"Interval" (Final)

($200.00.....11" x 14".....Mixed media and Kiln Formed Glass...Mounted on a 2" Depth Clayboard)

"Interval is an expression of time or space." And here is the final...finally! It changed considerable since yesterday, but I am happy to have explored the concept of interval visually by playing around with intervals of space.

It often happens when creating work and minding your own business. Techniques and particular looks that you may have created several years ago crop up again in an unexpected way. And so it is with this piece. Even before I was creating kiln formed glass pieces, I enjoyed cutting a window in an old book cover and mounting it on a support with background textures etc.

So as I was bumping along yesterday, I remembered I had already fired some glass with this zigzag pattern in it so I could not resist including it in the piece. It is the only black zigzag element in the piece so it is easy to recognize. And it just provides another texture and echo of what is already going on.

So after posting yesterday's draft, I decided to tone down all of the values a bit by sanding and adding soft pastels in key areas. I also including a strip of rice paper on each bass wood covered piece that added another shape and a very light value. 

Because the bass wood elements were not adhered, I played around with those pieces until I was satisfied with the division of space. All three are touching each other with the glass piece nestled in between. They are also touching (3) sides of the design space. So I did achieve my goals of creating a piece using a single motif and selecting a quote that was completely married to the abstract visual. 

It is a bit dark and moody, but I like the texture, the dimensional quality of the bass wood, and the expressive lettering. This kind of lettering (indeed, most all lettering) requires abstraction in order to be complementary of each other. This is precisely why it is not a good idea to adhere lettering on top of a totally realistic image. Graphic designers do it all the time, but it is best to place it in a world of abstract elements for fine art.  And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Interval" (Draft 2)

(unavailable.....11" x 14".....Mixed Media....Mounted on a 2" Depth Clayboard)

"Interval is an expression of time or space." Another way to look at interval is the time it takes to make a good decision or procrastinating. It makes all the difference in the world. In some cases it could save your life.

Today I have introduced color. And I must tell you, it was very difficult for me to post this today because you are seeing the piece in mid stream. The colors have not been sufficiently adjusted...no text fragments included...and no plain rice papers. The reason I am showing it to you at this stage is because I need a few hours of drying time before sanding anything else.  And I also know it helps to see what layering is all about so you don't throw up your hands and quit before the piece is finished.

Sanding is a form of deconstruction. After I had stamped the background with additional colors, using Speedball Printing Ink, I blotted much of the stamped areas with a tissue dipped in water to remove some of the hard edges. Even though I still wasn't satisfied, I went ahead and dried it with a hair dryer and sprayed it with Acrylic Coating. After also drying that with a hair dryer, I took some rough sand paper and hand sanded the "dickens" out of the background, being careful not to disturb my lettering. What this did was further integrate the stamped imagery into the background by revealing parts of the previous layer through the sanded areas. This is a very good layering technique. And if you're really brave, you might want to use a palm sander with a variable speed setting. (In times past, I have sanded the edge of paper into oblivion!) 

The other addition to the piece is the covered bass wood pieces. They are not adhered to the support yet so that I can study it a bit more and also do additional lettering on the background without having to work around these raised areas. I am excited to show you the final tomorrow and trust me, it will be totally different. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.