Inspiration, Junk Mail and Design Ideas

I discovered a plate that I liked in a cooking catalog and put the clipping in a little design notebook that I've started. The features that I liked best were the combination of colors and the idea of layering the flower shapes to fill a larger space.

I experimented with changes in both the flowers and leaves and decided that I liked the light blue the way it was in the catalog better. It was easy to add it inside the darker blue that I had painted and that seemed to improve it a bit.

The design on the plate was outlined which gives it quite a different look which I like but wouldn't find practical for the deck spindles I'm practicing on or to adapt and paint much smaller on Dala Horses.

I tried painting variations of some of the designs as I considered what I might use them for in the future but for now they just continue to make my house look interesting.

Yellow and Blue Dala Horse

My original idea was to design a horse in the blue and yellow of the Swedish flag but none of the blues I had on hand were right and I didn't feel like trying to mix it so I just decided to do a bit something else in blue and white.

When I do come up with the color I want all of the straps of any kind will be that blue,The mane will be much the same as it is, but in the other blue and I have yet to decide what I'll do with the saddle.

I think playing with variations in blue and yellow will be my signature style this season.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Designs for Yellow Dala Horses

 Here's an easy design that uses simple brushstrokes and only takes 3 colors (yellow, red and blue)

1. Start by painting your horse or other project Yellow.

              2. Place large red dots evenly across your project.

              3. Paint blue lines between the red dots.

              4. Use a smaller brush to pain blue dots in the middle of the red                   ones.

              5. Frame the dots with blue coma strokes.

              6. Fill the space between them with red coma strokes in pairs                       facing opposite directions.