Arts by Jodee Clifford

Makeshift Pastel Paper, a DIY video

As hinted, I’ve been working with pastels recently. One large piece on paper is about 52 x 120″ and taped to the wall in the hallway. It’s a nice surface for soft pastels. There’s something I really like about working large in this medium.

I wanted to learn how to make homemade pastel paper after watching tutorials online. While on coronapocalypse quarantine without clear gesso, pastel ground, ground pumice, marble powder, or any of the other materials mentioned handy… creativity stepped in.

I spent some time experimenting with materials on hand like white gesso, matte varnish, and plaster of paris.

Since something actually worked & worked well, I made a video.

My favorite combination used equal parts of matte varnish + plaster of paris, as shown.

I also had success with equal parts gesso + plaster of paris as well as equal parts water + gesso + plaster of paris. If I didn’t use gesso in oil painting, I’d have been equally as happy to go with that.

Of course, adding acrylic paint to the mixture would work to make a tinted variety.

If you end up doing this or some variation, please share & tag me on Instagram @jodeeclifford. I’d love to see!

Comments and questions welcome.

Okay, time to paint. Until next time, stay well.

<3

My friends were having a baby and they needed someone to keep an eye on their four year old. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I was more than happy to help.

I got to spend a few days with a toddler and haven’t enjoyed life so much in ages. This little guy was bursting with joy and giggles. We raced matchbox cars and demolished lego forts and held robot dance parties to songs from Trolls.

And after a few days, my friends came home and I got to hold their teeny tiny newborn baby. Awww <3

Everything about it was awesome.

I’m back down in desolate beach town now, making messes with art supplies instead of giant legos. Reality’s back but it sure was nice to forget about things for a bit.

I’m working on 8 oil paintings. 2 of them are getting close. The two big ones are 48×60″. The others are neither close or that large. I’m also working on a 52×120″ pastel painting as part of the series.

I’m a lot of talk for now, but there’s proof coming.

Today would have been Nana’s 89th birthday.

I painted this 36(ish)” square oil on canvas painting c. 2006.

I used one of her old slides as a reference… I had scanned hundreds of them for her back when I was in college living in Ocean City.

It’s so hard to believe it’s been seven years since I’ve stopped by to visit. I wonder what she’d say about all the chaos going on in the world now.