Vintage Christmas Canvas

Sometimes when you "wing it" a happy surprise awaits you at the end of a project.  That's what happened today when I created this vintage deer head Christmas canvas!  I discovered the image on Shutterstock and thought it would be perfect on a large canvas.  So I choose the base coat color (Americana Chalky Finish Primitive) and the color of the deer head (Americana Chalky Finish Relic).  I choose regular acrylics to paint the letters (Delta Ceramcoat Seashell White).  Once that was done I had to decide what else to do do with the canvas...it looked pretty plain to me.

First I added streaks of barn red here and there on the canvas.  Good but still too plain.  Decided to paint branches and holly.  I liked it but thought it was too dark so I washed over all of it with more Primitive.  Better!  Next I lightly shaded inside the branch frame with Relic.  Getting there!  Finally I fly spattered Seashell White all over the canvas and called it "done".  It's not too often that I go totally "rogue" (when I don't have a clue how somethings going to end up.  Yes, I'm anal that way!), but I'm glad that I did with this piece.  It was fun!  And experimenting in art is what being an "artist" is all about!

See this canvas in person (and lots more hand painted items) Saturday...

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