"Lesson Learned?"

($150.00......6" x 6".....floated on a linen mat in an 8" x 8" wood frame)


"History repeats itself until the lesson is learned." This is true in personal experiences and in the history of nations and cultures. It is a wise person who reviews their life from time to time and notices what particular habits are continually repeated as well as though that produce success. It's a great time saver to stop doing things that don't work.

A band of color(s) running diagonally across a page can be boring all by itself or not have very interesting texture. However, the composing of opaque and transparent collage over that band of color can create a lot of drama.

The segment of an old book page became the focal point with the added texture of an embossed emblem. It was then easy to "frame" that one segment with the burnt sienna color of the background and the aged book spine. Those two collage items were then "framed" with transparent scroll work plus the more ornate scrollwork acting as another part of the "frame". I also printed out the copyright date (1800's) and placed it in the lower left hand corner. And the final touch was the fragment of silver leaf adhered to the book spine. The placement was decided by a desire to have it quite near to the center of interest and also becoming a part of the "frame" around the cream colored book page.

Collage can often be overdone, but it helps to think of all of your collage pieces as a unit. Take note that there is at least one third of this design space with nothing except for the quote. This negative space helps relieve the eye. By keeping the detail in one area, you are telling the viewer exactly where you want them to look. A good analogy is a logo or lettering on a tall pillar in a large building. Your eye will immediately go to the one area on the pillar where there is detail of an image or lettering. And that's the power of negative space. It helps direct the eye. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Think" (sold)

(sold)

School has started and teachers have prepared their materials in hopes that their students will learn. But learning does not take place simply because a teacher teaches. The student also must have a desire to learn. This quote is a take off on another quote...."You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." Learning doesn't happen by osmosis, it happens when we think and apply what we've learned.

White is a powerful color especially if it's white gesso. The ability of gesso to give as little or as much coverage as you desire makes it a powerful tool for transparent and illuminated images. This piece appears to be glowing and even more so as it is lit up on a computer screen.

I am experimenting with "veiled" effects and intensity of color. So you might see some unusual pieces as I go through this process. It has totally captivated my interest. This is a meditative process that can keep you engaged for hours.

It can be summed up in three points. First, practice applying gesso in different densities and stages using different sized segments of credit cards, shaper tools, or sponge brushes. Second, apply acrylics in very dilute layers with the same consistency as in watercolor. Third, use pens or pencils to create lines, lettering, or drawings either on blank paper or in between dried layers. Also try stamping into the wet gesso. By alternating or changing the sequence of any of these steps, you will come up with some interesting effects. Just something to try or think about.

"Books" ($30.00)

(adjusted price.....$30.00)

There is hardly a subject in the world that hasn't been written about. In fact, if you can read and have enough intelligence and determination, you could learn how to do almost anything. I love books. Do you?

It is also true that there is not a subject in the world that hasn't ended up in a painting somewhere. Subject matter, whether it is realistic or abstract is an important part of every artist's decision making. The wonderful thing about lettering art is the opportunity to offer a connection on two different levels. Even artists who don't actually do hand lettering often include a word or line of lettering in their work for interest. Most people still have a curiosity about what something says or appears to say. How the lettering is packaged then becomes the mission. Something to think about.

Please visit my ebay listing to bid on original art from Dee Day Art Journal Painting a Day.
Dee Day ebay

"Listening and Learning" (unavailable)

(unavailable)


There are times too numerous to tell when I wish I had not said something. However, there are rare instances when I wish I had said something more. The truth of the matter is that most of us learn more when we listen to what others are saying. The spiritual application here of pausing to listen to God in prayer is also profound and worth pondering.

In the process of working on this piece, I discovered how to effectively scratch into the black gesso and reveal the color underneath. Begin by brushing on some alcohol into an area...wipe off the excess, and scratch into the top layer with an x-acto knife while the surface is still soft. The reason alcohol works better than water is that it breaks up acrylic paint. It's a subtle effect so you may not be able to see it as clearly without viewing the original.

The wonderful thing about discovering new techniques is that they most often happen while caught up in the joy of experimenting. Having a stack of 4 x 6 pieces of watercolor paper handy is a wonderful way to try something new without wasting too much paper. If you do come up with something you like...be sure to jot down some notes on the back. Trust me, you will not remember what you did six months from now.