Soar Purpose

06/09/2026

My Dad died 3 years ago. Pic was at my piano, when I was a teenager, in the '80s.

If people ask me how I am, I tend to say "just plodding along".

Dad never got to see how I paint now. He supported me in helping me display the wacky artworks I made from old stuff in his workshop. In mental health themed solo exhibitions. Was the start of a healing journey.

05/09/2026

The new "underpainting" stage for a paintover of a textured abstract. Used modelling paste mixed with dark violet-brown pigments. Colours from the previous painting peek through.

Need to let it cure for a few days before I paint over with acrylics. May use more texture compound in places after I suggest more some bark shapes.

I show the "ugly stage", as it's part of the process. I am aiming for an abtracted tree bark effect. My reference pics are phone pics I took of local pine tree trunks. Not copying exactly but using them as inspiration.

I like abstracts, as they can be an opportunity to experiment and explore. I approach each painting in a different way, with a custom palette.

04/09/2026

Started a textured paint over. This is a new "underpainting" stage.

Inspiration is some phone pics I took of tree trunks of local pine trees.

Not trying to copy the reference pics exactly. More aiming to capture the feel plus an idea I have.

When I want heavy texture with acrylics, I use modelling paste aka modelling compound. It can be mixed with paint or used by itself. When dry, can be painted over.

I decided to mix in dark violet brown pigments. So that it's still pretty dark as my starting point. Some previous texture & colours poke through.

Wil let dry & cure for a few days before paint over with acrylics.

I used a disposable bamboo plate for this step. Alternatively, firm cardboard can work.

Used a painting knife which some people call a palette knife.

Used a textured brush.

02/09/2026

Recorded doing my makeup and hair, getting ready for my part-time job. Hair took about a minute.

Chatted about my interest in colour. Colour theory in painting and makeup is the same.

My name is Xanthe. I am approaching my mid-50s.In this video, I d...

01/09/2026

"Rich" colours have subjective interpretation.

My take is they are complex and saturated colours. Usually deep to dark in value. Often with earthy red and/or dark brown mixed in.

Light, pastel, very muted towards grey, very bright colours are not rich colours. Either too much white and/or lacking complexity.

In painting, using earthy reds can add richness. Also, using transparent glazes to remove chalkiness.

29/08/2026

Have been finding varnishing these smooth paintings on cradled panel to be a nightmare. The brush left streaks.

Another artist suggested wet & dry sandpaper & varnish again. Other artists said the brush was the reason for the streaks.

I generally don't have this issue with paintings on canvas, which has a texture.

The finest sandpaper I could find was from an automobile shop. I chose "microfine" which was rated for polishing.

I cut the larger sheets down to fit a sanding block. Sprayed the sandpaper and painting with water. Lightly sanded in horizontal & vertical directions. Dried off with a microfibre cloth.

Aim was to smooth the texture from the brushmarks without lifting the painting.

Need to retouch some tiny spots around the edge of one painting.

Then, revarnish, after completely dry. I am using gloss finish which can be trickier than my usual satin.

Have invested in a varnishing brush. Brushes which are too soft or too firm don't work so well.

Original paintings on cradled panel, which is great for details but quite fragile.

28/08/2026

New pair of progressives in olive tortie. Gonna take a while to adjust to a moderate reading script on top of moderate short-sighted & astigmatism script. A bit nauseating.

Am currently wearing my old progressives with a weaker reading script from 5 years ago as my everyday glasses. My old long script glasses now only for walks, as progressives can make the ground blurry.

I change between glasses depending on distance/activity.

My glasses can last me years.

25/08/2026

I see lots of "rules" out there about what colours should go together eg muted with muted & clear with clear. It's too constrictive.

I happen to like this clear red and muted olive green together. Red scarf with a coat. Both from sales. The lined coat was discounted twice.

This pair of glasses has green and black frames with a touch of metallic gold. Over 5 years old. Getting a new pair of progressives, soon.

The lenses cost more than the frames. I have worn glasses for over 40 years. I prefer frames in dark neutrals, these days.

24/08/2026

Mixed 3 slightly different palettes from traditional red, yellow, blue. The differences are from swapping a slightly different red and/or yellow.

Based on cadmium yellow, cadmium red, ultramarine blue plus white.

Note how the 3 palettes lean warm (towards orange) and have more muted greens and brownish purples. The mixed dark is more a brown than a black.

Contrasted with another palette based on cyan, magenta, yellow (CMY) plus white, where the "cyan" is phthalo blue, a green-leaning blue. Instead of browns, we have violets. Also, the greens aren't muted.

Traditional palettes can be useful for more natural-looking colours in landscapes, portraits etc.

I think the easiest way to think of it, is that if want browns, look at using a red which leans orange. If don't want brown but want violets, avoid red & use magenta (aka red purple).

Hundreds of colours can be mixed from a limited palette of 3 colours. Will have a different gamut though, depending on which "primaries" are chosen to mix the other colours.

24/08/2026

Mixed some colours from limited palettes of traditional red, yellow, blue paints. Used cadmium red light or medium, cadmium yellow light or medium and ultramarine blue. Plus titanium white.

There are subtle differences depending on which yellow or red was used. Overall, "warmer" (shift towards orange) and more muted colours than a palette based on cyan, magenta, yellow. The "cyan" is phthalo blue, which leans green.

Traditional palettes are often used for more natural looking colours in landscapes and portraits.

There are other reds, blues etc which will give different results.

Put 3 colours in a triangle and mixed some colours in between, plus some with white. The dark mixed in the middle was more a brown than black. Random mixes along the bottom.

In a nutshell, mixing browns come from orange-reds.