"Stairs of Life" (sold)

(sold)

"The stairs of life unfold one step at a time and no one else can climb them for you." So often we only notice how others are progressing in life. The reality is that it is does not happen through osmosis. Each person has to be willing to climb the stairs of opportunity and focus on their own gifts and abilities.

Today's piece was created much the same way as yesterday's posting so I will not repeat those steps. However, there is one more additional element added that looks like a piece of collage.

The vertical lettering was typed on my computer and then printed on the Arches Text Wove after I completed the monoprint with Walnut Ink. You could also scan sketches you've created or any other line work and print it in the same manner. It does greatly enrich the surface without adding too many elements. And some of you are like me and have sketches and odd pieces in notebooks or journals that could easily be scanned to include with just the right photograph.

The cool thing about printing over a monoprint in this fashion is that you really have no idea where it will land in the final printing of your photograph over all of this background stuff. It is just another "spontaneous" technique that surprises you with its random placement. So let me reiterate again that if you want a spontaneous look, you will most likely be able to achieve that by using spontaneous techniques. So as you experiment and observe things happening in your studio, keep your eyes wide open for this type of process. Most of the techniques I've learned have been learned by just "messing around" with materials. These are just more things to try or think about.