"Music and Conversation"

(unavailable)

"Listening is a core skill in music and conversation." Listening requires practice in both of these areas. Because I always seem to have an opinion about everything, this is a difficult one for me, but I am determined to continue with my practice.

I must admit this background was not my favorite one to work with, but I decided to see how I could overcome the challenge of pulling it all together.

When there are horizontal bands of color with very little or no detail, there is a challenge to make the piece more interesting. My first attempt was to try a horizontal band across the bottom, but it just didn't work. I then tried a nice oval and flourished line engraving in the top middle. That didn't work either.

This particular column seemed to do the trick because it crosses over all of the color blocks and provides detail and a contrast to the horizontal bands. The music also contributed to the interest and especially when the notes were added to the upper right hand corner...creating an "echo". And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"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.

"Decadent Chocolate" (sold)

(sold)


"Decadent chocolate with a raspberry filling is the perfect treat." I absolutely know I have some partners in crime out there! Who can resist a quality piece of chocolate? It's a perfect treat to celebrate Friday and the upcoming weekend.

Some chocolate factories have elaborate displays of hot chocolate moving from one glass container to another. There is such a place in the Bellagio in Las Vegas. It is mesmerizing to look at and the chocolate is glorious to eat. That's what this pouring medium piece reminds me of and so the quote was a "no brainer".

And that takes me back to a very important thing to remember in creating abstract art. I've noticed in myself and others, a very strong tendency to place infinite detail in a piece to convey what it is. Did I need to paint a chocolate bar with the wrapping and the lettering on the wrapping to convey that this represents chocolate? No, I did not. My encouragement to those who are experimenting with mixed media and layering techniques is to keep it simple and describe the essence visually. Even the simplest representations can get complicated when finalizing a piece so it is prudent to start simple since it can get complicated in a hurry.

Also, take note, once again, that the entire piece is not covered with extreme detail. The viewer must have a place to rest their eyes and then they will stay focused on what you want them to focus on. If everything is covered with detail from edge to edge...the viewer will have no clue where to look. Just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Distinct Characteristics"

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


"The origin of everything is revealed by distinct characteristics." The image today has details and color that indicate that the origin of this raised imagery on a pot could be Italy. In the same way, the nationality of a person can be known by their coloring and speech as well as qualities about their character. It's like saying..."you can know a person by the fruit of their lives".  Noticing details is a very important part of life whether its people or things.

Texture is the name of the game in this piece. The close up image and the extreme detail give the feeling of looking at this insignia through a magnifying glass. It's more of a "power punch" than showing the whole pot that contains this detail. Texture and detail also cause the image to advance visually. But even though the insignia takes ups most of the design space...there is still a little less than half of the space that would be considered negative space. The little bit of pencil detail in the negative space was chosen to keep it in close value to the background to eliminate visual confusion and overload. From across the room, those background details and even the lettering cannot be seen.

These kind of value considerations are like the tonal range on an instrument. They are subtle in the hands of an artist who is "tuned in" to them, but lack of attention to value can cause the piece to be "clunky" or give the viewer a sense that something's not quite right.

Keeping the main thing the main thing and paying close attention to detail will keep any artist from getting "mired" in the swamp of bad design. Just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.