"Untitled" (final)

(image 1)

(image 2)

This morning's studio session has been interesting indeed. I have now decided that this is the end of this piece and will share what I learned from this particular layering process.

My idea from the very beginning was to introduce some gesso at the end and integrate it with the watercolor. And the beauty of taking photos after each layer is that I can now see where I wish I had stopped. So instead of feeling sad, I am elated because now I know that it is not necessary to even use the gesso since the white of the paper and the interplay with the watercolor and mark making is quite enough to carry the piece.

Now I have visuals to guide my next process. And this is often the case. It is absolutely crucial to take pictures as you work, if you want to take your artwork to the next level. Artists from time immortal have made the mistake of going too far and wished they could go back. With technology at our fingertips, it is totally possible and advisable to document the whole process digitally. I am now quite excited to begin a new piece and stopping before I ruin the whole thing.

So what you see in the first image today is where I wished I had stopped. What I do like is the interplay between the watercolor, the white of the paper, and the gestural mark making. Even though this piece is totally abstract and non representational, it is entirely possible to have created a soft realistic image tucked away in one of those shapes created by the watercolor. That would give the dynamic of having a strong contrast between the abstract and realism.

So the big "take away" today is......document your process with a digital camera! Process is everything....and just to quote myself from another posting....."Process is the breath of creativity." And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Surface Texture"

(unavailable.....4" x 6".......on 300 lb. HP......mounted on masonite)

"Texture reveals depth and complexity." It is so true that texture is appealing on so many levels. Otherwise, why would people pay good money to buy antique items with layers and layers of texture?

The funny story I have about texture has to do with the person who stained the concrete floor in my studio. He was very concerned about the "splotchy" surface created by oil stains and paint that had spilled. He was quite relieved that I thought he was doing a great job and that I was totally unconcerned about splotches. My reply was this..."Artists spend hours and many layers to achieve this look so please carry on!"

If you want the perfect segue into abstraction, start collecting your images of all kinds of surface textures. They provide the perfect jumping off point for a piece of art. In the case of today's posting, the image was some kind of industrial looking table with this hole that was probably used for a hose or something. That hole in the metal became the focal point for this small experimental work.  This is probably my most satisfactory way of creating abstraction. Texture is definitely a core part of my voice. If you feel the same way, this is a great exercise.

I began by painting two coats of heavy body black acrylic paint on a piece of 300 lb. HP. After drying these layers thoroughly, I mixed up a gray from Ultramarine Bl. and Burnt Sienna plus White. This mixture of gray is great because you can warm it up or cool it down quite easily. Sponge brushes were used for all of the paint application. After applying this coat of gray, I scribbled lettering and other erratic marks into the paint. Dried with a hair dryer.  Spraying alcohol and removing paint erratically with a brayer created the texture.  You might also use a paper towel to remove larger amounts of paint. The idea is to make it look convincing by abrading the surface as erratically as possible. The other two layers were applied and abraded the same way. They were Burnt Sienna and White Fluid Acrylics.

More marks can also be carved into the surface after the alcohol and brayering is done and before it's dry. As you can see, this technique creates a highly textured surface. It is well worth an experimental piece of your own. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"The Creative Spirit"

(unavailable.....4" x 6".....on 300 lb. HP......mounted on masonite)

The windows of time open for the creative spirit." So many times there is a misconception that creativity is only for artists. Actually, anyone can be creative in any endeavor, especially if there is a willingness to embrace the unknown.

This is a totally experimental piece created with heavy body acrylics. Yellow Titanate was applied first with a palette knife, followed quickly by Burnt Sienna and Cobalt Turquoise plus Titan Buff. Most of the "smudgy" effect was created by moving the paint around with my fingers (wearing gloves)and making some gestural marks.

The sgraffito effect was very much in play. The erratic lines and lettering were scratched into the wet paint with the corner of a credit card and a Speedball C5 nib. At this point there were a lot of stark edges so I brayered over most of the piece while spraying alcohol. That technique will soften some edges and tone down any areas that are too bright.

My goal was to play around with low intensity color and pops of more intense color. It was fun and gave me a feel for the type of abstract work I am leaning towards. Shapes and edges were still a priority as they should be whether it's abstract or realistic work. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Crossing Barriers"

(unavailable.....4" x 6"....Color Block Presented on Masonite)

"Art crosses language and cultural barriers." You can see that the text chosen for these color blocks is Italian selected and cut from an Italian Design periodical. What I have noticed is that art, as well as music, speaks to every human being no matter what language they speak or culture they come from.Quite extraordinary!

This type of "color blocking" is tremendously fun, but before you begin cutting up all of your periodicals, I have learned a few things that will keep you out of the weeds (so to speak).

First of all, the piece looks more authentic and substantial if you adhere the magazine text to 140 lb HP first....with gel matte medium. And then you need to cover your collage with wax paper and brayer with a hard (clear acrylic) brayer....preferably on a glass or granite surface to make sure all of the wrinkles and bubbles are removed from the paper.

After doing this with all of your selected pieces, make sure it is dry by blow drying the front and back of the 140 lb. HP. You will then be ready to crop and fit all of the pieces to the support. In this case I used masonite primed with black gesso. It is also a good idea to choose different sizes of text and have a range of different sized blocks. This contrast of size is very important in this type of work.

After all of the pieces have "happy faces and are all in their places" (pun from nursery school days!)....spray the entire piece (2x) with spray acrylic coating. If you are not adding additional lettering, then the piece is finished.

If you are hand lettering, drawing, or anything else....prepare the surface with (2) parts water and (1) part gel matte medium. At least (3) coats are necessary to make sure you don't damage the magazine papers or have the ability to remove the lettering should you make a mistake.

Upon completion of the hand lettering, the piece should be sprayed (2x) and left to dry for several days. I generally spray it at least (2) more times before beveling the edge with sand paper and painting with black gesso. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Color Poetry"

(unavailable.....4" x 6"....Color Block on Masonite)

"Color has its own poetry." It also has the power to create a mood better than any other design element. It's a vast subject and the more I know...the more I realize how much more I need to learn.

That's why "color blocking" has an endless fascination for me. It's quite like adhering paint chips on a board. The piece you see today is comprised of remnants from a "color block" piece I did a week or so ago. The idea was to use very neutral colors with one bright color being the star of the show. I had two rules going into the process. One rule was to have the bright green form a shape from top to bottom. The other rule was to have a variety of different sized blocks.

By including several pieces with erratic lines and a circular blob of color on one block, I was able to offset all of the straight lines created by the blocks. The straight lines can also be countered by arranging colors side by side that are close in value. This type of work is also a good study in edges. It is absolutely necessary to have edges and erratic lines in some of the blocks to contrast with the hard edges created by the perimeter of the blocks.

For those who have created mono printed rice papers, there is yet another wonderful option. By covering some or all of the blocks with rice papers, the texture and line work of the print will create a very dynamic piece. And that's my plan for tomorrow's posting. I will create a another 4" x 6" using rice papers instead of heavy body acrylics. In fact, my postings this week will be a series of 4" x 6" blocks created with different materials.

It's all very exciting and I would encourage you to jump on in. The water's warm!! And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Heart Walls I" (final)

($200.00.....11" x 14"......Mixed Media Wall Series.....Presented on a 2" Cradled Board)

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." (Proverbs 3:3) This is it! The first in this series is done. But I am taking a break from this type for a few days.

This was a very experimental piece for me, and there were a few challenges. I almost threw in the towel the day before I started the lettering. But wisdom prevailed and I decided to wait until the following morning to make the final decision. Once I saw it again with fresh eyes and some sleep, I decided to press on until the lettering was done.

The brush lettering in the top right hand corner stabilized everything for me, along with the decision to do white lettering. So the point in sharing this is to give encouragement to those who love to experiment and feel like they've landed in the weeds. The truth of the matter is that every single piece is like that unless you've worked through the issues with a particular style with all of the techniques and materials.

After all of the struggling, I have made some decisions concerning this series. I will be leaving a portion of all of the pieces completely untouched. In watercolor in particular, that does give the final piece a freshness that cannot be achieved any other way. I have also decided to do white lettering in all three pieces. The same techniques for creating the texture will also remain the same.

So just by making those decisions, I can feel assured that there are enough common denominators to keep the series coherent. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Heart Walls I" (draft 5)

(draft 5)

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." (Proverbs 3:3...NIV) Not quite there yet, but the lettering is coming along. The process really slows down when it's time to add lettering.

Nothing has changed about the background today, but the informal versals can take a while. And rather than trying to speed up and try to get it all done this morning, I thought it might be instructive to let my lettering friends see a bit more of my process.

I generally begin laying in these types of versals by laying tracing paper over the piece so that I can see the shapes in the background. I then begin to write the letters with pencil first so I can erase and change things as I go along. The beauty of these letters is the fact that there are no descenders or ascenders to deal with and they can be expanded and compressed to fit into any shape.

After feeling satisfied with the spacing and slant, I then transfer the letters to the actual piece by scribbling on a plain sheet of tracing paper with a graphite pencil. I then slip that underneath the tracing paper with the lettering and go over it again with a pencil, checking to make sure it is transferring.

After this step, I go over all of the letters with a pointed pen loaded with the color gouache of the final lettering and simply fill them in with no pressure on the pen. And that is what you see on the part of the quote I still need to finish. I then erase the initial graphite.

And this next step is the most important. I check the slant and spacing one more time. In this case, I did remove several words and rewrite them in white gouache right on the original. Because the surface has been prepared for lettering, I can simply take a brush dipped in water and remove anything I like. After all of the adjustments were made, I began to build up the versals with a pointed pen and Bleedproof White gouache.

I may also need to go back and beef up all of the letters one more time. The best way to do that is to spray the entire surface (2x) with spray acrylic coating and then prepare the surface for lettering again. This keeps the pen from digging into the previous layer of gouache which can be very frustrating. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Heart Walls I" (draft 4)

(draft 4)

Some lettering has been added today, but there is more to come. The quote you see today is in Spanish and may be hard to see. It is meant to be background lettering. The English translation will be included tomorrow and easily read. It is Proverbs 3:3.

My decision to do all of the lettering in white was to bring calm to the very textured background. No matter what the lettering style, white can do wonders to bring calm to the piece. Of course, it will look strange and not well integrated if there is not white in the background texture.

Lettering or any other visual helps to solidify a piece like this where the texture is actually the main feature. Lettering and walls seem to go together. They appear in all kinds of walls...either in a graffiti style or a printed sign. I particular liked the Spanish word "escribelas" since it means "to write". It is very similar to the word "scribble".

So even though all of the lettering is not visible today, there is enough there to convey the sense of calm and add meaning to the piece. But just as a recap...there are still shapes and a range of values in the wall texture that provide the foundation for the piece. Lettering that is simply written on a solid piece of paper or a background with no shapes is immediately thrust into the category of graphic design. If the piece is to be classified as fine art, it is better to have actual paint, techniques of layering, shapes, values, and color. Not to mention the fact that it is far more interesting.

The medium used for the lettering was Bleedproof White Gouache. The large word was written with a pointed brush and the small script was written with a Leonardt Principle Nib. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Heart Walls I" (draft 3)

(draft 3)

The title and direction of this series has changed to quotes from Proverbs having to do with what is written on the heart. The title is not referring to walls as a barrier, but what is being written on our heart and mind.

I decided to wait an extra day....maybe two...to practice my lettering. Today it looks like it will be versals, but that can change. And that's what the art process is all about. To stay locked into a preconceived mold throws the baby out with the bath water (so to speak).

So after viewing this piece most of yesterday, I realized that my darks were not dark enough. This is not just a standard faux finishing technique with an overall texture. The idea is to create a texture revealing all of the erratic shapes and crumbling nature of paint and plaster on an old wall. As usual... the problem was with the values. The darks were not dark enough, so I prepared the surface for a new layer with dilute gel matte medium and then added some soft pastels to darken the edges and some of the central shapes. The range of values from 1 - 10 on the gray scale helps build the foundation for the shapes and consequently the piece.

I am now satisfied and what will bring it all together is the proper placement of the lettering. And this is a lot of staging for the star of the show, but will be worth it in the end. Another option (especially if you're not a lettering artist) is to incorporate a drawing or do some deconstruction with a piece or two of collage so it looks as though it were peeling off.

And that's the process of my first "Wall" series piece. There will be two more to form this "Heart Wall" series and then in the future I could have another type of "Wall" series. Sequels are always good. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Walls I" (draft 2)

(draft 2)

Hopefully, you can see the peeling paint effect today. It requires more than just a few layers to create this look. It is an "edgy" look and will not appeal to everyone, but it is something I am compelled to create.

After yesterday's posting, the next step was to add more masking fluid over the original white of the paper, but much less than before, and to also cover some of the first (3) glazes. After allowing the masking fluid to dry overnight, I painted a darker glaze over the entire surface. I added Sepia (Daniel Smith Brand) to the redi/orange mixture from the previous glazes.

After drying this, I removed the masking fluid with a hard eraser designed for this purpose. And to add some more shapes, I applied some watercolor ground in an erratic fashion along the right side and the bottom. The same dark glaze was applied to this area only and painted (3x)....drying in between.

Of course, it wasn't integrated into the piece like I wanted so I used rubbing alcohol, brayer, and Viva paper towels to remove a great portion of what I just laid down. And I'm talking about spraying the paper and brayering and then scrubbing it off with a paper towel for about (30 min.). I then beefed up the values with a dull purple and light violet soft pastel by scraping it on a paper plate and brushing on with a soft brush. All of this was sprayed with spray acrylic coating and that is what you see today.

You might wonder why anyone would bother to paint something and then remove most of it, but I guarantee you cannot get an aged texture without doing that. It will look contrived every single time. If you think about it, this process follows the natural aging process. You paint something, and then it rains, the wind blows, the Texas heat kicks in, and very soon you will see the removal of portions of your paint.

After studying the piece today, I will more than likely adjust the values a bit with either soft pastels or more glazing. I will then add my quote for the final. And there you have it....just a few more things to think about.

"Gracias" (final)

($180.00......6" x 12".....color block......mounted on a 2" depth cradled board)

"Gracias is the fertile soil of gratitude." Along with the title, many changes have taken place and here is the final. This piece will be in an exhibition sponsored by Capital City Scribes this coming October.

This piece shows the drama created by implementing a hugh contrast of size. Contrasts are so important and the drama created will vary depending on the amount of contrast. If there is a slight contrast of size, that will certainly give the piece some energy, but a large contrast will deliver the drama in spades.

My main contrast in this piece was size, but the same principle holds true for a hugh contrast of line and its direction, color, value, and texture. There is also a hugh contrast of light and dark (1 and 10 on the gray scale and values in between). Another contrast of color that I used was the contrast of extension. This contrast has to do with the percentage of space a color occupies. In this piece, the dark green juxtaposed with the desert bronze color is almost equal with the darker values, but taking a slight edge. If one of these colors had some real dominance, there would have been less drama and more unity.

You can also see that the principle of repetition (echoes) is one of the power drivers of color block pieces. The same holds true in mosaics. Repetition creates rhythm and pattern in a piece.

One other thing to note is the "cowhide" type of spots on a few of the pieces which helps to break up some of the straight lines. The gestural writing in the paint does the same thing.

It's really all about design which can take a piece in any number of directions. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Gracias" (draft 3)

(draft 3)

Tomorrow I will hopefully be posting the final. The name will also be changed to "Gracias". You can see that several things have been removed and several pieces have been added.

Every decision that an artist makes when creating a piece changes the direction of that piece. My decision to have a hugh contrast of size in the color blocks greatly influenced the direction it would take. All of the pieces you see today are already adhered to the board out of pure necessity. It is very difficult to keep them all in their places while trying to cut and decide where a new piece will go.

This is similar to creating a mosaic, but has an altogether different texture. This is my fifth color block piece and they really do look like metal when sprayed several times with spray acrylic coating. This one is particular nice because of the Duochrome Desert Bronze....a Daniel Smith Acrylic. It is impossible to see the shimmer on the computer screen, but it is a stunning color in the original.

Another important tool to have on hand is a see through grid ruler. They are available at most office supply or craft stores. It would be painstakingly slow to line these blocks up and keep them straight without this ruler. They are also good for ruling up your lines for lettering.

Tomorrow you will see the smaller color blocks forming a shape from top to bottom. There will also be a fairly good size block of the bright green. By limiting the colors down to about (5)...I am able to create a lot of echoes (or repeats) and that unifies the piece. There will also be one color dominating....desert bronze. So as I finalize the piece, I will be making sure that color takes up more of the design space. (And I might change my mind and make the green dominate.) And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Gracias" (draft 2)

(draft 2)

Last evening I decided on a finished size of 6" x 12" in a vertical format. A few blocks have been completed and laid on the support. Nothing will be adhered until everything has been decided.

What I decided this morning was to have a larger contrast of size, so I will be cropping some of the pieces you see, making new ones, and including a variety of small sizes mixed in with the larger ones.

Contrast of size adds a lot of drama to a composition and brings the viewer in to a particular area, especially if the contrast is quite significant. So my plan is to have some smaller blocks that are less than an inch in size to create a focal point and a lot more repetition of all of the colors. This does take more time, but is well worth the effort.

It is always a good idea to notice the size of shapes in other artists' artwork. By analyzing and comparing how you respond to contrast of size, you will fully comprehend the power of this important contrast. When everything is too much the same size, the piece may be unified, but lack energy. In fact, contrast is the number one most important design principle....especially in a day and age when we are all bombarded by visuals.

So it might be a good idea to analyze as much artwork as possible to take note of all of the contrasts you see. Be looking for contrast of line (including edges and direction), color, texture, shapes (size), and values.

Analyzing a particular piece of artwork is more valuable than simply reading about design and trying to include the principles in your work. If you can see it in a finished piece of art, it will make a lot more sense and be more easily understood. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"illumination" (final)

(unavailable......5" x 10"....experimental gesso work)

"Illumination can be seen or unseen." I love words that have dual meanings and such is the case with the word...."illumination". When something is illuminated in the physical realm, it can easily be seen with the eyes, but there is another kind of illumination such as a moment of deep insight. This inner illumination cannot be seen, but has a tremendous effect on the person who received the illumination.

With just a few more details....this piece is now finished and will stay in my personal archives as an experimental piece. I do like it because it represents the layering process where a part of each layer is left untouched so that a portion of all layers can still be seen in the final.

This kind of layering creates a lot of depth and is a process I love to explore. Additional line work was added, as well as a few soft pastels to create a piece with shapes, contrast of edges, and an ethereal quality.

Every artist benefits by experimenting with process, tools, and mediums in order to create new and innovative pieces. It can be difficult because the percentage of failure is extremely high. However, there comes a time when all of those negatives must be put aside in order to achieve a greater goal.

By notating all of the previous layers, I can now look back and see if I would have been more satisfied by stopping with a previous layer. So my encouragement is to continue to notate your layers with a digital camera so you can gain the optimal experience from each work. Every piece of art created will teach you things you would not otherwise know.

It is good to keep pressing on and create as much as you can and learn new things as often as the opportunity allows. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"illumination" (draft 2)

(image 1)

(image 2)

The purpose of draft (2) was to establish shapes and a variety of edges, plus contrasting texture. The one constant in each layer was to make sure that part of the previous layer remained untouched. So you can see that the largest part of the blue shape is the part that remained untouched from yesterday's posting.

If you look at yesterday's posting, there is definitely a look of fluidity and soft edges with the mono printed layering of watercolor. However, there are no clearly defined shapes. To some that is not problematic, but paintings are made up of shapes and to maintain viewer interest, the shapes become very important. They are the foundation of a piece of artwork.

Many artists have created works with little or no shapes and succeeded in the fine art world. In that case the artist was focused purely on color since lines and values create shapes. So what I am showing you today is how I preserved what I loved about watercolor from the first draft and how I then introduced more watercolor glazing to define more shapes. That's what you see in image (1). The purple color is Caput Mortuum Violet (WN brand). I also used more Cerulean Blue.

After drying these new layers (3 layers of the violet), I also created some line work with pen and ink and pencil. Next came the application of diluted white gesso (1:1 ratio) with a credit card. I dried this layer with a hair dryer and then applied another layer. After drying the second layer of gesso...I sprayed alcohol over the shape with the violet underneath followed by brayering. I continuued this until satisfied with the texture and that's what you see in image (2).

I can clearly see that more line work will add to the piece and then I will spray it with spray acrylic coating, prepare the surface for lettering and add the quote. After studying it throughout the day, I may choose to add some other element, but only time will tell. Right now, the focal point is the beautiful watercolor shape from the first layer. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Cathedrals" (draft 2)

(image 1)

(image 2)

No quote yet, but by tomorrow, I feel sure I will have one. As you can see, there have been many changes since yesterday. I am going for a very ethereal look.

Last evening, after viewing my piece several times during the day, I had the urge to go over the cathedral imagery again with the same colors plus adding some alizarin crimson to the yellow shape. I also laid a kleenex in a place or two to lift part of the color. It was left to dry overnight.

This morning, one of my first questions was how much detail to add....what tool to use....what color and type of pigment. I began with moon palace ink and a pointed nib, but decided to go with something a bit more graphic and found a hand cut stamp of a cathedral that I cut several years ago. Rather than inking the whole stamp, I chose fragments and stamped those on with Speedball Printing Ink applied with a brayer.

After writing a few words and creating different types of line work, I dried the piece...sprayed (3x) with spray acrylic coating. The reason I sprayed that many times was due to the thickness of some of the ink. After drying the piece again, I used a sponge brush and applied dilute gel matte medium 2x. After drying that layer, I laid in the dark shape which was cobalt blue + brt. sienna gouache. The reason I chose that medium is the ability to lift it if I didn't like the result. Because it is an opaque watercolor, it also has a bit of a translucent effect in places. (You do need to brayer it on and then keep brayering until it becomes smooth.)

White gesso was also added (1:1 ratio with water) and dried. Alcohol and a brayer were used alternately over the gesso to create the texture you see in image (2). I also repeated all of these steps....spraying...brushing on med...adding more gesso...etc. until satisfied.

Today I will be studying this image and seeing if I need to do anymore "tweaking" of values and shapes before deciding on the lettering. So far...I have asked and answered (30) questions about this piece. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Cathedrals" (draft 1)

(image 1)

(image 2)


This is the first in a series with cathedral imagery (if all goes well). I have long been enamored with arches and cathedral imagery. The first decision I needed to make was what kind of cathedral imagery...especially how much detail to include.

At this stage of the game, I chose watercolor in three arch shapes with no detail. There are also some vertical bands covering the page from top to bottom in alternating color. After each application of watercolor, I dried the paper (140 lb. HP...taped to a masonite board). The tape used was gummed taped specifically designed for watercolor paper.  After finishing the watercolor portion, I sprayed the surface with spray acrylic coating since watercolor is obviously water soluble. This is what you see in image (1).

The next step was to apply white gesso. I chose to apply the gesso with an old credit card in (3) vertical bands with the watercolor pigment in between these bands. I then dried the gesso and sprayed with rubbing alcohol followed by removing portions of the gesso by brayering. This was not just one pass with a brayer, but went on with alternate spraying and brayering for about (15) minutes.

When I was satisfied with the amount of pigment peaking through and the texture created, I made erratic lines in the gesso areas and wrote a few words while the paper was still damp. The result is what you see in image (2).

You can see from all of the previous postings just how much of an experimental process mixed media is and how many decisions need to be made along the way. In this piece, I am writing down all of the questions that come to mind as I work. So far, I have answered (10) questions and I've barely started the piece. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Color Poetry" (final)

($150.00.....12" x 12"....mixed media on 140 lb. HP....mounted on a 2" cradled gessobord)

"Color is the rhythmical composition that creates poetry in the landscape." It is a more subtle form of color blocking and a completely experimental piece. I was influenced somewhat by a lavender farm and there are vague color forms that could bring the image of that type of scene to mind.

This piece is all about alternating color and texture. White gesso was one of the leading players in this technique so I am pleased about what I learned. Now I am in the mood to do another gesso piece without the color blocking. It is a very captivating technique, but after all is said and done, I do prefer the color blocking pieces to be created with heavy body acrylics and bright colors played against neutrals.

It is always a good idea to play close attention to what you keep coming back to in the way of tools, techniques, and composition. Experimentation is a must for most artists to discover what direction they want to expend their time and energies on. Mine seem to change, but I am noticing that some things keep resurfacing on a regular basis. Even though I continue to gravitate towards the contrast between transparency and opacity, I have very strong feelings about the palette knife and the texture it creates.

So I will probably not be gravitating to oil paintings that have thin applications of paint. Just "show me the paint" and I am much happier! Gestural mark making and lettering is another hugh deal in my art voice. It gives so much energy to a piece and gives voice to my basic love of lettering. Even when I have a palette knife in my hand, I have a tremendous urge to use the corner of the knife to write into the paint. And it's even better even there is an undercoat of a different color that shows through after the mark making.

So I guess the point of all of this is to think about what "floats your boat" in the deepest levels of your being. We all have a unique art voice and it takes time and reflection to sort all of that out, but that is one of my purposes for sharing my own thoughts on the subject. Sometimes it will allude you altogether and you will need to hear it from another artist. Be a willing partner in giving other artists that type of feedback as well as giving it those who ask you for it. Or you can do what I do and give your feedback even when it is unsolicited. If an artist thinks that oils are their "deal" and yet they keep talking about and show passion for three dimensional work then maybe they need to hear that from somebody who is listening to what they're saying. They will be grateful in the end. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Color Poetry" (draft 3)

(draft 3)

This piece now has a title which will definitely narrow down the multitude of directions it could have taken. And that is the beauty of decision making. With each decision the lens of the visual artist gets more and more focused.

My most important decision today was choosing a color to go with the red/orange color of the first two postings. After posting yesterday, I did go back in and beef up the color of the red with a few passes of dilute fluid acrylic (burnt sienna). Most of my time this morning was spent creating the purple color. The purple I chose was Dioxazine (Golden) which is very intense. I did mix in a lot of Burnt Sienna to gray it down a bit and create a common denominator with the color from the first sheet.

The technique of creating the second sheet was the same as the first which created another common denominator of texture. It was then just a matter of selecting a cradled board (2") which is a 12" x 12". I began the process of cutting these two sheets into smaller pieces by using two "L's" as a cropping tool. The lower left hand corner piece was selected first. And then I made the decision to have the burnt sienna pieces be the dominating color and you can also see that those pieces touch all four sides of the design space.

My plan today is to paint a small still life on the piece (with a palette knife). This means I will be switching to heavy body acrylics. But before I do that, there is a possibility I might brayer on some more gesso. I will not make that decision until this afternoon. This gives me time to look at my posting today on my iphone which gives me a different perspective than looking at the actual piece in the studio.

All of the pieces are adhered to the board except for the one that will contain the small still life. And then I will need to come up with an original quote. To this day I still cannot believe that for one year I wrote the quote first followed by the visual. It is so much better to create the visual first. This also holds true for concepts and writing an interpretation for your piece. Trust me.....and do the visual first. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Untitled" (draft 2)

(draft 2)

There will be one more draft of this quarter sheet of 140 lb HP and then you will begin seeing sections of it with another sheet done much the same way with different color notes.  I will then begin to reassemble the sections.

What you see today is four additional layers added to the piece posted yesterday. The first layer today was the inclusion of several text pages. (adhered with gel matte medium) After drying these pieces, I added more paint with a brayer.....Quinacridone Burnt Sienaa (Golden Fluid Acrylic) This is a very strong color so I did dilute it with water (50/50) before applying it to the piece with a brayer by rolling brayer into paint and then rolling it over several segments of the dry piece.

After this second layer was dried, I used an old credit card to deliver more gesso (undiluted) to the surface, but not over the entire surface. (It is best to allow some of the previous layers to show through.) After drying the gesso thoroughly, I sprayed it with alcohol and then brayered over the surface....alternating with the alcohol repeatedly until I was satisfied with the texture. This step with the alcohol and brayer is extremely important to break up some of the hard edges created by the paint and gesso and also to lift up the paint in an erratic fashion. (It creates a "mottled" effect.)

While doing the alcohol and brayer technique, I did inadvertently lift up some of the text pages which created a bit of deconstruction. After thoroughly drying all of this, I did brayer on some more paint in very key areas...followed by spraying with alcohol and brayering through that paint. So you can see that it is a very loose and spontaneous process, but the end result is all about creating depth and texture.

By tomorrow, I will have added some more layers and created another sheet of this plus cutting up some of the pieces and reassembling them on a 2" depth cradled board. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.