for now.

And I didn't quite finish the leafy stems.....

Assembled but not yet painted.

 

 

So you can see, Dear Readers, 

I have added a whole lot of texture to the stems...

They are much more Rough.... 

but still not quite ready!