"Bless the Lord" (final)

($150.00....6" x 12".....Mixed Media and Kiln Formed Glass ......Mounted on a 2" Depth Clayboard)

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name." (Psalm 103:1...NIV) As you can see, I have finished the piece and made significant changes since yesterday. I am satisfied with the outcome and thank you for sharing in my process.

Since yesterday, I made some value adjustments by adding more plain rice papers...covering up some more of the background text which included some of the brush lettering I did yesterday. I also made use of soft pastels to help integrate the values and create a very neutral background that complements the glass inclusion and provides the perfect background for my expressive lettering.

The soft pastels I chose were Sennelier sticks in a brighter turquoise and a "dirty" gray color. You can see how that gray color integrates the old text pages with the plain rice papers to create an overall "aged" look. I was extremely careful not to cover up key areas that were the perfect translucency and to leave some of the original text which was adhered to the support in the first layer.

The rule of thumb is to always have some of the previous layer showing throughout the piece. Slowing down the process and being careful about which areas to conceal and which ones to reveal is crucial to achieving the rich and deeply textured background. It all adds depth and interest and can never be achieved without layering.

And when you think about it, most art requires layering. To think that one layer of anything will achieve the best result is a serious error. As for the lettering, this was freely written with a Leonardt Principal Nib and Moon Palace Ink. Even though I took great liberties with the form and spacing, there is a very strong Spencerian Script influence in the form of the letters and especially the exit stroke. I chose this style of lettering to mesh with the idea of the sentiment of the verse in "freely blessing the Lord".

I hope that by going back and looking at the (4) drafts, you can see the importance of layering and how to achieve an enriched surface. The last steps are to adhere the support to the 2" depth clayboard (minus the glass) with gel matte medium and then weight it down with wax paper, followed by a book, and ending up with a rock. Let it dry overnight. Spray again with spray acrylic coating several times. Let it dry for (24) hours. Place the screw eyes and wire on the piece. Finish off the sides with black gesso followed by (1) coat of black acrylic. Spray with Golden Spray Acrylic Varnish (2x). Let dry for a few hours. Adhere glass to the finished piece with E6000 and do not touch or move for (24) hours. (It will break the seal if you do.) And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Sunlit Meadow"

($200.00.....8" x 10"....Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord....Presented in a Custom Frame)

"Sunlit meadows dance in the light." There is something about the light shining through trees and revealing a sunlit meadow. It reminds us that the landscape is vibrating with life.

True to one of my goals for the new year...I am working on a larger piece for at least one posting per week. Although I have gotten a bit carried away with my Gestural Landscapes in a 6" x 12" size. Today's piece is an 8" x 10"and was painted from one of my Texas Hill Country photos. It is more abstracted than some of my other ones, but I suspect that is a result of several days of the Gestural Landscape pieces. 

And that brings me to my talking point for today. It is good to go back and forth between mediums because they influence each other. Even my mixed media pieces are influenced by my oil paintings and vice versa. It enables you to see a lot of your work from different inspirations and notice the common denominators that are unique to you. It is good to know what those particular marks, techniques, and other elements are so that you can hone them and mature in your artistic voice.

After this morning, I could clearly see how the gestural marks keep coming to the forefront and I am pretty much convinced that I need to go more abstract with the landscapes done en plein aire as well as the ones using a reference photo. It only makes sense, but I did not see it as clearly until I began working on the (10) Gestural Landscapes. I absolutely need areas of the painting that have little or no detail to incorporate expressive lettering. 

And of course, all of the palette knife practice helps me to be able to do the same types of works in acrylic so that I can prepare the surface for lettering and do it more precisely for those who simply tolerate gestural "stuff". I do know who my audience is and realize that often the readability factor is hugh. No problem. I will just do both...and maybe in the same piece!

And so go my thoughts today. It may seem like rambling, but I hope it will inspire you to have these same conversations with yourself. It's very instructive. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Evergreen Friends"

($40.00.......6" x 6".....Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord)

"Evergreen friends are faithful and true." The comparison of evergreens to friends seems like a wonderful comparison since these trees appear in the landscape in all of their "greenery" no matter the season. I am blessed to have friends like that who are always there no matter the circumstances.

In this piece, I pushed the envelope a bit by laying down a bright, intense blue over the surface first. The sky color was then painted over that color followed by expressive writing and marks which revealed the more intense blue. It is like stepping my "toe" into the water of extreme abstraction without really taking the plunge. 

Eventually, I will take the plunge, but I also want it to be convincing and therein lies the problem. Other artists who are doing this successfully, seem to be studying the works of very abstract "colorists" where color becomes the focal point.

Many of them are developing their concept based on an emotional response to the landscape which is experienced by painting "en plein aire", rather than simply laying in the color notes. The energy created by the expressive writing and marks is my own way of going in that direction and also maintaining a "nod" towards realism. 

It is an exciting approach and if you are so inclined, I would encourage you to do your own search of abstract colorists and other landscape painters who are doing a great job of this. The recent issue of Plein Air Magazine has several artists who are working in this way. Check it out to get fresh inspiration for your future works. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.