"Ethereal"

($40.00.....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"Ethereal imagery transports me to a place where nothing needs to be added or taken away." This piece is based on a photograph of architectural elements above the windows that look into the atrium of the Biltmore. This quote can be interpreted from an artistic or spiritual viewpoint. Either way, it is lovely to be transported away from the cares of daily life and partake of beauty wherever it can be found. Take the time and be refreshed.

As you know, I have been creating imagery based on photographs. This one follows the same steps as I've stated in recent postings. But this time, I did use Titanium White mixed with Liquitex Pouring Medium to create the top coat. I also made the monoprint of Walnut Ink a bit darker because I wanted to write with white gouache.

For my Spencerian Script students, the lettering in this piece perfectly demonstrates how to make spencerian a bit more readable. I did increase the x-height a bit and added more weight to each of the down strokes. You still get the "poetic" feel with the added benefit of legibility. Now I would love to write everything a bit more illusive and less readable, but I am here to tell you that there are a great many people who want to read the quote. This will forever be a dilemma to those of us who do lettering art so you'll simply need to determine what audience to address. As for the bit of added flourishing. One easy way to figure out the placement is to start at an edge, going one direction, and then let the line go completely off of the design space and then reenter going the opposite direction and off of another edge.

Also, a bit of a reminder about pastels. Thanks to Georgia Deaver, those of us who took that class understand that if you want strong pigment that will stand the test of time, you must use soft pastels. Chalk pastels will not work. They just disappear into the background. You don't actually need every color on the planet, but just start with a few colors you know you will use regularly.....like white, raw umber, (light, med., and dark) of your favorite colors, etc. Just some more things to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.