"The Details"

(unavailable....4" x 6"....Watercolor on Fabriano 300 lb. CP...mounted on masonite)

"Make sure God is in the details." We have all heard the phrase...."The devil's in the details." I would rather look at the quote from a different perspective.

This posting is a cropped section from a watercolor that didn't work out. I brought it to life by using white bleedproof white gouache to "echo" some of the design elements already existing in the piece. By doing that, I was able to write in white to unify the piece. It is another "give away" for the upcoming Opening Reception.

I have been teased relentlessly for the quote I have used on many occasions...especially when anyone asked me what colors to use. My standard reply is that...."black and white plus one or two other colors works every time it's tried." So when you have a crop like the one I chose today and there is already black and color on the piece, the introduction of white will give the entire piece a much needed "value lift". A very good thing to know and do.

Sometimes, beginning artists may not know where to place additional color and this piece is a very good lesson. I already had an image from the first layer of a bottle that was placed in masking fluid and stamped on the paper. It gave the perfect spot to place a stamped image of the same bottle dipped into bleedproof white gouache. (WN brand) The reason I always say bleedproof white rather than other kinds of white is because bleedproof white (comes in a jar) has more covering power. The white dot happened quite spontaneously so I just left it there. The addition of some more erratic lines and the lettering completes the echo effect.

So the "take away" for today is to pay attention to the design elements that are already there rather than introducing different ones. It creates a more integrated and unified effect. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Psalm 100" (draft 6)

(draft 6....18" x 24")

Today I realized that I had forgotten just how much longer it takes to do lettering on a large piece. What you see today is my lines ruled with a white charcoal pencil and the roman versals written in skeletal form with a pointed pen. I need several days to finish due to other obligations so the final will be posted on Saturday (I think!)

You can now see where the piece is headed in the final stage. For my lettering art friends, I always write my versals in a skeletal form first just to make sure it reads and flows well before building them up with a Mitchell #6 nib and also a pointed pen on the smaller letters.

When writing free form letters like this, it really does help to draw in some free flowing lines first. It is also a good way to emphasize some of the words by making the space in between the lines larger. I am pleased with the flow, but the real test is after they're finished.

There is a lot going on in this piece, but I hope you can see how the black areas ground the piece and by adjusting some of the other values and toning down the texture, the piece tells the viewer where to look. The focal area is framed in by a band of textured areas with an outer frame of black, but just on three sides. It's a very interesting division of space.

And for my glass friends, a two layer kiln fired piece of glass is a very nice inclusion in a mixed media piece, especially if a part of the glass is transparent. In the case of the glass made for this piece, there is a totally transparent band in the upper center of the glass that magnifies the lettering from an old bible which says "The Book of Psalms". All of the text pages in the piece are also from the psalms. Keeping the main thing, the main thing keeps confusion out of the eye of the viewer.

There are also many "echoes" in this piece as well as a full range of values.  Another thing to notice is that well placed shapes of black and white plus other colors works every time it's tried. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Mi Camino" (draft 2)

Today's quote is the same verse from yesterday. Even though I had hoped to post the final today, I made the decision to give myself some more time to work on the weight and placement of the versals. Psalm 119: 105 is written in Spanish (Spencerian Script). The versals will be in English.

Some mediums require the artist to finish the piece in one sitting such as working alla prima in oils. Being able to pause and allow some time to explore all the options is definitely an advantage with mixed media.

One of the most important processes for me...especially when writing in layers...is knowing how to protect the previous layer and prepare the surface to receive more layers. In light of that, there are two products I simply cannot live without. One of them is Gel Matte Medium (Golden). The other one is Krylon Spray Acrylic Coating.

All mono printed rice papers must be sealed before adhering to your support. If there is an exceptionally heavy area of ink, I would spray it 3x and dry in between with a hair dryer. One coat is quite sufficient for lighter applications of ink.

After adhering all of the rice papers and other collage elements, you will need to spray your piece with spray acrylic coating again. This act will cause the rice papers to become translucent where there is little or no ink and will also bring out the patina of old text pages or images.

If you are a lettering artist or if you want to add a drawing directly on your piece with pen and ink (or gouache), you will need to prepare your surface for lettering. Rice paper is very porous and the spray acrylic coating resolves that issue, but then you have the dilemma of trying to write on slick paper. Gouache and ink will not adhere to this type of surface.

You will need to mix up (1) part gel matte medium to (2) parts water by mixing in the water a little bit at a time with a palette knife on a disposable foam plate. You will then brush this over your piece by holding a hair dryer in your left hand and a foam brush in your right hand. This has to be a simultaneously activity (at least for the first coat). The gel medium will not attach to the slick surface without heat...especially if there has been a heavy application of ink or paint in the first layers.

So that is what I did to this piece this morning. After it was prepared for my pointed pen and bleedproof white gouache, I marked my base line in the black area with a sharpened white charcoal pencil. This is the best way to get your guidelines onto a dark surface. When your lettering is totally dry, the charcoal lines can be easily removed with a stiff brush or a kneaded eraser.

One other thing I added this morning was some of the background stamp printed with white Speedball Printing Ink in the black area. To make it more integrated and not so overpowering, I blotted part of the print with a kleenex dipped in a small amount of water. This is much more subtle and creates an echo of that image. The neat thing about trying this is that you will be able to completely wipe it off with water if it doesn't please you.

I ended up my work today by spraying this entire piece with spray acrylic coating (2x) and drying in between. This will ensure that when I prepare it for the remaining lettering, I will be able to completely remove any letters that don't turn out well without disturbing the previous layer. I hope this makes sense. Knowing how to seal a surface and prepare it for the next layer is absolutely critical information for the mixed media artist. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" (Draft 3)

This, of course, is the third draft of "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" from Psalm 139: 14. Tomorrow I will be posting the final.

As you can see, I have added another color. To fully integrate this color into the piece, I used the same textural stamp to create some more mono printed papers. The application of these blue printed pieces was deconstructed by adhering them to the support...waiting a few minutes and then deconstructing them by lifting up an edge and pulling the paper off. This is one of my favorite techniques because the "pulled up" edge becomes very thin and drifst off into nothing, revealing part of the previous layer.

The blue prints were made by pouring a small bit of Cobalt Blue (Fluid Acrylic) onto the printing plate and then spraying with water. This creates a puddle of color which is then suitable to lay the rice paper into. It will take a little while to dry and may be too wet to hang up. This type of printing is best done with a hair dryer. I only use acrylics to get a particular color that I like,  but I always use Speedball Printing Inks for fine printing. You can see the beautiful print this ink makes in the black portion in the top half of the piece.

I also adhered some bits of plain rice paper in areas where I felt like the value was getting too muddy. And then more bits of plain paper were added on top of the previous ones. By allowing the edge of the previous papers to show, you can achieve a gradated effect which appears throughout the piece.

Tomorrow, I will probably adhere a few more bits of the printed text in key areas and then letter the quote in the white area just above center. It will be written in very informal versals with Moon Palace Ink and a Mitchell 6 nib. There have been many changes since the first two layers on Monday. I hope this helps those of you who are tip toeing into the world of mixed media.

This is only one way to work so look at work by other artists working in mixed media and soon you will be finding your own voice in this provocative medium. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Rest vs. Unbelief"

($60.00......6" x 6"....Mixed Media on 140 HP.....Mounted on a 1.50" depth Clayboard)

"Rest is the opposite of unbelief." This is the essence of the message from Hebrews 4. As you have noticed, I am rather stuck on this particular passage for an upcoming exhibit. It goes to the heart of what it means to be "Fully Alive" as a Christ follower, so bear with me as I complete my work. I am now ready for the larger works.

The challenge of this piece was enormous and why I am so late posting today. The background of pouring medium was very dark, but did have the association of looking like marbled paper so I decided to go with it, in spite of the complexity of making it look integrated with the text pages. 

In this case, I needed the text pages, otherwise the lettering would not have been easy to read. So by dividing the space into contrasting sizes of horizontal bands and by including another bit of text in the largest band, I was able to give significant weight to both types of bands.

It also helped to bring some mono printed rice paper into the bottom section, which gives the illusion that a portion of the large colored band was peeking through. This is otherwise referred to as an "echo" which is one of the keys to good integration. I also did some deconstruction to create erratic edges, a sense of timelessness, and providing more echoes of the text where the area was a bit static.

If you like this type of mixed media work and you are not a lettering artist, you might want to introduce some erratic marks / lines with a pencil or charcoal pencil. Pencil, of course, will be a lot more subtle. The important thing is not to introduce elements in the work that don't appear to go together. Text pages go with this type of background because of the association historically of marbled papers and books.

Also notice how other mixed media artists combine different elements. Being able to analyze and figure that out will go a long way in understanding design. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Varied Heights"

($50.00......6" x6"......Mixed Media on 300 lb. HP.....mounted on Gessobord)

"Raise the standard with varied heights." This quote is simply a play on words since I used varying heights of collage pieces to create this piece.

This is a variation on the theme of old book pages, rice paper, and mono printed rice papers put together to create a collage. By using some of the deleted portions from other pieces, I was able to adhere these disparate parts to a gessobord and then continue adding other elements.

If you look closely, you will see some other pieces mounted on top of the first layer of collage pieces. All of these mono printed papers were mounted on 300lb HP Watercolor Paper which gives them a depth very similar to the hard board used in bookbinding. So I ended up with (5) smaller pieces of these scraps adhered to the first layer and then added a portion of a book cover with a cut out and a piece of fused glass.

So this is just another way my mixed media followers can use as inspiration for shifting the emphasis to the mono printed papers and even getting more dimension with a second layer of several segments. Notice that to keep the design strong and cohesive, there are a lot of "echoes" of color, shapes, and gesture marks that make everything look like it belongs. There are also a combination of straight and torn edges....soft and hard edges. So if you have some text pages leftover from other pieces, this is a good way to come up with new combinations. In the first layer, there were three different sections adhered to the gessobord, just to give you an idea.

Just for further consideration and inspiration, you might want to check out the work of Lance Letscher who is an Austin artist who is renown for his works using old books in collages. Also, our very own Mandy Gregory (on the art team at Hill Country Bible Church NW) who uses her old watercolors and cuts them up to make elaborate collages. So be inspired, but it is best not to copy someone else's style precisely, but it really isn't necessary since there are a myriad of ways to work with these materials. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Settle In"

(unavailable)

"Fear flies away when thankfulness settles in." There is something about thankfulness that opens the door to many good things and gets rid of some bad things. The word "settle" is not a commonly used word, but it has a wonderful meaning. It means to become established in a place and thankfulness is a good place to get established.

This is the last in this particular color series. I began the week using blue/green and dark green plus white and black. Then there was the introduction of an orange complement followed by several other combinations. It is fun now to lay them all out and see how I feel about each one. Today's piece includes two sets of complements....orange and blue/green...red tint and dark green and yellow/green. I am still trying to discipline myself to identify colors by what is listed on the color wheel rather than using "trendy" names like magenta, chartreuse, hot pink, etc. My goal is to be intimately acquainted with the (12) colors on the color wheel in all of their intensities, shades, and tints.

Just to recap, my starting point in all of these collages has been black and white with the addition of color. From across the room, the division of space is strong and then there are many subtleties for close viewing. I have often read that judges of art shows look for strong division of space and good shapes which are quite identifiable from across the room. I am quite sure personal taste comes into play as well, but it is worth thinking about. Strong value contrast is essential for a piece to stand out from across the room, especially if it's a small piece. The challenge is to see if it can be done successfully.

The only danger I see in doing this type of collage work is entering into the world of visual overload. I've tried to overcome that by having many "echoes" in the piece. I will continue to play around with color percentages, but I will be interspersing some very neutral (like 80-90 per cent) in the next week or so. Doing small works is an excellent way to experiment with color, division of space, no detail or a lot of detail, etc. Give it try! And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Serendipity"

(unavailable)

"Serendipity is when the unexpected becomes the plan." It's a word that has a magical quality to it and is generally associated with good unexpected events. It's just a fun word!

Common denominators still come to mind when I think about grade school and fractions. It's also a way to describe "echoes" or conversations in a piece of artwork.

I must admit there is something about preparing and cutting up bits of paper that brings out the child in me again. But I have also been very turned off by collage and its chaotic nature and tendency towards visual overload. It is still possible to have very dynamic artwork using collage when a few common denominators are in place. My first common denominator is using rice paper for a majority of the piece and all mono printed with gestural marks and sometimes a bit of an image adhered to the rice paper before the mono print. The gestural marks leave white space on the print which then connects to the plain rice paper overlaid on old book pages.

The other common denominators that are extremely important to me are the ehoes of my main colors. Repeated elements always create rhythm and will add stability to this kind of "mix and match" design work. But if this is too much for your taste, all you need to do is keep to a neutral palette with maybe one or two punches of color. There is one artist who does exactly that with her very dominant image emerging from the many layers of book pages and neutral papers. You might want to google Ashley Collins and check it out for yourself. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Change Course"

(unavailable)

"When something is not working...change course." In any area of life, this is a good thing to do. What sense does it make to keep doing things that continue to produce failure?

This piece brings me back to something I've learned in oil painting. Paintings are made up of shapes. This is the best advice I can give anyone who is creating a collage. The key is to make sure there is a conversation between the shapes, colors, patterns, line work, etc. These conversations are called "echoes". The shape and direction of the flowers echoes the gestural lines in the mono printed rice paper. The detail in the vertical patterned collage echoes the flowers and the gestural marks. The colors are echoed throughout the piece.

Edges are another important consideration. There are some very straight lines in this piece, but they are contrasted by the torn edges and the curved lines that appear in the flowers, patterned detail and gestural marks.

A lot of movement can be introduced into a collage with the inclusion of gestural marks created in the printing ink and mono printed onto rice paper. Speedball Printing Ink remains my choice because it creates such a nice print (much better than acrylics) and the use of rice paper will give you the sharpness you are looking for. Rice paper is made for printing and it is thick enough to really absorb the ink. Begin by brayering the color onto a piece of glass until it sounds "squishy" and then make your marks with shaper tools or old credit cards. Lay the rice paper onto this surface and print by running a clean brayer over the rice paper. Lift up and set aside to dry. (Don't forget that this ink is water soluble and you will need to spray with Acrylic Spray Coating before adhering to the support.)

Some of you have encouraged me to do more expressive lettering and move away from Spencerian Script. There is a good reason why I can't always do that. Space is one factor and often a straight line of script has a calming effect on the piece. I promise to mix in some more 6" x 6" pieces so that I can have an opportunity to do different lettering. The 4" x 6" are being created for a "give away" for an upcoming exhibit. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Aspirations and Habits"

(unavailable)

"Aspirations live or die based on the habits we form." An aspiration is a strong desire to achieve a particular outcome. We all have them and the only way to achieve them is to form the habits that will insure the desired outcome.

The movement in this piece is very interesting and determined the placement of the additional collage pieces. The penciled lower case "a" and the lettering to the left center was done first on blank 140 lb HP. The pouring medium + fluid acrylic was done next and the the additional collage pieces were printed on silk tissue paper and adhered on top of the pour.

There are so many places where collage pieces can be placed, but it is best to pay close attention to what is going on in the pouring medium and the directional lines that flow from that. The black color block appears to ascend upward and around which made it obvious that the decorated capital needed to end up at the end of those diagonal lines of black. The black lettering adhered to the bottom was a nice final touch.

And even though this is only a 4" x 6"... there is interest and detail with some areas left alone. In summary, there are echoes of lettering in different sizes and styles. The color percentages are varied and in different shapes. The contemporary "nod" to the book arts is the main thing. Nothing was included that does not contribute to that theme. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Purchasing Power"

(unavailable)

"What we value determines how much purchasing power we have in life." This is the equivalent of the principle of give and it shall be given you. Think about it.

The subtle shapes in this piece are punctuated by a very prominent black and brown shape. To create an echo of that shape, I chose two images that also have a "v" shape with a different weight and style.

The blue color block softens the piece and the soft yellow in the background is a nice split complement to the blue. That softness is a great contrast to the prominent dark lines and shapes. I also chose to include the tiny detailed image underneath the ornate "V" to soften the impact of the strong graphic of the ornate letter. It was too stark before that "lacy" pattern was included.

Even the shape of the blue going down into a "v" determined the placement of the collage elements. And at the risk of seeming redundant, it's the process of looking for the "echose" that will tell you what to do next and where to place elements in your piece. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Thankfulness"

(unavailable)


"The foundation of joy is thankfulness." Thankfulness is easy when everything is going well. It is an entirely different situation when life gets messy and difficult. But the truth remains that even in those times... joy is a result of thankfulness.

Integration often shows up in an echo. Remember that an echo is a repeated element of design. What makes it more compelling is the use of an echo that is a variation on the theme. An example of this is the flourishing in the bottom right corner of this piece. The flourished element is an echo of the black shape. The flourish is an echo of the shape, but in a different style. All of the bands of color in this piece have the same undulating curves that are present in both flourishes.

So it is crucial to look for possible "echoes" in order to determine the type and placement of more elements to the initial first layer. It is a wonderful starting point for your design and is applicable to realistic and abstract imagery. This whole process of repeating echoes is one of the foundations of integration. It is a whole new way of looking at things as you go through your day. Without being in your studio, you can practice by noticing echoes in everything you see. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Practice and Perseverance"

(unavailable)


"Practice and perseverance are the bread and water of success." Often we think of practice in relationship to learning a skill. Equal attention given to developing and practicing good habits is also important even if a particular skill is not involved.

After creating pouring medium pieces non stop for almost three weeks now, I am even more aware of the importance of "echoes" and contrasts. An echo is simply a repeat of something that is always there, but it doesn't need to be an identical repeat. In the piece today, I consider the line engraving an echo of the erratic band of brown and black at the bottom because of the shapes. But it is also a very good contrast between precise lines and erratic lines and contemporary vs. antique. The two shapes play off of each other very well. And even though the line engraving could be considered a floating shape with no connection, it is integrated because of its transparency and precisely because it is an echo of something already there.

This is the "tricky" part of design that is only realized after doing something over and over again. Placement of the line engraving was also important. By placing it high on the page and almost dead center, it mimics the format of a traditional document where there were headings like this and perhaps a similar ending at the bottom. So I brought it into a contemporary format by having the band of color at the bottom mimic the line engravings I've seen in so many historical documents. And, of course, this look is one I am passionate about and hence the Spencerian Script rather than gestural writing which would have been inappropriate for this look. And if my thought processes have worn you out, be encouraged. They wear me out everyday as well, but fortunately or unfortunately for me, I have a very analytical brain! And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Formed in Darkness"

($60.00.....6" x 6"......mounted on a 1.50"" depth clayboard )


"The color was formed in darkness and then a butterfly emerged." The butterflies are out indeed, and their color reminds us of transformation and the hope that comes out of darkness.

Injecting an "echo" of a design element is one of the keys to developing rhythm in design. The colors you see in the pouring medium are echoed in the butterfly. The eggplant purple color is also echoed in the lettering. (That color can be mixed or purchased in a tube. It is Winsor Newton Gouache and the color is Perylene Violet.)

There are some erratic lines that are echoed in the first layer of the piece as well. It only takes a bit of forethought to make sure those "echoes" are always present. Combine that strategy with designing the corners and the piece is better designed immediately. The placement of the butterfly was easy....place it in a corner!  Just a few more things to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Slow, Silent, and Invisible"

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


"Growth is slow, silent, and invisible, and then the flower appears." Growth is all about process and most of us would like to skip the process and go to the reward. With flowers beginning to bloom, it is a great reminder that growth is slow, silent, and invisible. That's the process and no one gets to jump over that and experience the reward without the time, effort, and energy.

Echoes are those design elements that are repeated in some other part of the piece. They are very important in creating artwork because the eye has this insatiable desire to make connections. For instance, if there is violet in the piece, the eye automatically looks for other areas with violet. By echoing the color again (in this piece I echoed it again in the flower in a darker value). I also echoed the subtle curving line by writing the quote in a similar line created by the blue green line underneath the flower. However, if there is an abundance of detail and other things going on, a straight line of lettering is probably the best choice. Simply following the line of a shape can look contrived rather than convincing.

Other echoes can be created by having lines, shapes, and colors disappear and reappear. For instance, I created some erratic lines on the paper before the pouring medium and they are creating a subtle dynamic with their appearance and disappearance.

Another important reminder is to take your shapes from edge to edge which allows for more dynamic shapes than having something stuck in the middle of the design space. The flower, for instance, was placed so that the brown and blue green curving lines are connected to the flower and integrate well on those moving lines. The flower printed on transparent tissue is also better integrated because the blue green and brown colors can be seen right through the image. These are just a few of my design thoughts for the day and something else to ponder or think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.