Lunar C ~ an ATC/ACEO – painted for World Watercolour Month

Can you hear dogs howling?  Are there rappings at your window?  Do you see strange shapes, female like, travelling past the moon with only a broom as transport?  Do you have bats in your belfry?

Throughout history,  the occurrence of the full moon has been linked to all sorts of strange behaviors. It’s said that some police officers believe that a full moon leads to more crimes being committed.

Me personally?  I think it’s all rubbish.  The only thing that happens during a full moon is that I can see better in the dark, and I don’t reckon that’s because I ate all my carrots either!

Lunar C.  … an ATC for  #WorldWatercolorMonth  –  lit with the dullest of table lamps – so that it lights the photograph but doesn’t over light it.  It leaves it a little dark and moody.

I was sort of vacant of thought, gazing at the moon through the window and this gave me an idea to paint a [bit of fun] night sky with silhouettes on the ground in ATC size.  So I did.

However not only did I use regular water colours,  I also used a tiny bit of a different type of water-colours, called Gansai Tambi Starry water-colour –  in White Gold.  I used this for the moon and a little on some of the stars,  as I wanted the moon to GLOW.

Lunar C.  … an ATC for  #WorldWatercolorMonth  –  This photograph is taken with a bright desk lamp – so it shows the moon being a little brighter than the last photo.

The Gansai Tambi Pearl and Starry colours have mica mixed in with the water colours and can give you a truly lovely glow to parts of your paintings which you want to draw attention to.

Lunar C.  … an ATC for  #WorldWatercolorMonth. This photo taken with the same brighter lamp – but I’ve put a mount around the ATC to frame it better.

I’ve been using these types of ‘twinkly’ water colours for a while now….   I found my very first set years and years ago, packaged up as ‘children’s paints’ and I bought them for just £1.49 from a shop here in the UK, called The Works.  You can see a little ATC here  (click and the link will open up in a new tab) on which I first used those mica paints to paint with.

But the paints I used for brightening the moon in this painting was part of a boxed set of 6, made by Kuretake.

I LOVE Kuretake products.  The company was sited not too far from where I used to live, and every year they would have a monster sale and invite crafters to come and buy.  I must have kept that company going for years!  I spent so much money with them, and learnt so many amazing techniques from their fabulous staff, to do with paints and pens.  They are very much a company who I highly recommend.  BUT … although I know you can buy from that well-known TV Craft Channel (Create and Craft), I urge you to shop around before investing your money there, as I’ve bought some Kuretake products for half the price that they’re selling them on C&C, AND –  I’ve got FREE postage on top too!  So do please shop around if you decide to buy any of the Kuretake items.  The company itself is truly brilliant.  Their customer service and the products are perfection.  —> Link to Kuretake website HERE.<—  (You can buy direct from them on that website too – check-out the sales items!)

This last photo was taken with the flash on as it’s the brightest light I had on a dark evening a couple of nights ago.   I so wanted to show you how the light plays with the Gansai Tambi Starry water-colours and makes something so simple become something quite stunning….

Lunar C.  … an ATC for  #WorldWatercolorMonth.

…  and …  what you see in the photograph isn’t the true story.  That moon looks like MAGIC!  So magical that it makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck!

The only thing I would change about this tiny ATC (2.5″x3.5″) is …  that I wish I’d have gently dotted stars into the scene, instead of dragging my fingernail over the bristles of the damp brush to get the ‘splots’.  I totally forgot that I was working small-sized and because of that I should have dotted the stars in individually using a tiny brush or dotter.  tsk tsk.  By the time I’d got to that part, I couldn’t change the dots as it would have spoilt the sky … so I left it as is.  But to be honest .. in real life, the dots aren’t as ‘in your face’ as they appear on the photo’s.  It’s my own fault for being away with the fairies as I was painting.  lol

The next full moon, here in the UK, isn’t until the 7th August 2017 – so make a note and …  don’t forget to howl at the moon!  (Google will be your friend if you want to know when the next full moon is where you live).

Thank you SO much for coming and sharing a coffee with me. It’s so fabulous to spend time with you.  If you fancy a wee chat, then please leave a comment in the comments box below and I promise I’ll reply the very next visit I make to the blog here. (and I come here regularly – so you won’t have to wait long! 😉 )

Before we part …  I need you to know that I receive no incentive, payment or encouragement from Kuretake, or any other company,  when I recommend products to you.  I speak to you as a fellow crafter, with many years experience.  I research and buy all my own supplies – and if money would allow I’d buy even more supplies just so that I could share them with you and share the results I get from using them.

Of course,  if Kuretake,  or any other craft product company, happen to be reading my blog and would like to share some of their products with me so that I can share [honestly]  the results I get from using them, with you – then I’d be more than happy to do that.  (but the chances are very slim that any craft company will be reading my blog so I won’t hold my breath!)  🙂

Have a truly brilliant Saturday.  I hope the weather is just right for you – not too warm that you’re uncomfortable, and not too cold so that you require a hot water bottle for your feet!  May your day end with you looking back over the hours, and smiling a satisfied, contented smile.

Be kind to yourself, . . .  and each other.

Much love ~