"Core Strategy" (unavailable)

"Prayer should be the core strategy of life." A strategy is a plan. Prayer is communication with God. Pairing these two together is a wise thing to do, especially if life has gone off the "rails". (This is another 4" x 6" to be given away at an Opening Reception this coming Friday...for details check out pactofaustin.com/)

This piece is a perfect illustration of how to solve the design issue of all straight lines. If you can imagine the piece without the round image, it would be too harmonious and boring. By introducing a circular image, the piece automatically has a strong contrast which adds drama and interest. Placing the quote in close proximity to the image in a color block of gray unites all three shapes to form a focal point.

It is always a good idea to place the design elements with the greatest detail together. The eye needs a place to rest. If the entire design space has "wall to wall" detail, it can easily become visual overload. It is also good to remember that paintings are made up of shapes. Thinking of shapes from start to finish will keep us all out of the sea of confusion. Not everyone agrees with these design principles, but you can test it for itself as you view other people's artwork. If you cannot view a piece for more than (5) seconds, visual overload is probably the culprit. The viewer's eye is always looking for a place to focus. Just something to think about.

"Declarations of Faith" ($60.00)

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

"Declarations of faith are the water that nourishes my dreams." A declaration of faith is a statement of belief that you already have or can do what you feel stirred in your heart to have or do. The Bible says it this way in Hebrews 11:1..."Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

For much of my youth, I lived thirty miles from South Padre. It was easy for me to turn this gesso piece into my familiar memories of the tide coming in. It can be a bit overwhelming to see that much water and no shoreline in a piece of art. However, I had in my mind some big declarations of faith so I wanted lots of water. (Not to mention the fact that all of us living in Texas right now have visions of water! It's called rain!)

Initially I had painted over all of the water area with greens and blues. To give the illusion of waves crashing, I needed to reveal some of the white gesso. It is easy to do with a stiff flat brush and some rubbing alcohol. Alcohol removes acrylic paint, especially if there is gesso underneath. The lettering is not easily read (on purpose) because I chose to make it the secondary focal point. From across the room, you will not even see the lettering, but it is totally legible when you are "up close and personal." These are design decisions that every lettering artist has to make. I personally don't think it works well to have the image and the lettering share "equal billing". Just something to think about.

Please visit my ebay listing to bid on original art from Dee Day Art Journal Painting a Day.
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"A Place Called Peace" (sold)

(sold)

It is often a good idea to sit quietly and pray and allow your cares and worries be transmitted to God so that He can transport you to a place called peace.

Slight angles and gently framing out the center of interest with gradated color blocks and pencil lines creates a soft dynamic. Soft is the key word to describe the mood of this piece. Actually, every piece has a mood. The mood is set by color choices, color intensity, values, subject matter, and soft or hard edges. I always think about and plan the mood of the piece before all else. For instance, I know that blue and burnt sienna create a softer mood because thaey are split complements rather than direct. I also used values to frame out the shape where the chair sits. Having said all of that, I have concluded that creating a piece of artwork is more instructive than a dozen workshops because it forces you to make decisions that will fine tune your design and technical skills. Just something to think about.

"Habits and Patterns" (unavailable)

(unavailable)


It is fairly easy to do anything for one day, but to do something long enough to make it a habit requires at least twenty-one days...or so they say. Something interesting happens when we commit to doing anything more than once or twice. A beautiful pattern is created!

I hope you are noticing how many different ways a square can be divided into positive and negative space. In this piece, you can clearly see where your eye wants to go immediately. Any part of the design space where there is a lot of detail and more color compared to other areas is going to be an "eye stopper". In this case it is the patterned area with (6) different colors involved. It would not have been as effective if the pattern had been over the entire design. (....or as interesting) Wherever there is extreme detail automatically becomes a center of interest.