"Sacraments"

($125.00.......6" x 6" ....300 lb HP floated on a linen mat in a custom frame)

"Our lives are sacraments to the grace of God." And really...nothing more needs to be said.

Moving away from a grid format, this piece has overall texture with two horizontal bands. The bottom shape is comprised of several overlapping segments of mono printed rice paper with the reverse side of the mono print showing and several pieces of deconstruction where the papers were adhered to the support and then removed before completely drying.

Even when using a montage of collage elements, the harmony in the piece is achieved by having strong value arrangements, keeping the main thing the main thing, and keeping the color palette simple. This piece is basically a black, white, and gold orange metallic color scheme. The inclusion of walnut ink to some of the papers also adds a bit of warmth and a textural contrast to the black and white.

Design does not need to be complicated, but the technique of layering is what makes it interesting and also a bit "edgy". This will not appeal to everyone, but it sets the stage perfectly for the expressive writing which forms another horizontal band. Try laying down some papers on a black support and see what happens. The black will allow your edges to show up and lend an ethereal look to the piece. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Poetry"

(unavailable)

"Poetry dresses thoughts with words of rich emotion." The reason poetry can reach the deeper levels of the soul is due to the poet's ability to bring the emotion of the thought by careful selection of the words. The background text pages from this week's postings have come from an antique book of Elizabeth Brownings's poetry.

In today's posting, I dropped down the percentage of space that the complementary colors of green, yellow/green, and a red/orange tint occupy. Each of the colors occupies approximately the same percentages with green being slightly dominant. There is also the contrast of the strong color areas to the light color shapes and the black. The light areas are the most dominant in the piece. 

Contrast of size and shape is also important. If everything is the same shape or just one shape, there will be too much harmony and the viewer will lose interest because nothing is standing out as being more important than something else. It is referred to as hierarchy in each of the elements of design. So one color, one line, one shape, one type of texture, one value, and one direction needs to dominate to create harmony. 

However, contrasts need to be present as well. That's why I included straight and ragged edges, very light and very dark areas (values will sneak up on you!), very intense and strong color contrasted with aged and old book pages, surface contrast between opacity, transparency, and translucency. Design is the visual vocabulary of art so it really is important to continue adding more knowledge in this area to your process. And that is precisely why I am experimenting with color percentages. Each small piece teaches me something else about design. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Opposites Attract"

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


"Opposites attract in art and relationships." Too much of the same thing tends to create boredom. I suppose that's why opposites are attracted to each other. The evidence seems to prove that two opposites make a complete whole rather than two of the same thing.

In this extreme close up of a chandelier, the crystal next to the iron work is just about as opposite as you can get. In art, these contrasts are very important. Some of the other important contrasts to think about are: contrast in size...contrast between edges (crisp or diffused)...realism contrasted w/ abstraction...light vs. dark...contrast of line (thick / thin)...detail vs. no detail...etc.

Noticing the contrasts you see on any given day is another way to get your head wrapped around the opposites in our visual world. Too much harmony and not enough contrast is generally the number one problem of artwork that will not hold your visual interest for more than five seconds. Having too much contrast will also cause a viewer to look away quickly. The visual overload is just too much to handle. Finding the balance is the essence of integration and worth thinking about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Star, Bell, and Tree"

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


"A star, a bell, and a tree converged on the landscape with warm greetings." This beautiful photo was taken in Silverado, Colorado. Enjoy all the beautiful images you see as you move through your day. They are everywhere!

There is a beautiful contrast in this piece between organic and manmade shapes. Both shapes extend from edge to edge vertically, making it a great division of space. They are harmonious in the sense that they're both vertical and have an apex at the top, but they also have extreme contrast in texture, color, line, and shape.

The focus on photography this month has made me even more aware of how much can be learned about composition so quickly. If you have young people in your home or life, it can also be a way to ease them into understanding composition and move into the technical aspects of drawing and painting. (It is useful to carry a small camera in your purse or backpack with a zoom lens for those unexpected things you might see while you're out and about.)

For those of you who are into offhand flourishing, note the placement and direction of the flourish. It leads your eye right to the tree, bell, star, and quote. It's almost like an invitation to come into the piece. Just a few more things to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Shiny Ornaments"

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


"Shiny ornaments are the bling that dress the house at Christmas." There are so many shiny and reflective surfaces to enjoy at Christmas. It will soon be gone so enjoy the visual delight. It's everywhere!

Contrast is easy to overlook when designing a piece of artwork. Just having a subject or theme that's exciting can take us all on a flight of fancy until the entire piece is done and we realize that something is missing. More often than not, that something is probably contrast. Harmony is a wonderful thing, but too much of it can lead to boredom.

Take for instance the Christmas balls in a bowl. I think they look great in a glass bowl, but then everything is shiny and reflective. So in the case of this photo, I decided to put them in a wooden bowl which is a totally different material and surface texture. It adds a bit more drama and satisfies that need for contrast. Also consider the size of the objects in your still life shot. If all of the Christmas balls are the same size and kind, that too can be boring...and then there is contrast of color and shape. And on it goes. It sounds very easy to do, but I can tell you from experience that the failure to think about these things is easy to do when trying to make all of the other decisions that must be made to create a piece.

Christmas offers up a lot of visuals that provide ample opportunity to study the design principles of harmony and contrast. Just another thing to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Divine Design" ($30.00)

(adjusted price....$30.00)

"Divine design includes harmony and contrast in every area of life." There are many comparisons between art and life. This is one of them. In life, just as in art, if everything is too harmonious and no "risks" are ever taken, boredom sets in. Nothing is "noteworthy" or stands out. It is contrast that adds the spice to art and to life.

Some color arrangements can be very compelling, but also a bit chaotic. There may be too much contrast. One way to bring harmony into the picture is to introduce the opposite of whatever is happening with one or more design elements.

In this piece, I decided to bring in a "grid" to counterbalance the irregular shapes. By folding and creasing the piece into equal segments in both directions, the grid was created. Texture and exposing the white of the paper was created by sanding the edges of the folds. White is a calming color so by exposing the white of the paper and writing the text in white, harmony was used to bring everything into balance.

The problem of balancing harmony and contrast can always be resolved by repeating elements of design to create harmony or introducing the opposite characteristic of each design element to create contrast. And, of course, some of these decisions are unique to each individual artist, but both are important in every piece of art. Just something to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"A Silver Lining" ($40.00)

(adjusted price....$40.00)

"Behind every dark spot is a silver lining and a bright color." This is a "take off" on a very familiar quote with a contemporary twist. Life can throw a few curve balls at us, but keeping a positive faith and attitude is the way to see the silver lining and bright color in every situation.

There are always reasons why some pieces work and others don't. That is a true statement even taking into consideration that some people like contemporary art work and others prefer super realism. The same design principles are at work in either case.

The principles of design can be boiled down to two very key factors. One is harmony and the other is contrast. In order to show harmony with all of your design elements, there must be one characteristic of each element dominating. For instance, in this piece, there is a dominance of curved lines. That one fact alone determined my decision to make the lettering straight rather than follow the curve of the color. In doing that, a contrast was created with the element of line. The same is true for the purplish gray color that also bleeds into the white areas. It takes up more space than the green color, creating harmony. But the green is also a split complement of the purple, creating a contrast. And on it goes.

However simplistic this may sound, I still see and even experience in my own artwork, times when I can't seem to think of all these things at once. Sometimes, it's intuitive, but not always. It's in the "not always" times that it is prudent to actually analyze what's going on with each design element. Just a few minor changes will help to make the piece go from "ho hum" to "wow".

Design language is the vocabulary of the visual artist. It is definitely something that needs careful attention. Just something to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Color and Texture" (unavailable)

"Color and texture fit together like pen and ink." This (4" x 6")piece is the first of several in this size created for the "give away" at an Opening Reception one week from tonight. The details for the "Perspectives" Exhibit can be found at (http://www.pactofaustin.com/). There will be well over  (100) of these art pieces created by the (40) exhibitors for this "give away". You are cordially invited.

The focal point in this piece is the texture of the pot. It is in direct contrast to the color blocks that have little to no texture. Of course, the perfect location for the pot was inside the area that looks highlighted. It looks that way because of the gesso applied to the paper before the color.

Harmony and contrast create the tension in any piece of art. If there is too much harmony...the piece is boring. If there is too much contrast...there is chaos. The way to achieve harmony is to allow each design element to have a dominating characteristic. For instance, one color needs to occupy the largest percentage of the design space. The line work (which includes obvious lines and edges of shapes) needs to have more horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines. One of these directions needs to dominate. In today's piece, it's horizontal lines which also includes the horizontal format. And on it goes with the remaining elements.

However, there also needs to be contrast which would be the opposite characteristic found with each design element. Once again, look at the color. There are several contrasts of color. There is a contrast of light and dark, warm and cool, complementary, saturation, and extension. In the design element of line, there are obvious vertical lines and two lines slightly diagonal which are in direct contrast with the dominating horizontal lines.

Some of this may sound confusing, but it is very important to learn how to analyze and define what is happening with these design elements to know how to correct your own work as well as appreciating what is happening in another artist's work. A whole new world will open up to you as you begin observing. After all, the elements and principles of design are the language of design. Just something to think about.

"A New Contract" ($40.00)

($40.00)


Sometimes we just need to have a "heart to heart" with ourselves! Negotiate means to find a way through or over a difficulty or obstacle. Maybe it's time to set a new goal and a new habit. In other words, negotiate a new contract with yourself. (But also be realistic and not too hard on yourself!)

The architectural element in this piece is from a photo I took at the "Biltmore" in Ashville, N.C. It is a portion of the railing on the portico off of the main floor. It is the largest home in America....built in the 1800's by George Vanderbilt. You should go there if you're ever in the area.

So much for the history lesson! This piece is a good lesson in harmony and values. There is the high value contrast between black and white, but also a range of gray values and variation of edges between the stamped images in the background (soft edges) and the hard edges in the drawing and lettering. By creating all of these elements with liquid graphite and pencil, there is wonderful harmony. Even the two letters done with bleedproof white are a subtle contrast. The huge drama is created with the black gesso and white paper with one other color. (Remember that black and white plus one other color works everytime it's tried.)

Just in case you've noticed my compelling need to inform anyone who will listen...take note that I am a teacher. My degree is in music education, so I am not deliberately trying to treat everyone as if they know nothing. I simply have a need to inform. If you have teachers in your family...you know what I'm talking about! (They always tell you more than you want or need to know.)

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.