"Sitting Pretty"

($50.00......6" x 6".....Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord)

"Sitting pretty is all about placement." This painting was inspired by a reference photo I took in Silverado, Co. This beautiful piece of pottery was on the street sitting on a rock post with aspen leaves hanging down. It was a moment of noticing something beautiful in an unexpected place. It is true in life and in art.  It's all about placing someone or some thing in the right environment.

If anyone is not convinced that working from a limited palette is the best way to paint, I am here to try to convince you. You will never need to worry about your paintings being harmonious if you learn to do this and if you leave your tubes of Raw Umber, Black, Dioxazine Purple, Green Gold, etc. in the drawer. All of these colors can be mixed by using a double palette of primaries plus white.

I am also becoming more and more convinced that even abstract and mixed media artists should also set up a palette just as though you were painting an impressionistic or extremely realistic scene. You will learn more about color by doing this than any other way. And if you practice painting something everyday, you will learn this much more rapidly and soon you will be able to mix and match color in your sleep. 

Just to take it one step further, try painting a piece of fruit, a flower, or basically any single object and count your palette knife or brush strokes, changing the color slightly with each stroke. This is a great exercise in learning how to change values gradually, knock down the intensity by adding white or a bit of the complementary color, as well as noticing the subtle value shifts in any reference photo or real life set up. 

This is a skill that requires constant practice, but the reward is the ability to see values like you've never seen them before. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Receptacle of Love"

(unavailable)


"Collect your tears in a receptacle of love and the sun will soon shine again." Today's posting is lovingly dedicated to some friends of ours who lost a grand child over the weekend in an accidental drowning. We are crying with them. We pray for the receptacle of love (Jesus Christ) to wrap them completely up in His empowering grace.

The background in this piece was cropped from a larger sheet I created as a background behind a kiln formed piece of glass. It began with textured gesso on Rives BFK paper. It was then painted black with Speedball Printing Ink and a brayer. After that layer dried and received a coating of Acrylic Spray, I applied gel matte medium (one small section at a time) and laid down the gold leaf. It might be necessary to wait a bit and let it become attached to the gel before removing the backing from the gold leaf. Some of the leaf naturally pulled up creating the exposed black areas.

The look of gold covering an entire surface was a bit bright so I applied (2) parts water to (1) part gel matte medium with my right hand and held a hair dryer right where I was brushing to cause the gel to attach to the leaf. This is a very important step because my intention was to brush on charcoal powder to dull the surface and it will not attach to a slick surface. It is also necessary to spray again with Acrylic Coating to fix the charcoal powder in place. You can then prepare the surface for lettering and painting the bowl with a palette knife.

The last bits of gold were applied before lettering and create a contrast between the two values of gold. To paint with acrylics and a palette knife, it is necessary to add a retarder to the paint to give yourself a larger window of working time. So there you have it. Just a few more things to think about.

"Sitting Pretty"

($40.00.....6" x 6" mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"Asking yourself good questions will give you understanding and leave you sitting pretty." The phrase "sitting pretty" is not one I hear much anymore, but my parents used it to describe people they knew who had a good turn of fortune in their lives. So it basically means that things are going your way. Asking good questions is a wonderful vehicle for activating your mind to find the answer. It's really quite extraordinary how well it works. Give it a try!  It will leave you sitting pretty.

On one occasion when we were visiting Silverado, Colorado, I came across this beautiful piece of glazed pottery sitting outside on a stone column. There were branches of Aspens hanging down over it and I knew it would someday be an inspiration for a piece of artwork. It was this bowl, in fact, that caused me to remember the phrase, "sitting pretty".

My focus in this piece was the bowl and the lettering. I am making great efforts to become more expressive with my lettering so I had no problem overlapping it over the image and making that unit the center of focus.

The lettering was done with a pointed pen and bleedproof white. The forms are based on spencerian script with many modifications. Exaggerations, individual letters weighted in odd places, and the bouncing effect all add to the expressiveness. It's fun and challenging all in the same breath and even though I have a long way to go...everyone has to start somewhere. If you wait until every letter is perfect, you will never learn how to do this. For me, it is very much like practicing the piano. Even after the notes are learned and played at the right time, it takes experience to be more expressive with a bit of "rubato" in the rhythm so it doesn't sound too mechanical. It also helps to work on a surface that can be corrected if necessary. This one was prepared with (2) parts water to (1) part gel matte medium and brushed on/dried with a hairdryer. It was a good thing because I removed (2) lines (3) times. Just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Broken Fragments" (sold)

(sold)

"Place all your broken fragments into the golden bowl of prayer to be made whole." This is a quote inspired by the writings of George MacDonald. The faint imagery in the background is from a piece that I did several years ago which includes his entire piece of prose. Two of the lines from his quote were combined as the lettering coming out of the bowl. That line is..."Gather my broken fragments to a whole. Into my basket, for my golden bowl." Another interesting bit is that George MacDonald was a contemporary of C.S. Lewis and very instrumental in his conversion to Christianity.


The background for this piece came from a photo of a much larger piece. The lettering is very faint and impossible to read, but it makes for interesting texture. Even if the piece had been smaller, the lettering would not have turned out well through the camera lens. One very important thing to note when uploading images on the computer is that a scanned image is much better than a photo...especially where lettering is involved. If you have a piece that is much larger than your scanner at home, it would be wise to take it to an in house photo lab that has the equipment to scan large works. They can place your image on a disk and then you can make it whatever size you want from your computer. (If you live in Austin, Holland's Photo Lab is a good place to go.)

There is no Pouring Medium or anything else altering the imagery in this piece, but it was prepared for lettering by spraying the surface 3x with Spray Acrylic Coating and then brushing on a mixture of Gel Matte Medium (2 parts water to 1 part medium) It was an extremely difficult surface to write on because the pouring medium or even acrylic paint makes for a smoother surface.

Thanks to all of you who attended the Open Studio Event yesterday. It was great fun and now you know where I do these pieces everyday. You will need to come again when we're actually creating artwork!

"Spontaneously" ($60.00)

($60.00.....mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)

"Some of the best things in life happen...spontaneously." This piece was prompted by some feelings I had while sitting on the patio. Acorns were literally falling from the trees while I was visiting with a friend. Autumn was definitely in the air. It was one of those spontaneous, unplanned moments. In my memory, these always seem to be my best memories. Look for the unexpected special moments in the day...the spontaneous ones.

This was one of those pieces that kind of looked like a mess. But on closer observation, when I looked at where the pencil lines landed after the first layer and cropping, I was encouraged. Plus, there was a whole lot of texture going on that looked very spontaneous.

The collage elements were placed with the pencil lines acting as a support. If you look closely, you can see how the lines and the imagery connect so there is a division of space created by the combination of the two. Making connections of lines, shapes, and color blocks in a piece is crucial to good design. So don't try to achieve the most perfect background in the world. Get a little messy with the process and let some spontaneous things happen. They are the ones with the most energy and create the most memorable experiences. Just something to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece. I will no longer be listing items on ebay, but will incorporate a paypal link on my blog very soon.

"Listen to Your Heart" ($60.00)

(adjusted price....$60.00.....mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)

"Listen to your heart and guard it with prayer." This quote expresses the meaning of a verse from Proverbs 4:23...."Guard your heart above all else for out of it flow the wellsprings of life." To put it in even simpler language, for me, it means that I need to pay attention to my internal dialog. Negative thoughts about myself or others will lead down the wrong path.

You might say about this piece...where are the hearts and why did she include a pot and bowl? One reason is that a still life that includes simple and beautiful forms is very meditative and leads me into a prayerful spirit. There is something quite peaceful and settling about a still life arrangement.

So if you already have a somewhat successful division of space and soft colors, you might want to think about creating one or more very simple still life arrangements by carefully selecting some collage elements. Gel matte medium (undiluted) is the adhesive of choice for most artists doing this type of work. And if you have as many old magazines lying around as I do, then you might enjoy spending an afternoon on this type of project. Adding some black gesso plus metallic leaf is also an option. I used GAC 200 to adhere the leaf. Scoring the leaf adds a bit more drama and texture as well. Just something to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Hot Commodity" (sold)

(sold)

(12" x 12")

"Wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her." (Proverbs 3: 14, 15) In today's economic world, gold is considered a "hot commodity". However, in this timely verse from Proverbs, wisdom is considered the "hot commodity". It is a profound comparison and worth thinking about on a deep level.

Creating the intense color of rubies in this piece was dependent on Quinocridone Magenta plus Black over a gesso and unprimed base. Even the acrylic paint was not intense enough to suit me so I applied another layer of Magenta Ink (Bordeaux) plus Higgins Eternal to achieve the brilliance.

The bowl was painted with black gesso, followed by gold leaf and Acryl Orange Gold. Because of the inks and gouache, the surface had to be prepared to receive lettering without disturbing the first layers. Here it is again....after spraying the surface (2x) lightly with Acrylic Spray Coating...mix (2) parts water to (1) part gel matte medium by brushing it on and blowing with a hair dryer simultaneously. The acrylic coating and gesso often cause a "resist" which is the reason heat must be applied while brushing. (It helps to secure your paper to the surface with a removable tab or removable tape so you can use both hands to paint and dry.)

The gel matte medium eventually attaches to the surface and then the lettering can be done. Just something to try or think about.

This piece is currently in an exhibit at "Open Doors Gallery" at Hill Country Bible Church in Austin, Tx.

"Gold vs. Wisdom" (Sold)

(sold)

"Wisdom weighs more than gold, silver, or rubies, and is far more valuable." Of course, wisdom does not have a measurable weight as gold does, but the value of wisdom cannot be overstated. My favorite definition of wisdom is from J. I. Packer..."Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the highest and best goal with the surest means of attaining it."

I did not want to be so visually literal by including an actual balancing scale in this piece, but I did try to divide the space up in two distinct divisions to give the idea of a subtle impression of comparing gold to wisdom.

To add a couple more subtle shapes and add more atmosphere to the mood of this piece, I brushed charcoal powder (using a Hake brush) across the top and then removed part of it with an eraser to create a softly diffused line. It's really a neat technique to tone down a particular section.

The bowl was defined with black gesso applied with a small palette knife and then texturized with a comb. Gold orange (Acryl Gouache) was solidly applied over the black, followed by random layering of 22k gold leaf. I then took a small brush dipped in water to removed part of the orange gold and reveal the black underneath. This action also removed the excess gold leaf. Just something to try or think about.

"Smudged Lines" (unavailable)

(unavailable.......in the permanent collection of dee day)


Another word for "smudged" is "blurred". The overlapping of color and texture creates blurred lines which create textural beauty. In real life, smudged or blurred lines are the equivalent of making decisions that don't get you where you want to go. In truth, every decision is a "make or break" decision.

This is another gesso piece with a different application. The process began with a blank sheet of paper. In this case I began with a paper at least 2.50x the size of the cropped version. (Cropping is still the most satisfying way of achieving division of space that looks spontaneous.) Subtle divisions of space were created with pencil lines from edge to edge and a few bits of unreadable text. I then applied gesso quite randomly, making sure to leave some of the paper untouched. The gesso was allowed to dry overnight. Two Golden Acrylic colors, (Green Gold and Transparent Red Oxide) were greatly diluted with water and mixed with a palette knife on a disposable plate. With a 2" brush, the bands of color were applied and crisscrossed from edge to edge. The way the unprimed paper and gessoed areas received the paint created the transparent and ethereal look.

The color for the bowl and brown sections was created with Caran d'Ache Ink (Grand Canyon) and blotted with a kleenex. Inks are a great addition to this process because most of them are transparent and have great staining power. Very great for smudging. (The ink was purchased from Paper and Ink Arts.)

Of course, the ink is not permanent and the surface will need to be sprayed with acrylic coating, followed by dilute matte medium to prepare for writing. These are exciting techniques and worth some experimentation. Just something to think about!