Monday 11 July 2011

Brown girl in the (coffee) ring


Show me a motion... Tra la la la la...

For The Summer of Colour we had an unexpected challenge - brown! Eek, reminds me of my school uniform. However, brown is actually very exciting because it allows me to incorporate a spot of staining into my picture. Paper was prepared by flinging hot and wet tea bags at it and then sprinkling with my new favourite coffee Kenco Millicano wholebean instant (from Arabica beans). This left me with an array of choices for names for this lass - Milli perhaps? Rica? Arabica?

Let's go for Rica (pronounced Reek-a) for to be honest she does smell a bit. There's a definite whiff of rich roasted bean about her!

So, once the beverage stain layers had dried, I added a little tissue paper here and there then sketched her in Inktense pencils before bringing all their lushness to life with water and paintbrush.

I'm torn between wondering if she has a 'pox' on her face or it's just an aged vintage feel...

Starting to feel the pressure to keep this portraiture up all summer, but now I've started I must finish. I wonder what colour we're going to have this week?

43 comments:

  1. Brilliant and beautiful! I love that the basis for this is coffee stains. She really is a beauty.

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  2. she is fabulous...love the tea splatts and i know just how she smells...being a coffee addict and all...lol...xxx

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  3. I started singing that song as soon as I read the first two words. :)) Love the background it makes me want to make some tea even if it's blazing 30°C here. :) Love Rica and tell her I don't smell a thing. :)

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  4. I have this picture of you now, flinging tea bags around haha!
    Great portrait.
    x

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  5. Perfect start for using the color brown, and your lady is stunning--you're going to have quite a group of girls when this summer is over :)

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  6. You take distress to a whole new level Lisa. I think she is an Arabica~

    I learn a lot from your posts. Just scrolled down to "Take That Progress Tour" I actually watched it on the Utube you provided. This does look like a very, very exciting concert!

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  7. how cool - you know I love anything with coffee....hee! especially your beautiful artwork! this sounds like a fun challenge - i will visit the blog, too! have a great week!

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  8. I just love all the girls you're creating!! love the splatters and of course i adore coffee! can't work without it! also enjoyed your stories abt roger waters and bon jovi!! can't wait to see them :)
    xoxoox

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  9. wow this is just stunning great brown colours!

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  10. Wow I am sure she smells gorgeous, and a great face. Annette x

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  11. She's beautiful! I really like all the splatters and spots!

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  12. She's is lovely and a great choice for brown.

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  13. I love the smell of coffee,, she has such a haunting look to her,, quite contented though,, I guess she likes coffee too!Beautiful,

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  14. Sounds fun,flinging stuff at the painting, LOL. Love the way her hair looks so soft.

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  15. I love your splatting ....you're my kind of girl!!!

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  16. I'm lovin' Rica! She has a dreamy quality about her which is really enhanced by the splatters!

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  17. Rica! LOL! LOVE her - the stains / splatters are so effective and so unique - and I can just picture you doing it! Your portraits are just exquisite and I'm so honored that you are doing them - can't wait to see everything together - it will make an amazing collection, xo

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  18. Hi Lisa. I love Rica!! She is excellent stains and all. That really makes the piece. Like you browns.

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  19. Fantastic! I can smell the coffee from here! (Aus) Julie

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  20. I love that you threw teabags at the paper...and then you worked your magic! The gal is beautiful and I love all the messy that goes with it!

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  21. I love this...and yes I think she has a vintage feel. :-)

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  22. She is stunningly beautiful! Love the coffee inspiration especially as I am addicted to it. Coffee, tea and art.
    Jessi xox

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  23. I am checking out the 'Artsee Blogger' collaborators... and you had me by saying that you are a 'writer, artist and dreamer'... Well, goodmorning to you! Another 'writer, artist and dreamer' is waving to you from over the ocean.

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  24. Fab blog post!! Rica is fantastic with all her splatters and sprinkles!!- Great effect and sounds kinda fun to do as well!! :)
    Jan x

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  25. Beautiful vintage Rica... love the splatters... she is wonderful...

    Jenny x

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  26. What a gorgeous coffee (or tea?) girl- I love this take on the color challenge! I really wanted to join in on the summer color challenges, but I'm so far behind on everything, I don't think I'd be able to keep up! How DO you manage all the things you juggle?

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  27. This is awesome....love everything about it! Brown never looked so good!

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  28. Mmmmm the smell of roasted coffee! How delicious! She is a looker for sure. Very well done.

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  29. I like the way your use your coffee...great way and nice nice drawing over that...it is original and unique...I would like to smell it!! will see you red one next week...xxx

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  30. ooh,love roasted coffee; how fun! She is beautiful! I love the creative use of the bean :D

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  31. I love vintage Rica. Just perfect.
    I had Brown Girl in the Ring going thorough my head all week!!!
    xxx

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  32. I think of her as vintage. A sweet portrait found in a trunk along with other treasured bits. A slip of ribbon, the remains of a 4 leaf clover..

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  33. Oh, I LOVE her! I know I say that every week with each new one you post. She is wonderful! And I love coffee so she is very dear to me! :) Super job with this one!!

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  34. man! how did you get such wonderful splatters with so many points coming out of it? my splatters look like a blob most of the time!! gorgeous gorgeous splatters!!

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  35. Simply gorgeous, she is so beautiful.

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  36. Love your coffee girl! You have the best ideas!

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  37. I LOVE THIS.. Your creation is awesome..

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  38. So much talent!Great work.

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  39. Love her.. and how you did the background.. very cool... she's gorgeous.. and ahhhh the smell of coffee!! perfect..lol

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  40. OH MY GOSH! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one! The colors...the eyes! You captured it all so beautifully!

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  41. No pox....she is beautiful!

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Thank you for your comments - I always love to hear what you think :)

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