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paint an easy rainbow

How to paint an easy rainbow using water-based paint and a sponge

June McEwan 

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Sweep the sponge across the surface | June McEwan, Artist

Making a rainbow sponge 

Source: June McEwan

HOW-TO MAKE A

Painted Rainbow

1. Choose and mix your colours with water.

2. Paint stripes of each colour onto a clean, just damp sponge.

3. Press the sponge lightly, colour side down onto the surface to be painted. Without lifting the sponge, sweep it across the surface to spread the colour in a rainbow shape.

Lodge 105: Masonic Murals

Well my jobs are linking together nicely! The warring Campbell brothers and the warring Masons. Two American Civil War stories with the same premise. That's the universe for you!
I was treated this week to a look at the old Masonic Lodge in Coupar Angus. (Dates back to 1767). Historic Scotland have rejuvenated the exterior, but wont help with the interior- I believe the reason is that Free Mason's are a 'private club'.
However, they need to upgrade their room and want new paintings. Their old murals are in a terrible state, but it'll cost more to clean them than cover them up! Their plan is to frame up new interior walls (the place is freezing anyway) and hang large masonic symbolist paintings rather than to muralise. I'm really looking forward to the job.

juneable: Lodge 105: Masonic Murals

juneable: Lodge 105: Masonic Murals: I was treated this week to a look at the old Masonic Lodge in Coupar Angus. (Dates back to 1767). Historic Scotland have rejuvenated the ext...

Celebrate Crieff: Power Point Presentation

I had to do a wee presentation the other evening about my Secessionville painting and the linked community projects I'm doing alongside it to promote the 19th century happennings of emigration to America from my small Scottish town of Crieff.
It's the first Power point presentation I've done although I have used slides and overhead projection before. There were two other speakers, so all three presentations were put together in the correct running order and presented as one 'slideshow'.
I had help from my bloke with the layout of the slides and their artwork, but the whole thing is a lovely easy way to do a presentation....then the power of the web kicks in. Because it's all computer work, you can share the whole thing by going to a fantastic site called slideshare - who knew?

Here's the Celebrate Crieff one. My bit is last - they ended on a high note!
Celebrate Crieff

Last week's best job: Celebrate Crieff Logo

A logo for a new voluntary Crieff group, 

who have formed to create and get funding for cultural events in the town....

I've joined it...of course!

Secessionville Painting, start-up!

I've no idea what the composition will be, but I've begun preparing a canvas for the battle painting! 

Why make gesso for one, when you can squash 3 or 4 canvasses into a space?

Some of the paints I'll use. This is my 'new' sketching travel box, already in a state!

 I mostly use traditional Sax oil paints. They're very expensive, natural pigment and hand made, but they are glorious!

The brushes are Black Hog hair - my favourite at the moment. 

Secessionville Painting: The Campbell Brothers from Crieff

This year, in Crieff, a series of events will take place celebrating two brothers who emigrated to America from Crieff in 1856 and found themselves fighting on opposing sides in the American Civil War.
The Campbell Brothers were brought up in the street I live in, Mitchell Street, so it makes it even more special to have received a commission from the 'Celebration150' group to undertake the painting of a large oil which will be the centrepiece of an exhibition in Crieff that will include Union and Confederate uniforms, 'Loaner Colours' and work from local schools based upon the story.

juneable: Last weeks best job! Revamp of an old Grotto

This week, my son, (sporting his 'Prostrate November Tache), & I, repainted a grotto I did around 10 years ago. Made from MDF, it was never intended for long term usage, but every year, the wee house has been touched up and rebuilt. A couple of years ago, the centre decided it had had its day and it was put in storage with bags of cement, bricks and piles of other might-be-handy-one-of-these-days stuff.

The Grotto, in it's early years

The Grotto, as it evolved into part of a scene a few years ago

Every year lots of children have had their picture taken in front of it. There's a certain appeal about the little house that children are drawn to. When the centre invested in a lovely Cinderella carriage, the young people missed Santa's wee house and it was re-instated!

The Grotto, in the revamp process

I think its going to look good. I was unsure about it becoming an ice-house, (blue is such a cold colour), but it sparkles nicely having been sprayed with silver glitter; the proof will be in the reaction by Santa's customers...

....pictures to follow...

juneable: Last weeks best job! Out & About in Crieff

juneable: Last weeks best job! Out & About in Crieff: Crieff in Black & White I'm doing lots of sketches towards an illustrated map for the car parks of Crieff. Burrell Square Bank Street T...

Last weeks best job! Out & About in Crieff

Crieff in Black & White

I'm doing lots of sketches towards an illustrated map for the car parks of Crieff. 

Burrell Square

Bank Street

The Old Bank, High Street

St. Ninian's & The War Memorial

The Town Hall

Last weeks best job! The Grange's Hallow'een Party

It may not be the best face painting I've ever done, but it met with much appreciation and happiness!

Everyone was looking forward to their party later and getting all dressed up.

Quite a few of the staff got painted too, but I only managed a few 'phone photos.

Well done to all who got painted- especially the Grange staff member who had to catch the bus!

Last weeks best job! Big Spidey

Managed to squash Mimi into my Tardis-like Corsa, all legs akimbo and deliver it to The David Marshall Lodge in Aberfoyle for their Hallow'een event.

Mimi wanting into the house

Mimi at The Lodge

Don't think she wants to be left there

She'll be happy when she see's the glow-in- the- dark giant cobweb the Lodge have invested in to provide a home for her.....

Last weeks best job! Finishing Fountain Park Community Mural

I've completed Fountain Park Community Mural, after 3 weeks of variable weather, the worst being wind: (I've learned all about 'the Venturi Effect - the action of wind around large buildings),  gusts of which made my legs turn to jelly a couple of times, resulting in me losing my bottle on the scaffold and giving in! I had some wonderful help from pupils of Boroughmuir H.S. and some great drawings from clients of the Garvald Institute and Fountainbridge Library reading groups.

 Fountainbridge Library

Banner workshops at Boroughmuir H.S.

Dalry Rd.P.S. P2/3 pupils helped paint the lower images

Wall images

Boroughmuir winners

A passing character, Norman. Just had to include him!

My scaffold, showing the angle of the brae I was working on.

Edinburgh Evening News Article

juneable: Last weeks best job! Wasn't a job, it was a Face-P...

juneable: Last weeks best job! Wasn't a job, it was a Face-P...: A face painting jam is a get together of face painters who share their skills and technical know how. Last week a group of us went to 'Mary...

Last weeks best job! Wasn't a job, it was a Face-Paint Jam!

A face painting jam is a get together of face painters who share their skills and technical know how.
Last week a group of us went to 'Mary's Tribal Jam'.
Mary Fairgrieve's work is exceptional and she opened her home to what turned out to be a bunch of happy nutters...with their children... She tried her best to teach us something and we all tried our best to play with paint. Prizes and even a certificate were given. Yours truly won...nothing.

 I did get Triballed by another fantastic facepainter, Annie D and was morphed into a celtic warrior through the photoshop skills of the only male painter attending - Al Reid. 

It was altogether a fun happy sunny day and an excellent bonding session! Usually we face painters only know of each other through work, so it's a joy to get to know one another properly.

I face paint under the name 'Metamorface'. A name, we, (we are a team), achieved over a couple of G & T's!
The lovely Brenda Binnie won the coveted Metamorface certificate.

Last weeks best job! Wickerman Festival Face-painting

Wickerman Festival Faces

Metamorface Face Painting by Me at the 2011 Festival

juneable: This week's best job: Forteviot Village Hall Paint...

juneable: This week's best job: Forteviot Village Hall Paint...: "Forteviot Village Hall 5th bi-ennial art exhibition In aid of Hall upkeep Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st 10.00am - 6.00pm This is the selecti..."

This week's best job: Forteviot Village Hall Paintings

Forteviot Village Hall 5th bi-ennial art exhibition

In aid of Hall upkeep

Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st 10.00am - 6.00pm

This is the selection I've put in. All local landscapes done in oil.

This weeks best job: Mural sketch design for 'Fountain Park Mural'

Well, I finished all the community workshops, took photos of participants sketches, made contact sheets of them and started working out some way of showing what everyone wants!
You can follow the process through my photos at my
Fountain Park facebook page

Sketch design idea

Existing wall