"Marching Time"

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


"Time marches on and stands still for no one." Some might think that silver and gold are the most expensive things in the market place. In my estimation, time is the most expensive commodity. No one can manufacture more of it and everyone has the same amount. It's a wise person who thinks about how their time is being used.

Most people think that neutrals consist of black, white, and brown. But anytime your palette is moving towards less intense and more "grayed down" color, you are moving into the realm of neutrals.

This is a neutral piece with a predominance of black and white. All the papers are transparent except for one. Using neutrals and transparency together is a winning and timeless combination. In a world that is hectic and often chaotic, most people will gravitate to neutrals because of their calming effect. This is something to contemplate when creating your artwork. Even bright colors are best showcased when surrounded by neutrals. Too many bright colors everywhere is disconcerting.

Again, you can see here how many interesting shapes can be created with collage elements. Most of the edges in this piece are straight with a few erratic lines in the gesso and torn edges on two of the collage pieces. It is very important to have the contrast between straight and erratic edges. So don't be afraid to have straight edges. And there you have it. Just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally ti inquire about this piece.

"Time and Money" (sold)

(sold)


"Managing time and money is mandatory to success." Even though this quote seems like a "no brainer", it is quite amazing how many people still grapple with these two issues. Perhaps this could be the first New Year's resolution for all of us.

The division of space in this piece was first created with the clock and a few color shapes. What makes it more compelling is to run lines edge to edge both horizontally and vertically. It gives a greater feeling of depth as though there was a piece of cracked glass over the entire image. This is just a natural evolving of the process of manipulating photographs by continuing to add layers. I realized after completing the piece that I could have left more of the white gesso covering the image and do a drawing over the whole thing. This is the beauty of keeping a "thread" of creativity going on a daily basis. If the time spent on creating artwork only happens once a week or every month or so, it is much more difficult to have the natural unfolding of ideas that come from daily spending time with the process.

As for placement of the lettering...I was once again thinking of connections and shapes. It was natural to place the white lettering next to the white shape and have the lettering almost running off of the edge. It created a natural connection and shape which would not have happened if I had placed the lettering anywhere else. I am presently experimenting with freely written versals with no guidelines. It may look a little "funky", but I don't mind. In fact I rather have a satisfaction out of just writing randomly without all the fuss over perfectly straight and perfectly formed letters. These are just a few more things to think about.

"Time Fades Away"

(unavailable)


"Time fades away and politely bows out for special occasions." If you can remember the times when time seemed suspended because you were enjoying a very special occasion, this quote and image will speak to you on a very deep level. It could be a private moment or a time of socializing with a room full of family or friends. In either case, enjoy the recollections that come to mind.

This picture was taken in Silverado, Colorado. Capturing it again in a piece of art stirs up my own special memories. I hope you are noticing how spencerian script adds a historic feel to old buildings like this or architectural elements. The placement of the offhand flourishing was key in this piece and follows the branches of the tree that are already in the photo. I remember Hazel Dolby's words ringing in my ears about now. She advised our class to always ask the question..."Is it convincing?" Placement of flourishing, lettering, division of space, color choices, techniques, etc......all have to do with the answer to this question. If something is not convincing, the viewer will not be able to look at your work for any length of time.

So have some fun taking special photos while all of the decorations are out. Photographs can be printed on thin watercolor papers and then modified in a number of ways. What I have been doing is only one way. Try adding bits of well placed collage pieces, tea bag stains over the image, additional linework, even a drawing will transform your photograph into a piece of art. Remember that Acrylic Spray Coating will need to be sprayed over your image at some point in time to keep the toner from bleeding. It will be very susceptible to moisture if you don't do this. However, you might not want to spray anything at all. If you have printed your image on very good paper (i.e. Arches Text Wove), you will be able to write on it without spraying. Just a few more things to try or think about.