"The Poetry" ($60.00)

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

"The poetry of the autumn landscape is a call to embrace beauty." It takes intentionality and time to enjoy beauty. Otherwise, we could all lose sight of the positive things in life.

Even when composing a serene and quiet piece, texture is still a provocative design element that adds complexity to a piece without clutter. Gesso, molding paste, crackle paste, pouring medium, erratic lines done in pencil, palette knife applications, brush strokes, etc....are all ways to add texture. Of course, you don't need to do all of these things in the same piece, but it is a way to give the viewer something more to look at than a single image on a blank sheet of paper. With the vast volume of imagery that crosses our eyes everyday, it is imperative to have depth and visual interest. Knowing how to do that is a lifelong pursuit, but ever so rewarding.

Layering is the logical process of achieving complexity. And the case could be made that all art is layering. I like to think of it in the same way that it is done in Photoshop. Every time a change is made, there is a new layer. It is not necessary to cover the entire piece with a new layer of paint or texture to have a new layer. The subtlety comes when the artist is very selective about where to add additional elements or techniques. Just keeping a journal of one or two techniques is a great way to keep your hands on art everyday. Just something to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"The Right Road" ($60.00)

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

"Treasures are found on the right road." This quote was inspired by a four stanza poem by Robert Frost. The first stanza appears here. Frost is making a larger point by saying that choosing the path less traveled had made all the difference in the world. So often, any of us can be derailed by neglecting the really important things in life. Choosing the right road is often more difficult, but we can have the very life we long for by making the right decisions day after day. A gourd, very similar to the one in this piece, was a treasure I found by leaving the main road and experiencing a patch of gourds and a lovely view.

Several techniques were combined to create this piece. Lines, lettering, and gesso comprise the first layer, followed by Pouring Medium plus pigment in the second layer. The only problem with applying gesso, followed by paint, is that the gesso shape can be a bit overpowering. To counteract that effect, I decided to add the first stanza of the poem by Robert Frost. Lettering has a miraculous way of stitching areas together that may be awkward. Imagery will also do the same thing.

When cropping from a larger sheet, it is good to have the gesso shape(s) touch at least two sides of the design space. Shapes that are too much the same, too many, or appear to be floating in space are not nearly as effective.

Even the gourd in this piece is placed so that it connects with lettering in the first layer, which then connects to the green color, which in turn connects to the one line quote. If you are unsure where to place lettering or imagery...do it on Canson Vellum first and them place it where it has the best connection to other elements. It's called being "well connected".   Just something to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Created Form" ($60.00)

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

"Created form emerges from the ground in color that reveals the season." Fall has always been my favorite season and painting images that emerge from the ground in autumn brings me tremendous joy. The minute small decorative gourds appeared in the store, a bag of them came home with me...so there may be a few more postings before I get over this obsession. Of course, I hope it brightens your day!

The first layer of this piece was created in the color workshop this past weekend as I demonstrated Liquitex Pouring Medium. By allowing the results of the medium to speak to you without predetermining what you want to do is another way to achieve spontaneity. What I have been learning about spontaneous creating is that the process itself must be spontaneous. It is very difficult to achieve a look that flows without effort by predetermining everything in advance.

On the other hand, knowing what to do with the elements and principles of design (and color) will also help. So actually, it is a matter of beginning with a process that almost creates itself and then, putting on your "design" hat to figure out what to do next.

If lettering is involved, it also helps to be able to write something that goes with the piece after the piece has been created rather than designing a piece to go with the quote. And if you don't like writing....then you will need an arsenal of quotes at your fingertips (alphabetized, of course) so you can find just the right one.

For those who were in the class, this is an analagous color scheme with a bit of violet on the gourd and in the shadow. And, of course, violet is a direct complement of yellow and a split complement to the yellow-green. The violet used is Perylene Violet (WN)gouache. If you don't have that in your gouache supply....it is a good one. Also, the pouring medium resists gouache, so you will need to brush the surface with (2) parts water to (1) part gel matte medium before painting an image or doing lettering.

Just something to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.