"Angelica"

($40.00....6" x 6"....300 lb. HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"An angel is a body guard sent by God." Angelica is Spanish for angel so it became the perfect title. Angels have specific assignments and I like to think that one of them is my body guard. It's a very comforting thought!

My experimentation is continuing by deleting the strong color and going totally neutral. There are also many more layers of papers just to create a tonal and textural variation. There are several techniques that I am consciously doing to give better integration and a sense of depth. When I overly a paper that is already there, I try to cut it a bit smaller and reveal the edge of the previous layer. It creates a lot of interest with edges and a sense of mystery by allowing some text to show or other texture.

To enhance the "back and forth" conversation between text overlaid with rice paper and other areas that have no text,  adhered just a fragment of the text into the static area. It then becomes more integrated with the piece. And if you look closely just above the quote there is a faint image of angels. It was a line drawing that I had printed on silk tissue paper, but after it was adhered, it was too much. When it was removed, it left a faint image which turned out to be far more subtle.

For those of you who are enamored with walnut ink, there are several pieces of rice paper that were stamped and colored a bit with a dilute portion of the ink. And of course, the three main dark areas are mono printed with black printing ink, gold orange (acryl gouache) with gestural marks in the paint. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Look and Listen"

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"Look and then listen with your heart." I love analogies that apply to art and life. This quote has meaning for both. So often we can get "frozen in fear" with the thought of making a decision. So look at the circumstance or look at the image and then listen with your heart.

After the last three days of color and then more color, I am now doing a series of experiments with color percentages. In today's posting, I deliberately decided to use very little intense color and went almost totally neutral. I also made things more interesting by mixing up a "sloshy" bit of Titan Buff Fluid Acrylic with lots of water on a glass surface and then dipped portions of the rice paper into this mixture. (Lay it on wax paper to keep from sticking while drying.) 

I love green and orange together, but instead of using a brighter orange for this piece, I opted to use accents of Gold Orange....a nice metallic acryl gouache made by Holbein. The old book spine inclusion was painted with the gold orange on the back side since it was falling apart and the paint simply seeped through the deteriorating spine cloth. Another interesting thing here is the addition of papers with no rice paper overlay adhered to the top of the other book pages hidden under the tinted rice paper.

Also, the addition of text printed on silk tissue paper and crossing over several color blocks (including the book spine) adds a tremendous amount of depth. So the center of interest was created in the darkest areas of the piece where the most layering has taken place and the contrast of opaque, translucent, and transparent layering is prevalent. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Worship the King" (unavailable)

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"O Worship the King all glorious above. And gratefully sing His wonderful love. Our Shield and Defender the Ancient of Days. Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise."

This is a (12" x 12") exhibit piece I created several years ago. As the rain began to fall early this morning, it seemed appropriate to post this piece which is in my permanent collection.  The drought has been broken!

There is much to notice about the layering of this piece. The first layer gave the appearance of an aged wall. It was create by troweling "patching plaster" over a stretched canvas. Before the plaster dried, I created some gestural marks by writing in the plaster with a stylus. After all of that dried overnight, the surface was lightly sanded and then painted.

The remaining layers were created with bits of collage, drawing, lettering, and a piece of fused glass.

The Cobalt Blue color and refraction of that color through the fused glass is the "wow" factor. Just like we discussed in the Color Workshop yesterday, if you want one color to really take center stage, surround it with neutrals. Keep in mind that a neutral is any color that has been diluted by the addition of white, black, or its complement.

Just something to think about.

"Technique" (unavailable)

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"Technique determines the outcome in art and in life." Technique is defined as a manner of artistic execution in music, painting, etc...skillfulness or adeptness. It can also be a means of achieving one's purpose skillfully. It all ties in with wisdom and discipline in both areas. What a great thought for Friday!

Color has literally exploded in my studio. This piece was inspired by the colors of a well designed living space. The warm neutrals throughout the room felt very cozy and then there was the brilliant violet accent. Wow! If you truly want a color to be showcased well, just place it in a setting of neutral (diluted) color and "voila"...the piece settles the viewer down into a cozy atmosphere and enjoyment of the vibrant color.

There has long been a tendency to refer to neutrals as white, black, and brown with tints, shades, and tones of those three. Actually, a neutral is any color that has been neutralized by dilution. A color can be diluted with black, white, gray, or its complement. Viridian green is actually the darkest color in this piece, but it was diluted by its complement...Napthol Red + a bit of Raw Umber. I also enjoy Titan Buff which is the cream color. It is a color that could be mixed, but when time is of the essence, I do like to have that color on hand.

The movement of color in this piece was created once again by Liquitex Pouring Medium. Moving color is very exciting and mesmerizing. Those in the color workshop are in for a treat. The is one of the most addictive and therapeutic things I've done in a while. I highly recommend it for stress relief. Just something to think about.