"Longing"

($150.00.....6" x 6"....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel....floated on a linen mat in a custom frame)




"Beauty creates a longing to be transformed." Noticing beauty in creation or in the smallest act of kindness is one of the ways the longing is expressed. Beauty transports us into a realm of spiritually connecting with God and with others.

In most pouring medium pieces, I have emphasized the fact that it is wise to include a light, medium, and dark color in the pour. Today's piece is an example of not having a dark value in the initial pour, but having it in an image that is included after the fact. The butterfly was my first choice of image because of the colors in the background repeated in the colors of the butterfly and the fact that the shapes of the color blocks look like "echoes" of butterfly wings. Printing that image on silk tissue paper works far better than printing it on opaque paper. In fact, these two techniques (pouring medium and collaged elements on tissue paper) work extremely well together. Not all techniques work well together and part of creating mixed media pieces is realizing that fact. For instance, gesso techniques don't seem to be compatible with this process so I have quit trying to beat my head against a wall by forcing them to work together.

Another technique that does work well with this process is light pencil drawing or gestural writing on the blank paper before the pour is done. You can see some of these faint lines in this piece. It is another spontaneous technique because you will have no idea where the pencil lines will be visible or how much will be "cropped" out of the piece altogether.

This entire process of pouring color on paper is the most spontaneous I've ever tried and also the most compelling. But having said that, it can also become tiresome unless you have some contrast. Because the edges and flow of the color in a pour are so erratic and often diffused, it is a good design decision to include an image that falls in the realm of realism since the pouring medium is totally abstract and very contemporary. Including this contrast is important to your continued interest in this technique. Stamping is also a good option, although you will have much better results if you prepare the surface with gel matte medium and if you use Speedball Printing Ink to create the image. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.