If you haven’t read yesterday’s post, check that first or this won’t make sense.

So I realized the big canvas was really too big for me right now, but I was bound and determined to get something on the wall for my party on Friday. So I went down to the smaller size, which still felt quite big as I was pouring it.

The first thing I discovered was that I absolutely hate the new white paint I bought. When I poured it, the whole surface was covered with tiny lumps. At first I thought they were air bubbles, which are easily fixed with heat, but the hair dryer didn’t help and that’s when I realized they were wee lumps — gazillions of them! By this time I had all the colours mixed, so I decided to go ahead anyway. The pour turned out not bad — not great, but acceptable — but these lumps wouldn’t budge. I poked a finger into one of them and managed to lift it out, but it left a dent. Hmmmm, what if I made dents all over? Would they disguise the bumps? Nothing to lose, so that’s what I did. Weird effect and it definitely is not a permanent part of my decor, but it saved the day. Here it is.

But I didn’t want to let go of the big canvas, so first thing this morning I spread it out on the kitchen counter. I had an idea of what I thought could work, so I mixed all the paint and did all the faffing about you have to do, and eventually I was ready. I poured. OMG, what a disaster. Made it worse than before. The paint was so thick it would hardly move on the canvas — even though it seemed fine in the cup. I usually paint over my failures, but I felt there was too much on this canvas already and I just couldn’t handle trying again. So I attacked it with a box cutter, cut out the canvas, rolled it up and pitched it in the garbage!

Next thing: hang the picture, as well as my Rabbie Burns plate. I went into the art supply store downstairs and, not knowing the word for a picture hook, explained what it was for. He didn’t get it, and eventually he gave up and said he didn’t have any. I went to the hardware store, and here is a translation of the conversation:

Me: I’m looking for some of those little things you use to hang pictures.

Him: What things?

Me (miming): You know, to hang pictures on the wall.

Him: You want a picture frame?

Me: No, just something to hang a picture.

Him: Ah, you mean a canvas!

Me: No. I have a canvas. I have painted a picture on the canvas. Now I want to hang it on the wall. What do you use to hang pictures on the wall?

Him: Nails.

Ah well then, why didn’t I think of that? They sell the nails individually here, so I bought a dozen and now the first picture is hung. Don’t laugh, but here it is! I know, I know, it’s way too small for the space, but hey — as we say in Scotland (I translate) “If you take what you have you never want.” When I got the nails in, the picture wasn’t in the middle over the couch. I was hyperventilating at the thought of messing with those nails all afternoon, so I just moved the couch to fit under the picture! (I think I still have to move it a couple of inches.)

Anyway, lesson learned. I’m now going to go out and buy a whole lot of small canvases and do what I did in Toronto when I started pouring. I’ll experiment with all the different materials and make notes of the results until I get what I want. And then maybe I’ll try the big canvas again.

Maybe.

Maybe I’ll buy a wall hanging.

So this is the state of my dining room table this morning. I have been struggling for a couple of weeks now to get back to where I was with acrylic pouring before I left Toronto, and I am beyond frustrated. The thing is, with acrylic pouring it’s all about the chemical interactions between the paints themselves, and between the paints and the other substances we use to pour the painting. I can’t get the materials here I used in Canada, so I’ve been experimenting with alternatives.

Finally this week, I found a pouring medium in an art supply store I hadn’t visited yet — and what a treasure trove that turned out to be! It’s not the brand I’ve used before, but it’s at least made for the purpose. OK.

However, there is also a huge difference among the various brands of paint, whether it’s in Canada or down here or anywhere else. In other words, a lot of experimentation is called for. That would be fine if I had lots of time. However, I’m having my first big party in this apartment on Friday night, and the walls are almost empty. It desperately needs at least something over my famous red couch. I’ve actually produced some small pieces that are OK, but instead of gradually working my way up to the big canvas, I dived right in — big mistake. First, I really don’t have space to do something that is 60 cm x 160 cm, so I pushed furniture around and made space on the floor. Then I put a cushion inside a plastic bag so I could kneel on it.

Reaching across the canvas was bad enough, but you also have to tilt these canvases to get certain effects, and it was way too big and heavy. The fact that the paint was way too thick didn’t help. So, as I often do, I rushed in where angels fear to tread, and the result was an epic fail.

Still determined to get something over the couch, I mixed up some new paint last night, ready to work today on a 40 cm x 80 cm canvas. I have a feeling I don’t like this white paint, but we’ll see.

And once I’ve done something on that, I’m going back to the big one to see what I can do to rescue it — every time I pass it by I tell the canvas, “This is not over.”

Stay tuned.