"Erratic Lines"

(unavailable....4" x 6"....on 300 lb. HP.....mounted on masonite)

"Erratic lines have their own poetry." This is true especially when they are showcased against a very vibrant color. It is quite fun to see how many erratic lines you can spot in your everyday surroundings. Look at tree limbs...cracks in the concrete...the movement in an electrical cord reaching to the socket, etc. They have energy and that's why we like them!

This piece was inspired by my desire to experiment with Super Heavy Gesso (Liquitex). I applied it with a palette knife on 300 lb. HP. A texture tool was used to create the vertical lines and then I swiped through some of those lines with a palette knife and also made some gestural marks with the corner of a palette knife. This was left to dry overnight. (It is very thick and cannot be dried with a hair dryer.)

The following morning, I painted the yellow/green over the entire piece with a sponge brush (3x) using Fluid Acrylics and drying in between. The erratic black lines were also Fluid Acrylic and diluted slightly and applied with a palette knife and also pouring a bit from the bottle. The texture created by the gesso helped create the shape and direction of the black paint. Notice that the lines go from top to bottom and also create a few shapes in several different sizes. Creating shapes informed my choice of where the paint was applied. And this application of black paint also had to dry overnight.

The line of lettering was kept straight and written expressively with a pointed pen, Moon Palace Ink, with a very small x-height. Erratic lines and mark making are wonderful for mixed media work of all kinds. Mark making can be created with an infinite variety of odd things you probably have lying around your house or yard. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.