"Paz" (draft 3)

(draft 3)

Almost there. The script and Spanish Round Gothic is to come. The lettering you see today is "paz" (peace) written with black enamel paint from a bottle with a tip.

I must say that I am quite in love with enamel paint now. When it dries, it is very shiny and smooth. Of course, now I am anxious to add white to my repertoire. It is a wonderful counterpoint to the lettering written with gouache or Fluid Acrylics. The surface was prepared for lettering with (1) part gel matte medium to (2) parts water mixed together with a palette knife and applied to the surface with a chip brush.

You can also see that I altered the edges of the fiber and adhered the silver leaf to the canvas. Edges are very important in any piece and the edges you see today are far more interesting than having the same amount of silver leaf coming down the entire length of an equally straight piece of fiber. By removing some of the fiber on both sides, I created some interesting shapes with the silver leaf peeking out rather randomly. And random is a word that is closely aligned with spontaneous. To quote myself...."It takes a spontaneous technique to create a spontaneous result."

The edges created by the chevron stamp are also important. By sanding part of the stamped image, I have created lost and found edges and a gradation with the color of the fiber with a "fading in" and "fading out" effect. The other random technique used was painting black gesso on the back side of this fiber. The sanding produced a deconstruction of part of the fiber and that black gesso then seeps through to the top side. This is much more effective than trying splatter specks in a random fashion.

So the "take away" for today is a study of edges. Try looking at lots of other artwork and see how different artists deal with their edges. It can truly make or break a piece. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"A Poetic Collection"

(unavailable....4" x 6".....watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb. CP....mounted on masonite)

"A poetic collection fell to the ground." The fall is a perfect time to see all kinds of poetic collections while taking a walk. The very small leaf in this piece had three seed pods sitting on top so I brought it back to the studio. What was so interesting to me is that these three small pods have not moved from that leaf. It is like a still life found.

Noticing small things in nature and in art is the chief business of the artist. For instance, this piece has a variety of different types of edges. And edges can make or break a piece. The first set of edges were created with masking fluid over the first initial wash and the paper being thoroughly dried. So after all of the glazes were finished, and the masking fluid removed, there is softer and harder edges based on the gradated color in the lettering. So many different effects can be achieved by when you decide to include masking fluid.

The second set of edges were created in the initial wash using "neutral tint". This is actually the name of the color and turns into a beautiful gray on wet paper. After the sheen of the water leaves the paper, these letters were written with a more concentrated amount of pigment and a pointed brush. The edges became softly diffused.

I then created some black erratic lines with pen and FW ink which created a few more shapes and some very hard edges. The seed pods on the leaf were then painted followed by the pencil lettering. The lettering was "beefed up" a bit after initially being written. All done with an extremely sharp pencil (sharpened on a sandpaper block) to create very thin lines. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"The Quiet" (draft 1)

(draft 1)

Even though this watercolor will end up with a serene and peaceful image, the strong diagonals will also keep it dynamic. I must admit it is a bit "scary" to post watercolors in process because it is not always possible to correct things that could go wrong in successive layers. Oh well....it's only paper and I could start over again.

I could also have begun two pieces at the same time and same size, but I am out of 8" x 8" Fabriano CP. This much I can say....there is a reason why Fabriano Artistico is preferable to Arches. The Fabriano has a finer texture and a better feel. At least that is my opionion so far. I did begin a similar one in a smaller size because it makes me more confident to test my pigment to water ratio on a test piece first.

You may be wondering why I chose this particular layout and division of the design space. I am working from an inspiration piece. And what you will see tomorrow (hopefully), is a large transparent glass bottle that will overlap both blue areas and look as though it is sitting in a window sill.

My objective in these first two glazes was to show a variety of values with a variety of techniques. In the first glaze, I scrubbed the paper on both sides with water and a sponge brush to remove the sizing. I then squeezed all of the water out of the sponge and removed any excess water puddling on the top of the paper. With a mop brush, I laid in the first blue bands of color and created a bit of gradation by coming right behind the first swipe of the brush with water only to allow the color to fade out. I also left some white of the paper in both sections as well as the large middle band of untouched paper. The color did bleed a bit and created a diffused edge.

While all of that was drying (without the aid of a hair dryer), I busied myself reading and looking at things. After about (30) min. I finished drying both my small and large pieces with a hair dryer. It has been my observation that is best not to use a hair dryer right off the bat because it stops the spontaneous result between pigment and water. But alas, time is always of the essence, and no harm is done if you finish drying it after a sufficient amount of time....(i.e. when the water and pigment are no longer moving at all)

I also wrote into the pigment with a Speedball C-5 nib (no pigment) very lightly. If you press too hard, the subtle effect will not be achieved and the paper will be seriously marred. The second glaze was painted with a flat brush on dry paper and losing the edge of one side with a mop brush and water only. Take the water brush clear to the edge of the paper to avoid a hard line or at least until the pigment fades out to nothing.

So all of these techniques are the ones that must be practiced over and over until they become second nature.  My ultimate desire is to combine watercolor techniques with gesso techniques and of course....lettering. It's great fun and I hope that by sharing my journey, you will be helped in yours. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Variegated" (final)

(image 1)

(image 2)

"Variegated thoughts are running through my mind." Today is the final for this piece. In the first draft, I began two pieces and posted one of them yesterday, but did not like the outcome. So today, you are viewing the second one of those pieces which has become the final.

The advantage of working on two similar pieces at the same time...especially with watercolor is that you have an extra one available in case the first one got overworked. I observed both pieces from a distance during the course of the day and decided to leave this one and not put all of the leaf detail in place. It is simply a suggestion of the leaves and by stopping before I thought I was finished, I managed to capture the luminosity.

And this is the trick with watercolor in particular. It also provides shapes you might not have imagined in the final. So my big "take away" by working on two pieces is to have both of them in front of me to compare and contrast. It's an exciting way to work.

In this piece, I also have minimal glazing. Not more than three glazes over any of the leaves. Also notice that I left the edge of the previous layer showing which gives it depth. The two gray spots in the background were created in the very first wash by slinging a slightly darker value over the piece with the brush. One "sling" is quite sufficient. If you do too much of any technique...(i.e.....saran wrap...bubble wrap...or splattering)....and the viewer notices the technique more than the overall piece, it will look contrived. In this case, "less is more".

 If you are a lettering artist and you want to have some subtle or soft lettering, use a very sharp pencil (sharpened on a sandpaper block) and write on the piece before spraying with acrylic spray coating or varnish. If you don't, the spray could create a resist and not receive the graphite. If you choose gouache....the paper will need to be sprayed (3x) with spray acrylic coating and then prepared for lettering.

Watercolor is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating mediums to work with, but does require some perseverance and close observation to what is happening between pigment, water, and the wetness or dryness of the the paper. Most of the leaf glazes in this piece were applied with a brush with most of the water squeezed out and then dipped into a "juicy" puddle of pigment and water.

After making one pass over the desired area....I banged my mop brush in the water container to remove most of the pigment ran the brush over a sponge and then quickly softened the right edge with water only. This gives the desire "lost edge" effect and also helps with luminosity and a balance between hard and soft edges. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Variegated I" (draft 2)

(image 1)

(image 2)

Today's posting is the second image from yesterday with more layers. More than likely, there will be no more layers added except for the lettering. My quote will be...."Variegated thoughts are running through my mind."

This piece today represents me processing and practicing glazing and layering to create interesting shapes, edges, and maintaining the luminous qualities of watercolor. Like you, I am on a "learning curve" with these techniques since it has been a very long time since I made watercolor a part of my voice.

I am pleased that I did not overwork each layer by going over and over it. My mind was firmly wrapped around the idea of waiting until it was completely dry before adding more layers. Having said that, I really need to practice the ratio of water to paint. There are times when the water in the brush needs to be completely squeezed out before dipping it into more color.

And the value created by how much water is added to the pigment is also a major factor. I did exercise some control by testing my value on a "work off" piece before adding it to the actual piece. And I think this is a good practice tip, even with much experience. And I am also practicing different techniques on a 4" x 4" piece of 140 lb CP in between working on my other work.

My plan is to make notations of what I did on each 4 x 4, punch a hole in the corner, and place them on a binder ring. (They are available at office supply stores.) The reason these kind of exercises are important is to have a ready reference to make it easier in selecting which techniques to use to accomplish a specific goal. You can also cut out visual inspirations and mount them on large shipping tags and also place those on a binder ring. They also make a pretty display in a wood or decorative bowl in your studio.

So you can see in the two images today which colors I layered and in what order.  (My inspiration was the leaf patterns on an "Angel" plant....so you are seeing the top side of the leaf which is green and the underneath side of other leaves which is red.)  Planning out a layering strategy requires thinking ahead through the piece and then plotting your strategy. It's like thinking ahead and thinking backwards at the same time. You can also have no thought at all and simply paint whatever comes to mind. And that does work occasionally, but for long term success, you and I will both be better served by learning the basic techniques, color priniciples, and possible compositions before going crazy.

If you cannot recount to yourself and others what you did to create a particular look, then you can never intentionally repeat it. This means you will be starting at square one every time you paint. It will simply be a roll of the dice. Even artists who work very intuitively are thinking about a few things that are very important and making decisions as they go along. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Color Poetry"

(unavailable.....4" x 6"....Color Block on Masonite)

"Color has its own poetry." It also has the power to create a mood better than any other design element. It's a vast subject and the more I know...the more I realize how much more I need to learn.

That's why "color blocking" has an endless fascination for me. It's quite like adhering paint chips on a board. The piece you see today is comprised of remnants from a "color block" piece I did a week or so ago. The idea was to use very neutral colors with one bright color being the star of the show. I had two rules going into the process. One rule was to have the bright green form a shape from top to bottom. The other rule was to have a variety of different sized blocks.

By including several pieces with erratic lines and a circular blob of color on one block, I was able to offset all of the straight lines created by the blocks. The straight lines can also be countered by arranging colors side by side that are close in value. This type of work is also a good study in edges. It is absolutely necessary to have edges and erratic lines in some of the blocks to contrast with the hard edges created by the perimeter of the blocks.

For those who have created mono printed rice papers, there is yet another wonderful option. By covering some or all of the blocks with rice papers, the texture and line work of the print will create a very dynamic piece. And that's my plan for tomorrow's posting. I will create a another 4" x 6" using rice papers instead of heavy body acrylics. In fact, my postings this week will be a series of 4" x 6" blocks created with different materials.

It's all very exciting and I would encourage you to jump on in. The water's warm!! And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Cathedrals" (final)

($250.00.....11" x 14".....gesso work on 140 lb. HP....mounted on a 2" depth cradled board)

"Cathedrals in all their grandeur cannot compare to the cathedral of the heart." You can see that the lettering was done in a gothic style called "textura". I deliberately left them in a lighter value. Most of the time, especially on this type of surface, white lettering has to be retouched to deepen the value.

Another intentional decision was to slightly angle the lettering to mimic the line work throughout the piece. It also gives movement and makes it less contrived.

There are several "take aways" from this piece that I would like to share. First of all, when creating erratic lines and shapes with gesso as well as white gouache....the value of these areas can be muted by brushing on a bit of charcoal powder after they're dry.  You can see it quite clearly in the cathedrals where there is a grayish/ whitish texture. It adds an ethereal look and is a very useful technique. If you consistently create mixed media work, black charcoal powder and a soft brush (Hake brush or blush brush) are an absolute necessity.

Line work is your friend when it comes to integration. By creating white lines in the dark areas and black lines in the white areas, I created conversations between the shapes which results in integration. 

Breaking up solid shapes of color with rubbing alcohol and a brayer or laying down color with gouache and brayer and then spraying lightly with water can create very interesting texture. I did this on the left side where you see texture in the dark area.

Using a pointed pen and a press/release technique can help create lines that are thicker and thinner in places which makes them much more interesting. It is also good to have line work created with a variety of different mediums....such as gesso applied with a credit card....pencil lines....pointed pen and ink lines....scratching into damp paint with the corner of a credit card or palette knife...etc

As I mentioned in draft (1), I attempted to write down most of the questions that needed answers as I moved through the steps of creating. There were approximately (50) in all which simply illustrates that it takes many steps to create a piece of artwork. Asking the right questions will give you the right answers. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Lavender Blues" (final)

($200.00.....11" x 14".....Gesso Work on 140 lb. HP........Presented on a 2" Depth Cradled Board)


"Improvisational art has a syncopated rhythm." By the erratic placement of color shapes and a close division of space between the positive and the negative...syncopated rhythm occurs.

Drama can be created in a piece by allowing the positive and negative to occupy almost equal amounts of space. it also helps if those two space divisions are odd shapes with some of them appearing in a back and forth fashion. For instance, the light colored windows in the dark area and the dark windows in the light area add to the drama and rhythm of the piece.

In making the final decisions about this piece, I tried to preserve textures that were pleasing and made sure that a portion of all the previous layers remained in tact. Other decisions had to do with the treatment of the edges. I didn't want all of the edges to be solid and severe so I broke up some of those by "inching" my brayer into those shapes a bit and creating a transitional value between the extreme dark and extreme light edges.

I also used a break off knife to scratch into the dark shapes and some of the light shapes to reveal the color underneath. In the dark area, the underneath color was mostly white so I painted on a glaze of Quinacridone Burnt Sienna (fluid acrylic) to tie in with the brighter burnt sienna in the center portion of the piece.

You can also see a tinge of lavendar and burnt sienna in the white gesso areas as a result of spraying alcohol and brayering over the surface. The brayer automatically picks up some of those colors and carries them to the white.

My lettering is a mixture of italic and spencerian script written with a Mitchell #6 nib. Of course, the surface had to be prepared for lettering. It is quite impossible to write with pen and ink over this surface unless it is prepared with (2) parts water + (1) part gel matte medium. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"He Heard My Cry" (draft 3)

(draft 3)

Today's image is the third draft of "He Heard My Cry". I have done a considerable amount of adjusting the values with additional rice papers and a lot of pastel work. Today I will be viewing the piece on my iPhone which allows me to see it in a whole new perspective. There is something about viewing your work as a flat image and simply getting away from it physically that will show you what else needs to be done. So if you don't blog, at least take a photo of it and study it during the day.

At this point, everything is adhered to the support except the handmade paper and glass inclusion. Today I will adhere it to the 11" x 14" flat gessobord panel and weight it down to dry. I also will be considering any other adjustments. I have already set the stage for white lettering at the bottom and because I have subdued the background considerably, I will probably opt for gestural writing and white bleedproof white. I am also considering a bit of pencil lettering in that area before the white lettering is written.

Since yesterday, I have cropped the piece to its finished size and then positioned and repositioned the large bible page, handmade paper, and glass inclusion about a million times. I was very careful not to adhere anything until I determined where I needed some more marbled paper and plain rice paper. But even before all of that, I brushed on a lot of soft pastels to create some darker areas and integrate the piece with my frame. The frame has a brownish red and black color with a gold trim around the opening. The gold looks very good with all of the aged yellowish tones in the piece. So when you are creating a piece that will be framed, I strongly encourage you to select your frame before finishing the piece so you can adjust any of the values and colors for a better integration.

My frame also has a historical look to it which lends itself to this type of presentation. (In the past, I have referred to these type of pieces as my library pieces.) And if you think about it, all of the elements give a nod to the book arts and books are found in libraries. As time goes on, books may become obsolete so I definitely want to do my part in preserving the written word.

In this third draft, my entire focus was on shapes, edges, and values. And you do need some kind of focus and a goal as to what you are trying to achieve when creating layers. If you simply place paint or elements wherever you feel like it, you might succeed part of the time, but eventually it is important to have a focus on what you're doing.

One of the most important things I've learned to focus on is the fact that artwork is made up of shapes. All over backgrounds created with sponges and a dab here and there does not create shapes. That is precisely why the "edge to edge " concept is important. The minute you extend a line, shape, or connecting shapes from edge to edge, you have created several shapes by dividing the design space into two or more parts. That's exactly why the cruciform format (vertical and horizontal from edge to edge) is so effective.

In this piece, that thought of extending shapes from edge to edge played a role in deciding where to add my additional marbled papers. The placement of those papers connecting the handmade paper and old bible page to the top and bottom edge keep the focal point from floating in space. It's not that vignettes are wrong....they just cannot compete with the dynamic pieces that have well designed shapes and depth. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"He Heard My Cry" (draft 2)

(image 1)

(image 2)

The title of my piece is now settled. It comes from Psalm 40: 1 .   I have yet to decide on the translation so I will post the verse in the final. There will be one more draft before the final, but you can see that I have added some old bible pages and plain rice paper. The handmade paper and old introductory page (1911) are simply laying on the top and their placement will be decided today.

If you like this process of laying down one sheet of marbled paper and then laying down text and rice paper overlays, be sure to have extra of this paper for some final touches. Fortunately, I bought (5) sheets of this particular pattern and colors. I may be adding some pieces of that on top of some of the rice papers at the end.

So what I am trying to do with this process is create an interesting pattern with the text, rice papers, and marbled paper. And just a side note about marbled papers...even when they are mass produced, each one is different and has to be hand pulled from the floating colors in the vat. So they are essentially handmade and created on archival papers which makes them a superior paper to use unless you want to use your own handmade mono prints or other papers.

This particular pattern and colors integrates extremely well with old text pages and handmade papers. I will be adjusting the values of the plain rice papers today by brushing on some soft pastels. This will create the darks that are needed and also reveal more of the overlapping edges.

Since yesterday, I adhered the full sheet of marbled paper to 300 lb. HP. I did this so that I have cropping options. You can adhere things directly to a gessobord, but you will live with your beginning layout. I then added one layer of text pages and plain rice papers....some of them overlapping. I then took a photograph before spraying with acrylic coating so you could see how opaque those rice papers are before they are sprayed. That's what you see in (image 1).

The next step was to add more rice papers...overlapping some of the first ones, but always revealing the edge of the first one laid down. I then found the introductory page to my bible and want to include it with my handmade paper, but they are not adhered yet. I want to add my soft pastels first and adjust some of the values.

So I have more decisions to make today (including cropping the image to an 11" x 14"). I am confident it will be a well designed piece because of my initial choices of materials. It will dramatically change before tomorrow. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" (Final)

($150.00......8" x 10"....Mixed Media....Mounted on a 2" Depth Clayboard)

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139: 14...NIV) So here it is with a few more text pieces, some silver leaf, and the verse. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. I deliberately made this piece extremely complex to visually describe the intricate nature of the human body.

Today is a recap of all that has taken place since Monday. Please know that I did not spend hours each day on this piece. Most days, I spent app. (2) hours studying, placing, deciding, and then adhering.

The initial mono printed papers inspired the selection from psalm 139. I learned long ago that it is much easier to be inspired by the image first rather than trying to create a piece based on preconceived concepts. Of course, this is not always possible, but if you can possibly work by allowing the piece to tell you what to do next...I have discovered that it works better, looks less contrived, and I learn a lot from all of the unexpected surprises.

Since yesterday, I added a few more selected verses from Psalm 139, using text from a smaller bible which adds another contrast. Those additional pieces were adhered yesterday afternoon.

This morning, I decided on the placement and size of the text, prepared the surface for lettering, (2 parts water + one part gel matte medium applied 3x) After the lettering was completed, I decided the piece needed some silver leaf.

The beginning decision to have a cut edge and a torn edge on every piece of mono printed paper and then the silver leaf adds unity and rhythm to the piece. Deconstructing the additional colored mono printed papers was also a unifying factor that also contributed to the rhythm. By making these kind of decisions, I have created a piece that looks like a weaving. It reminds me of fiber art and the truth be known...I was probably influenced by the beautiful art quilts I have seen at the International Quilt Show in Houston.

The one thing I did leave alone (almost completely) was the dynamic gestural marks in the top half of the piece. I added just enough elements that were in the bottom half to create an echo, but not too much. All in all, I am happy with the piece. You can look back at the last (3) days of postings and see for yourself if you would have stopped before arriving at the piece you see today. And that is a good thing about photographing a piece after each layer or two. It helps to inform your decisions about future pieces.

Are there things I would have done differently? You bet, and that too, is part of the process. Every artist I know might have (1) out of a 100 pieces that they would not change at all. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" (Draft 2)

(image 1)

(image 2)

The quote associated with this piece is Psalm 139: 14. You will see it in the final. Today you are viewing the second draft which has two layers as shown above. Artists who have not had experience in layering are amazed at how many layers can be involved in a piece. And that is why I am posting each layer so that you can see what each layer looks like. So often, an artist will get discouraged when everything doesn't look finished in the first layer. Don't despair. You simply need to keep going.

In the second layer (actually it's the third since I posted the first two layers yesterday.), I decided to add color. It's a burnt sienna color, but you will not find burnt sienna in Speedball Printing Ink unless you special order it. Just squeeze out a 1/2 tsp (app) of orange....add a touch of blue...and then add white a bit at a time until you have the value you want.  Mix it thoroughly on your printing plate with a palette knife before brayering.  Burnt Sienna is simply a "grayed down" orange.

Of course, I printed this color some time ago and had it stored in one of my gallon size baggies.  And that is the best strategy.  Printing the rice papers and designing the piece need to be separate events.  My design decision was to emphasize the horizontal bands in the lower half of the piece and add a bit of it in the top portion to create an echo. One edge of the rice papers has a straight cut and the other side was torn. I also flipped them...with the torn edge up in some places and the straight edge up in others. This creates more interesting edges and shapes throughout the piece.

After I cut and laid them where I wanted...I began to adhere each one to the support. I then lifted up an edge on each one and deconstructed by pulling the print up. This technique left a residue of the paper while revealing some of the previous layer. It creates a very integrated and ethereal look.  I also dipped by "gloved" finger into water and smudged a bit of the color around.  (Even though I sprayed it once,  thicker areas may still lift and so you will see the staining of some of the surrounding areas with that color.  I then dried all of that with a hair dryer and sprayed with Krylon Spray Acrylic Coating and dried it again. (Spray outside)  After all of that, I took a photo and that is what you see in (image 1).

My next move was to bring some more dark values in the bottom portion and add to the complexity by introducing a pattern (created with a commercial texture stamp and stamped into the ink after brayering on the printing plate.) Again I wanted to emphasize and reinforce the horizontal bands in the bottom half of the piece.

You can see that the straight edge and torn edge helped to create an interesting interplay with what was already there. I also added some plain rice paper strips to conceal and tone down some of the middle values created by the text in the first layer. I again dried the piece thoroughly....sprayed with acrylic coating and took a photo. That is what you see in (image 2)

You will notice that I've been very careful not to conceal the dynamic shapes in the upper half of the piece...while creating a very textured and woven look in the bottom half. And that's what you will want to do when designing your piece. Choose carefully the parts that you want to preserve and leave them alone.

This piece will now have all day to dry before adding additional elements. And that is the ideal way to create mixed media. It insures that each phase is "bone dry" before going to the next step. It also gives you a chance to pray about the next step and study the image. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Lines and Edges"

(unavailable)

There is no quote associated with this image. It is simply a study in lines and edges. It is a two layer glass collage with three firings involved.

As in the other piece called "Transformation"...this 6" x 6" was created by first texturing several pieces of glass with white and black glass line paint and black powder. My purpose was to show different types of line work and different shapes and edges.

I began with white glass line paint and used an empty Pentel pointed brush to make marks in the paint that were a bit larger than the smaller lines. This was a new technique for me because most other tools have not been effective in moving the paint and having it stay in place and it is crucial to write into the paint while it is wet to achieve larger letters or marks. Using this brush has brought another technique into play which will be useful in future projects.

The other writing and line work was created after the paint was dried. I used a corner of a palette knife to etch into very thinly applied glass line paint. In several areas, black glass line paint was applied over the dried white areas with a palette knife. Black powders were then sprinkled into the glass line and then fired. Some crystal clear course frit was also placed in some areas creating the round circle patterns you see.

After the first firings. the glass was cut into different sized strips and placed on top of a yellow opaque piece of glass. After the second firing, a lot of the white glass line faded away so I made a decision to experiment with additional glass line on top of the piece and also place some additional crystal clear course frit within the paint which created an echo of the more subdued circles in the background. I also sprinkled crystal clear powder over the entire piece so that it would be shiny.  (Glass line paint has no shine after firing unless powders are added.

 I do like the erratic shapes which include several types of edges....some soft and some hard with a variety in between. I am now focused like a laser beam on edges. They are much more important than anyone might think and they can change the work dramatically. Achieving a variety of edges in glass is also a challenge and requires a skillful selection of colors either very close in value or glass laid next to other glass with a strong contrast.

To achieve a range of edges requires the use of powders and a knowledgeable selection of any stringers used. All hard and high contrast edges can cause a few viewers (like myself) to not look at the work for more than two seconds. It is the variety of contrasting edges that most viewers will find pleasing. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Transformation" (First Firings)

There is really no quote associated with this piece yet, but the idea of transformation will be a jumping off point. The word transform is actually etched into two of the glass pieces affording me the option of combining the pieces in such a way that you will see the beginning of the word in the very textured area and the remaining letters in the lighter areas.

The final piece is in the kiln being fired as we speak so I will be posting that tomorrow. For my mixed media crowd, this process is also applicable when selecting mono printed rice papers to combine in one piece of art. What you are seeing today is several sheets of single layers of glass that have been painted on and texturized with glassline paints in various dilutions along with frits, powders, minimal stamping with a traditional stamp, and a bit of deconstruction by removing parts of the paint to create a transparent space.

The lighter two pieces with less texture were created by brushing on diagonal and crossed bands of glassline paint....one in black and one in white....using various dilutions to create interesting and transparent values. Some glass powder (orange) was applied to the white one. I did write the word transform with the corner of a palette knife in the black one to create some very thin lines.You will not be able to see it very well today, but in the final, it has orange behind it with light lavender gray opaque glass underneath.

The textured areas were seriously cropped and combined to be a counterpoint with the lighter areas. So it is much like cutting and pasting in mixed media. I was particularly mindful of including a variety of values and edges. These two design elements are the most often neglected when constructing these kind of pieces. Tomorrow will be the "reveal". And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Static vs. Dynamic" (Second Firing)

(inspiration image)

(static)

(dynamic)

"Static and dynamic can also have diffused edges." There really is no quote with these particular pieces, but I am still stuck on edges.  Both of these images after their second firing have an inclusion of softer edges and color added.

This was an exercise and not the way I would typically create a glass piece. Very hard lines in a piece with no diffused or soft edges more often than not will keep the viewer from staying engaged with the image for any length of time.

Viewers are drawn in by the mood created by the artist with a more balanced inclusion of both static and dynamic directional lines and by hard and soft edges with a full range in between.

As you can see, I cropped the images from yesterday and added powders. In keeping with my original inspiration image, I rewrote some of the strokes of my original brush lettering and cut a stencil. Spring Green powders were sifted onto the stencil first, followed by Chartreuse powders. I then added "magic brown" powders (a combination of all leftover powders from other projects), Charcoal Gray, and Black in the background areas especially around the edges.  Chartreuse Frit was sprinkled over parts of that. 

And after the piece was fired, I added more black powders around the lettering and "scooted" it into place with a sponge brush. To be honest, I was not fond of this exercise, but today's images are growing on me a bit. You can see a contrast between harder edges and the more diffused edges of the Chartreuse letter fragments which created a more organic counterpoint to the very geometric shapes with super straight lines.

The emotion created by the brush lettering with the slight curve is more pronounced against those straight lines. I was the only one in the class that did not add stringers. And as you can see from the inspiration image, I simply had to confront my aversion to hard lines yesterday and this was my way of confronting them. Glass powders are your friends if you gravitate to more "arty" and "ethereal" effects. And of course....I do. The glass pieces in the next few days will be my style and approach. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Static vs. Dynamic" (First Firing)

(inspiration image)

(static)

(dynamic)

"Static and dynamic show contrasting directional lines in a piece." There actually is not a quote on a piece today because I am showing an exercise created in a glass fusing class. 

The first image you see at the top was posted on April 7, 2013. It is a mixed media piece with large brush lettering. This was my inspiration piece for the exercise in abstraction. The assignment was to use an inspirational image to create (3) pieces of glass based on lines and shapes in the inspiration image. 

The first thing we did was crop the image. By doing that I discovered some parallel lines in the background of the inspirational piece in the upper left hand corner. That pattern was then cut in glass for the static piece. We were restricted to neutrals in gray, black, or white glass. We were also restricted to horizontal or vertical lines only to visually show the very definition of static. 

In the next piece, I show some zigzag lines which appear in the bottom of my inspiration image. Again, we were restricted to neutrals and all lines had to be diagonal. Most pieces of artwork have a combination of both, but I must say that we all understood these two words after fitting all of those pieces of glass together. (I chose not to show the combination of both.)

All of this was created on the first day, which was Saturday. Yesterday, the assignment was to crop these images by cutting them down with a glass saw. We were then able to add powders, frit, stringers, or more glass which was then tack fused. (I will show those images tomorrow.) 

The amazing thing I discovered when we were given the freedom to use other elements was that even though each person was allowed to change their piece dramatically, this predominantly glass group (their primary medium) thought nothing about having all hard edges in their piece. Even when adding stringers or frit, with different directional lines, most pieces still had hard edges. It finally dawned on me that glass artists have no issue with hard edges vs. soft edges. 

The only reason I do is because it has been drilled into my head NOT to have all soft or hard edges when creating a painting or mixed media piece. It was a stunning revelation to me. Of course, one of the reasons we all like Kari Minnick's work (the instructor) is because she does an amazing job of making her pieces look like a work of art with a full range of edge treatment. Her powders can look like watercolors. She has a full range of values which, of course, is one way to achieve hard and soft edges. It is all very instructive and I am happy to share this information with you. (You might enjoy visiting her website to see her amazing work.)   And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Heaven Flowers"

(unavailable....5" x 5".....Mixed Media....Mounted on a 1.50 depth Clayboard)

"Flowers were birthed in heaven and scattered upon the earth." Flowers possess all of the perfect elements of design...so of course they came from heaven!

This small mixed media piece is another experiment and practice session in laying down text pages that look like they're embedded in rice paper. By allowing the edges of all of the layers to be visible, a sense of depth is achieved. 

It also helps to have text pages with red or gold on the edges to define them and use that element of line to be a more dominant part of the piece. I haven't tried this yet, but it might be fun to paint the edges of the book pages before tearing them out to make a more creative statement. Since I haven't tried that, it might not work, but I expect that it would help to have the book closed tightly with perhaps a rock on top to make sure paint didn't seep between the pages. It would help to have the paint thick enough to not be "runny" and cause bleeding.

My mind goes wild thinking about this because there are other beautiful colors as well as other metallics that could add that bit of sparkle and line work that is so appealing. So if you haven't already purchased your stash of books, you might want to get to the antique stores very soon because these old books are becoming a "hot commodity"!

Of course, I already have enough to last me a lifetime, but I still keep looking. Poetry books and old Bibles are especially good. However, my friend Sue seems to be enthralled with numbers and odd books with architectural or mathematical type drawings. It's up to you. There's plenty to choose from. And unbeknownst to me, some of the Half Price Book stores have an old section that is promising.

As technology sweeps us off our feet, actual books that you can hold in your hand may become obsolete. And this is all the more reason I have personally gravitated to anything having to do with books. They make wonderful additions to artwork and provide a visual history of all types of books. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Varied Heights"

($50.00......6" x6"......Mixed Media on 300 lb. HP.....mounted on Gessobord)

"Raise the standard with varied heights." This quote is simply a play on words since I used varying heights of collage pieces to create this piece.

This is a variation on the theme of old book pages, rice paper, and mono printed rice papers put together to create a collage. By using some of the deleted portions from other pieces, I was able to adhere these disparate parts to a gessobord and then continue adding other elements.

If you look closely, you will see some other pieces mounted on top of the first layer of collage pieces. All of these mono printed papers were mounted on 300lb HP Watercolor Paper which gives them a depth very similar to the hard board used in bookbinding. So I ended up with (5) smaller pieces of these scraps adhered to the first layer and then added a portion of a book cover with a cut out and a piece of fused glass.

So this is just another way my mixed media followers can use as inspiration for shifting the emphasis to the mono printed papers and even getting more dimension with a second layer of several segments. Notice that to keep the design strong and cohesive, there are a lot of "echoes" of color, shapes, and gesture marks that make everything look like it belongs. There are also a combination of straight and torn edges....soft and hard edges. So if you have some text pages leftover from other pieces, this is a good way to come up with new combinations. In the first layer, there were three different sections adhered to the gessobord, just to give you an idea.

Just for further consideration and inspiration, you might want to check out the work of Lance Letscher who is an Austin artist who is renown for his works using old books in collages. Also, our very own Mandy Gregory (on the art team at Hill Country Bible Church NW) who uses her old watercolors and cuts them up to make elaborate collages. So be inspired, but it is best not to copy someone else's style precisely, but it really isn't necessary since there are a myriad of ways to work with these materials. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"A Study"

(unavailable)

"Order holds all things together." Order implies that there is a plan, a pattern, an arrangement, a grouping, etc. In order to have order, there has to be elements to be orderly with. This is a study of shapes with different values that divide the space. Even though it is abstract, there is order in the arrangement, creating depth and a syncopated alternating effect.

There are many things that constitute a piece of art. I've seen a lot of art and no matter who the artist was or the style they chose or even if I liked the piece or not, the one thing that every artwork possessed was an arrangement of shapes. They could be very simple or very complex, but there was always a variety of shapes in particular colors with a variety of values.

It is also called form. In fact, the definition of form is....a shape; an arrangement of parts. This doesn't seem very important until you see a painting that simply has a monochromatic background with splotches of color all over. If those splotches are all very close in value to the base color, that would be a very weak painting, if you could call it that at all. Even colorists have used an analogous color scheme where the colors are extremely blended as they go from one to the other have created form within the painting.

I have this on my mind because it is very good to frequently go back to the basics and figure out these things. So shapes become something that require very careful attention. In addition to having interesting shapes that have contrast of size, it is good to then make sure the edges of those shapes have a variety of soft and hard edges. If there is too much of one or the other, (especially all hard edges), the painting would look very contrived and immature. 

So to walk through a gallery and pay particular attention to shapes and edges is a very instructive thing to do. It will serve as a reminder of what to do or not to do in your own work. It is part of learning to analyze design in order to know how to do it yourself. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

"Yes"

($40.00.....6" x 6"....300 lb. HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"Yes is the happiest word in the English language." Everyone likes to hear "yes" when trying to do anything. The word has even become an exclamation point verbally to anything that has had a successful conclusion. Yes!!!

Especially when working with a square format, it is very easy and pleasing to divide the space into four quadrants. Such is the case in today's piece. By making the four sections unequal and not having them line up evenly is what helps these four shapes speak loud and clear...even from across the room.

After laying down the orange, green, and "grayed down" yellow, it felt a bit static. When that happens, the problem can be resolved by bringing in some of the background into the color fields. It can be done by adhering fragments of the text pages onto the color which creates a conversation with the background. It becomes even more integrated by removing these fragments after they have been adhered, but not completely dried. (app. 2-3 min.) It also helps to overlay other elements over some of these fragments such as the ornate "Y" and the quote at the bottom.

It also adds energy to the piece to have contrast between the torn and straight edges and also to include exciting edges within the mono print as seen in the orange in the upper right quadrant. So it really is all about division of space, contrasting edges, conversations between design elements (which includes "echoes") and designed corners. The designed corners will happen automatically if the piece is divided into four different quadrants. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.