"Floating Flower"

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

"Floating flower is pure nostalgia." There is something quite mesmerizing about looking at a flower floating in water. This is my interpretation of my hibiscus floating in water from yesterday's posting.

This piece is altogether experimental. In fact, truth be known, most pieces are experimental. The most creative and dynamic images do occur when the piece ends up in a different place than planned. Too much planning can result in a contrived image unless the piece is totally realistic and the technique is flawless.

You might be surprised to know that this piece was originally turned upside down from what you see today and the blue shape was actually an old wall image I was studying and ended up using masking fluid and glazing techniques. There was also a ledge in the wall with a partial flower hanging down. When I finished the flower, it didn't look right to me so I turned it upside down and glazed some orange into the blue / brown shape. And as it turned out the light blue shape has the same curving lines as in the flower and provides a partial echo of the flower shape.

"Changing horses in the middle of the stream"....happens frequently. It can be fun to figure out how to make everything work, but there always seems to be an alternative solution. So the lesson learned today is to view the piece in a different direction before making the final decisions. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Flower Collection"

(sold)

"Flowers are the best collections." Whether they're in a vase, dried under glass, in a painting, or in a field...flowers remain one of the most popular images for all types of art and celebrations. This painting was inspired by a hibiscus plant by our front door.

This is an abstracted image and not meant to be totally representational. To arrive at the salmon colored flower, I really needed a bright red instead of Alizarin Crimson. A true red (like Napthol or Cad. Red) plus a bit of orange will achieve that salmon color, but alas, I was determined to paint this flower on this Monday morning!

The leaves are also very stylized, but that really makes it look even more contemporary. If I had it to do all over again, I would probably abstract it even more and simply create a design that projects the frilly and delicate nature of this particular flower. And this is the best part of abstraction. Any of the design elements in the realistic image can be altered and rearranged to create something totally abstract. In this case, I would keep the colors the same and the "frilly" edge in tact, but everything else would be up for grabs.

In fact, it would be nice to have a collection of images based on the same inspiration image and simply abstracted in different ways. Of course, my mind is absolutely on collections right now due to the fact that there is an upcoming exhibit called "Poetic Collections".  So there will likely be quite a few postings of quotes from or giving a nod to poetry.

The technique in this image was based on glazing techniques except for the first layer which was wet into wet. So maybe you can pick a flower from your collection in the yard and give this a shot. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Flower Portrait"

($125.00.....6" x 6"......Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord.....floated on a linen mat in a custom frame)

"A single flower is a portrait of beauty." I don't think I've ever met anyone that doesn't like flowers. This one will not fade away and that's a comforting thought.

There was no reference photo for this flower, but I did have a small arrangement of white and lime green flowers in the studio. At first, I had seven flowers painted, but that didn't please me, so I swiped them off, added a bit more green to the background and decided on one larger flower. There was no need to paint the vase and every tiny detail of the flower. The gestural strokes in the painting are my goal. 

After smoothing out the background a bit, I did mix some dark and medium grays to lay down where the flower was to go. That helped establish some darks and give depth to a white flower. The strategy for what colors to lay down in sequence requires thinking through the whole painting and then working backwards. Also notice that the grays go from edge to edge vertically and horizontally which is an important part of dividing the space and establishing some strong shapes.

It probably would not have  worked as well in acrylics where the paint dries much faster. The wet into wet technique and a limited palette are the two things that bring it together and make it look convincing. The slight blending of colors when placing wet paint on top of wet paint is one of my attractions to oil paint.

If you're a lettering artist, there are more advantages to working in acrylic since you can prepare the surface for lettering with a variety of pens and gouache. Brush lettering would probably work okay in oils, but I haven't mastered anything I like yet, so I will continue to inscribe the lettering in the wet paint until I think of other ways. The inscriptions are really beginning to grow on me so I will simply wait and see what happens.  That's what practice and experimentation are all about. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"The Bling"

(unavailable)

"Wildflowers are the bling in the spring landscape." The wildflowers are definitely out and I thought it would be fun to describe them with words usually confined to women and their jewelry or other adornments. There is a hugh crop of them this year. Enjoy!

Contrasts have tremendous power to highlight the very thing you want the viewer to enjoy. In the case of this piece, I have contrasted a "pristine" image of a wildflower with a textural, "smudgy" looking background. There are (3) layers of gesso alternated with soft pastels, brayering with printing ink, and (2) layers of Liquitex Clear Gesso in between to cause the pastel to grab hold of the surface. If you have a color in the background that needs to be toned down, you can add another layer of gesso and then create some gestural marks with the edge of an old credit card to "pump up the volume"...so to speak. You can see that I did exactly that in the area right above the flower. This technique also creates rhythm and drama rather than having a solid band of color connecting the image to the top edge.

The importance of the gestural marks flying upwards to the top edge cannot be overstated. Having them in close proximity to the corners, is a good design move as well. If you like splatters, splotches, textural marks, this gesso treatment is something you might want to pursue. And when you blog everyday, you get tons of experience! Today is my (400th) posting. Just a few more things to think about.

"The Triumphant Processional"

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


"Easter is the triumphant processional celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ." All of the color in the flowers, the eggs, the dresses, the hats point to a celebration of the greatest gift ever given to mankind.

This piece is a photo montage of greenery with one lily adhered to a support with erratic pencil lines and writing. After this thoroughly dried, the pouring medium was added with most of it applied in a thin, watercolor technique with some thick medium and marbling at the bottom. It was very important to leave a lot of space with very little detail since there is much going on in the image. It gives the eye a rest and the viewer will not be so quick to turn away. Visual overload and bad design are the number one reasons why an artist cannot keep the viewer engaged.

Even though the lettering may be a bit difficult to read on a computer screen, it is quite clear in the original. I chose not to use pure white for the lettering, but added just a tiny, tiny bit of Cerulean Blue Gouache to tone it down a bit. The robin's egg blue color at the top is achieved by graying down turquoise and adding a bit of that to a ton of white. It really is quite lovely with the Golden Green Gold color mingling together with it in the pouring medium.

This is a good time to also talk once again about positive and negative space. If the two are close to being equal, with the positive taking up a bit more than the negative, there is a bit of drama and it is pleasing to view. If there is not a lot of detail in the positive space, you can create a lot of drama by having the positive image taking up at least two thirds of the design space. Just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Magnolia"

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


"The magnolia flower is a model of confidence by the way it sits on the branch." Some flowers may seem a bit timid by the way they present themselves. This is not the case with the magnolia flower which is large, has beautiful form, and sits with confidence on a bed of large magnolia leaves. Of course, there is always something to learn and apply to ourselves as we think about the way we come across to others.

This piece is all about design,  shapes, and texture. I created some erratic lines on a blank paper first. The printed image was then placed over the word magnolia and shows through the flower because it was printed on very transparent paper.

Gesso came next...applied with an old credit card. I then applied some peach and green soft pastels. Gesso was applied again and scribbled into with the corner of the credit card to create texture. It was dried thoroughly

The shapes really began to take form after applying Speedball Printing Ink with a brayer. You can see how the texture marks in the gesso remain white. It is very important at this stage of printing more color with the brayer to make sure your shapes extend edge to edge but also leaving some areas to create smaller shapes. After being satisfied with the shapes, I brushed on some more peach pastel and sprayed the surface with Spray Acrylic Coating.

After preparing the surface to receive lettering, I finished the piece by writing with peach colored and eggplant colored gouache. This type of piece can become chaotic if you use too many colors and include too much photography or collage bits. (Also notice that all of the corners are different and I made sure of that while printing color with the brayer.) The key is to keep the main thing the main thing. Just a few more things to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"White and Purity'

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


"White and purity have this in common...the power to lift the human spirit." The color white has long been associated with purity. This association has deep spiritual significance and just seeing the color white has a calming effect. Walk into a room with white accents or white being the dominant color in the room and you will feel peaceful.

The power of line work to effect visual space is a wonderful design element to play around with. There may be a misconception among some lettering artists to shy away from using line work in fear of encroaching on someone else's style. I would like to dispel that fear by saying that artists have been using line work from the beginning of time. There are some artists outside the realm of lettering that base their entire body of work on lines.

Line work has the endless potential of dividing the design space into infinite shapes. There is a Spanish artist (Juan Iribarren) who uses line and color to create the most fascinating depth perceptions. It is instructive to see how other artists in all kinds of media are using line. Even beyond the elementary drawing of a line from edge to edge...all artwork consists of line because it takes a line to make a shape, although most of the time, it eludes the casual observer because the line is implied with the representation of an image rather than seeing an actual line. The point of all of this is to focus on what line work has the power to do in dividing the space.   Just a few more things to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Fountains and Flowers"

(unavailable....in the collection of dee day)


"Fountains and flowers are natural companions for any celebration." Not all Christmas Eve celebrations happen with snow falling. Many happen in tropical climates which can also be very special even without the snow and evergreens. I was drawn to this image in the same context of Christmas because most of my teen years was spent in the Rio Grande Valley. This would have been a typical scene in a hotel or town square. In fact, I was in bermuda shorts on many of those Christmas celebrations. So whether you are enjoying snow or tropical plants, may your Christmas Eve be festive.

This photo was actually taken in a public square in Sedona, Az. I enjoyed zooming in at many different angles to get the best composition. This one happens to be my favorite because of the interesting division of space and the flower contrasted against the neutral color of the fountain.

If you like pointed pen techniques and like to frame a piece with some simple flourishing, one of the things I think about is allowing the flourish to begin from one edge...go off of the edge and reappear from another edge as though it were one continuous line. It is a wonderful way to practice your "press / release" technique and enjoy the process at the same time. I think all of us could learn lettering a lot quicker by just playing with the pen and enjoying the tactile sensations rather than always focusing on forming the letters immediately. Once you understand what the pen will do, it is much easier to learn the letters. It also helps to learn the form of the letter with pencil first because it is very difficult to struggle with the pen, ink, and form at the same time. If you absolutely know what the letter looks like (after much pencil practice and even tracing), it will be so much easier to then deal with the pen and ink (or gouache).

As you can see (or read), I have my "teacher hat" on today. I just have a tremendous desire for those of you who want to do well with your lettering to have success and be encouraged to pick up the pen often....like everyday. It takes courage and you have my full support. I do not despise "small beginnings" because everyone has to start somewhere. Just some more things to try or think about as we quickly approach a new year and new beginnings.

"Poinsettias"

(unavailable....in the permanent collection of dee day)

"Poinsettias say Merry Christmas by their presence alone." This piece could have been dedicated to my mother if she were still alive. On second thought, I think I will go ahead and dedicate it to her anyway. She loved poinsettias at Christmas and they did extremely well in the tropical climate of South Texas. Enjoy looking at these beautiful flowers for a few more days. I am sure you will see some, even at the grocery store.

This piece is a classic example of the two most powerful complementary colors placed in a neutral colored pot. Notice that there is only a small bit of green. In fact, when using direct complements, it is best not to allow each color to take up equal percentages of space. It is much more powerful to let one of the two complements dominant.

Another point about using white lettering if there is no white in the image. In this case, I mixed titanium white (out of the tube) with Liquitex Pouring Medium. Some of the specks of white will stay suspended in the medium which gives you a random placement of white specks to tie in with the lettering. The flourish in the upper right hand corner also unifies the color scheme. The white lettering would not have been nearly as effective if these connections were not established.

Another point, also, about cropping. I originally wanted to include the entire container in my piece. It didn't have the "wow" factor and the insignia on the pot wasn't showcased so the entire problem was resolved by zooming in and cropping the image up close. The "rule of thumb" is to allow the focal point to take up the largest percentage of your design space. Just something to think about.

"Roses at Christmas" (sold)

(sold)

"Roses at Christmas express feelings that cannot be uttered with words." This particular flower has exquisite form, color, and texture. Just one rose can say more than one dozen of another kind. Just try placing one red rose among your decorations and it will add a richness that cannot be achieved by other means which is probably why men tend to choose roses when they want to say what they feel in their heart.

If you are a bit weary of script at this point...never fear. I don't tend to stay on a particular track for too long. Although flourishing may remain through December. That's the beauty of a daily blog, you can go until you tire of something and then switch to something else. It seems to "morph" quite automatically.

Process is the "nuts and bolts" of creating art and any process that creates a climate of growth in your process is worth pursuing. Even taking the techniques or lettering style that you are good with is worth  going back to again and again. It helps make sure your don't forget what you do know and learn some more "nuanced" details that might have been overlooked in the first go around. That is why I've chosen to take the month of December and practice flourishing again. I don't do it everyday, but making a deliberate choice to do it for a season gets me back into it very quickly. So, the point is...that no matter what area of art you are working on, don't forget the areas where you're the most passionate in pursuit of some new thing. It is good to focus on what you do best and carefully add new skills to your repertoire.

The reason I am going on and on about this is because there are many students who have sat in my classes with an extreme desire to write with a pointed pen. Those who have stayed the course are the ones who have progressed and mastered the "press / release" technique. But there are others who continue to bounce around from one lettering hand to another. It is a proven fact that if you master one thing, you will gain more confidence than if you try to do too many things at once...mastering none. So there you have it. Just a few more things to try or think about.

"The Art of Giving" (sold)

(sold)

"Thankfulness inspires the art of giving." With Thanksgiving just around the corner, my thoughts naturally go to being thankful for God's provision in my own life. Sharing and giving to others is the path to a happy life. It feels good to share.

There are several things that give a piece energy. Making erratic lines and very quick writing with pen or pencil is one way. Trying to add these kinds of things after the piece is cropped and you know the concept never produces the same spontaneity. One of the reasons is that this first layer of marks and words is then covered over and partially hidden by gesso and paint. But there is another part of this that can add another dynamic. By not making the erratic marks too straight, but introducing diagonals results in more energy. If you have trouble doing this spontaneously, then look out the window and make marks without looking at the paper.

Writing a word in gesso that is right out of the jar without diluting is another one. The word can be readable or unreadable, but writing it with a stylus very quickly while the gesso is wet will yield some very nice texture. After it dries and the paint is applied, it has a way of "pooling" into those inscribed areas quite nicely. Just something to try or think about.

"Staging" ($30.00)

(adjusted price....$30.00)

"Contrasting one thing with another could be called the fine art of staging." In today's housing market, it is "trendy" to hire an interior designer to come in and tell you what needs to go and what needs to stay. The goal is to help you receive top dollar for the sale of your house. It's a very descriptive word that has a similar meaning to the word "edit". We can enrich this thought of staging by thinking about other areas of life that need staging. What would you like to "stage" today?

In the first layer of this piece...random lines were placed on blank paper. A few of those lines were created with Moon Palace Ink and a pointed pen. Gesso was applied randomly in different thicknesses. After all of that dried...paint was applied.

At this point, the real creativity begins. Because the colors are so luminous with lots of texture, I made the decision to use the black line from the first layer as a starting point. The black "notan" like flowers and varying lines at the bottom were added. Suddenly, the piece became grounded. The same thing happens when black is added to a very colorful room. It's a grounding color that can be used to stabilize and bring order to a design. Just something to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Attitude" ($30.00)

(adjusted price.....$30.00)

"A good attitude sees roses where there are thorns." Life is not always fair and there will always be people who may not treat us well. However, the right attitude will bring joy and peace. It really is the best way to live.

This is a simple piece with more of an illustrative look. Actually, I painted the rose with all of the shading to make it realistic, but it seemed out of place. After blotting it with a damp paper towel and removing some of the color, and adding black line work, it looked like it fit more with this flat color block. Larger shapes with very little going on can automatically cause the viewer to look at the part that has the most detail and contrast. In this case, it is the bottom band of white gesso peering through the color that becomes the focal point. Making the rose flat and more like a line drawing tied the image, lettering, and textural marks together. The greatest contrast is between the totally flat areas and the ethereal, textured areas. It's just something to think about.

Please contact me personally for inquiry about this piece.

"Informed Practice" ($40.00)

($40.00)

So often the things we want to learn elude us because we don't have enough understanding to correct ourselves when practicing a new skill. Just act as though you are teaching someone else what you are trying to learn. You will soon know if you have enough understanding or if you need to go back to the teacher and ask some more questions.

I believe the "gesso man" has taken up permanent residence in my studio! This piece involves three dilute layers of gesso with color and writing in between. The flower was painted with gouache. And if I haven't mentioned it before, I have found a bleedproof white that I like better than Dr. Martin's. In Austin, Jerry's Artarama carries it and it is produced by Winsor Newton. It doesn't crystalize over time but maintains it's consistency to the end.

Another advantage of using gouache with image and lettering is that it can be removed quite easily. The flower image and white ruling pen letters running vertically on the left were diminished from a solid coverage by blotting with a damp paper towel. It almost looks like a stamped image. Just something to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"A Long Stem Rose" ($40.00)

(adjusted price.....$40.00)

Fellowship is defined as companionship or sharing as well as having a common interest. Having fellowship with a friend is like receiving a long stem rose. Especially wonderful is having a friend who is a soul mate and seems to be traveling the same road. That, my friend, is a treasure!

Maintaining the viewer's interest in a piece without going into visual overload is a delicate balancing act. If there are too few design elements, boredom sets in. On the other hand, if there are too many elements, confusion and a sense of chaos occurs.

The "g" in the background is a case in point. I think it works because it was created while the paste was wet and is completed "wedded" to the background. If the "g" had been written after the fact, it would have appeared contrived and out of place. It also provided some curved lines to contrast with the straight verticals. The rose also provided curves as well as a color contrast.

Once again, the initial process of creating spontaneous texture has to do with the technique chosen. Trying to do it directly with everything figured out in advance is not the best way to achieve spontaneity. Monoprinting, enlarging an image so much that it becomes unrecognizable, and cropping are other options besides paste paper. This is a perfect day to try your hand at spontaneous texture. Keep it as unplanned and fun as possible.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Eye of the Beholder" ($40.00)

(adjusted price.......$40.00)


It takes much effort to create. There is often a path of obstacles one has to go over, under, or through. It is all worth it when the creation leaves the eye of the artist and goes to the eye of the beholder. (Click on image to enlarge lettering.)

Much of the inspiration for my pieces comes from contemporary icons. An icon historically means...a devotional painting or carving, usually on wood, of Christ or another Holy figure. It also means an image or statue that represents something. One of the icons I have used is the flower which represents beauty, special occasions or thinking of someone. Another favorite is chairs. They can represent relationships, or private moments of meditation. Some of my other favorites are stairs, doors, windows, trees, missions, cathedrals, church spires, fruit, etc.

It is not an uncommon thing to use contemporary icons which give a nod to realism. What has really been creative for me is packaging these icons in an abstract setting. The possibilities are endless. To sit and think about these kind of things and what you personally gravitate to is a way to really develop your artistic voice. Just something to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"A Work of the Heart" ($30.00)

(adjusted price....$30.00)

The process of creating artwork should and eventually must stem from the heart to survive. Even when pieces are not as successful as we hoped for, they are still valuable and need to be treasured.

I will never forget sitting in a workshop instructed by Hazel Dolby when she retrieved one student's crumpled up drawing from the trash. Hazel was horrified (literally) that this particular student did not value her work but threw it in the trash. The point she made was that if the artist doesn't value their artwork, no one else will either. Remember that the next time you feel like throwing your work away.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Hugs and Kisses" (unavailable)

(unavailable)

The familiar icon of the "X" and "O" standing for a hug and kiss made its way into the background of this piece and prompted the quote. It's great shorthand for saying "I love you". Tomorrow is your day!

The "gesso man" also emerged in this piece. Those who did not attend the Yves Leterme Workshop are probably scratching your head wondering what I'm talking about! You see, gesso can cover up an area that needs to go away. Since I was using gouache and watercolor, I did spray it lightly with Krylon Acrylic Spray Coating first. Next, came the gesso applied with an old credit card. The only problem was that it completely covered the image! So I ran to the sink and sprayed off my flower and then shoved the rest of the "soupy" gesso around with the credit card...creating the diagonal ridge of white. Now those of you who are familiar with the work of Yves Leterme will know that he would have told me to also cover up a portion or ALL of the lettering...and rewrite the quote in pencil (very small).... Maybe another time!

"Melody" (sold)

(sold)

Music has always been a great "lifter" of the human spirit. To think on things that are good and lovely produces another lift to our spirits. Put the two together in a comparative thought for a great motivator of the soul.

In yesterday's blog I went on and on about positive and negative space. Today you can see a shift to the negative space being dominate. (Yesterday they were almost equal.) To add a different kind of drama...I included two moving lines of "offhand flourishing" which activates the space. If I had not done that, there would have been a dominance of straight lines and a chance of too much harmony and not enough contrast.