"Rejoice" (final section)

(Final)

"Rejoice always." This portion of a verse from Philippians 4 was the inspiration for all three glass pieces in this collection. What you are seeing today is the smallest piece in its final state.

If you remember the last posting, this is the same piece with some important revisions. The transitions from one value to another are much more subtle and creates a more harmonious piece. It is also great to have quieter areas where not much is going on. It actually enhances the part where you want the viewer to look.  Notice the blue now dominates the piece.

 After changing out a few pieces of glass, this piece was placed in the kiln and fired at a full fuse. The addition of the script lettering was written with tracing black powder and clove oil and the same pointed pen I use for lettering on paper. The nice thing about lettering on glass is that you can wipe it off and start over until you're satisfied with the result.

The image you see today was photographed this morning. It will now go back into the kiln at a medium fuse (no hotter than 1350 degrees) to set the lettering. The other important integration factor was splattering some of the writing medium on and around the lettering and allowing some bits to fall into the solid blue areas.

Another point about the lettering is that my goal was to also have it subliminally in the background. In the white area in the top right hand corner, you can faintly recognize the word rejoice carved out of the glass line paint with a bamboo pen. It is another way to achieve texture and reinforce the focus of the piece.

The repetitive writing of the one word "rejoice" appears in all three pieces of this collection. I actually tried writing bolder and with a ruling pen, but it looked contrived and really did not integrate well at all. Fine lines are the appeal in glass and this is one way to achieve them and have texture at the same time. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Gratitude" (final)

($300.00......11" x 14".....Watercolor on Fabriano 300 lb. CP.....presented on a 2" depth cradled board)

"Seeing and noticing are the heartbeat of a thankful heart. Writing it down makes it visible." (paraphrase from One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp) It's done at last....unless something else comes to mind during the day. You never know. Thanks for hanging in there through the process on this one.

Any artist trying to juggle lettering and fine art and integrating them into one piece has some difficult decisions. For a long time now, I have opted to have my artwork look like a fine art piece from across the room. And the viewer then has the option of coming closer and reading the text, but that would not be absolutely necessary. It could also work the other way around. The lettering could be read from a distance and the background art taking a supporting role. It has been an interesting process and one which leads to endless variations on the theme.

Another point to consider is the color of the text. If I had chosen black text and painted a black feather on the piece, it would have looked completely different. However, I like the ethereal quality of white so that was my first choice. I also chose Spencerian Script because it has a "quieting" effect on dynamic backgrounds. It also has a poetic feel and much of my work trends in that direction.

The piece will now be sprayed with varnish (3x) and then varnish will be brushed on (3x). This varnish (Golden Acrylic Spray Varnish with UV filters) will ensure that the piece can be mounted on a 2" depth cradled board and be impervious to touching or spills.

My next move is to use similar techniques with more vibrant color and see how it goes. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Experimental Watercolor"

Today's posting is simply an experimental piece that may get finished....or not. This was created as a demo piece in a mark making class I taught yesterday. Lots of marks were made and the atmosphere was "electric"!

We worked on several types of papers because papers receive the medium differently from each other. The paper used for today's piece was Rives BFK. It is a print making paper and a bit softer than other papers used for watercolor.

Because of its ability to receive impressions, it is a natural choice for inscribing into the paper and paint while it is wet. And you can clearly see those marks in the background. They can often look like pencil marks, but the inscribed erratic lines that are a bit diffused were written with a bamboo pen into wet watercolor. That first color is a neutral tint.

After leaving this first layer completely alone until it was dry (no hair dryer)...I added some darker erratic lines and gestural marks with a pointed pen and FW Ink. This particular ink is a good choice for this application because it is acrylic and will not bleed when a watercolor wash is brushed over. These lines can be dried with a hair dryer and then shapes of color can be applied with a broad watercolor brush on dry paper.

It is good to leave some of the paper white and not to make more than two passes with the water color in the same area. (Over brushing is the death of this technique.) If you choose to use two colors...dry the first layer of color before applying the second color. It might be fun to see how these very same techniques work on Arches 140 lb. HP or Fabriano 140 lb. CP. These papers are thin enough to ripple when wet, so if working too large...you may want to consider taping your paper to a masonite board with watercolor tape.

This whole process reminds me of layered glass, so I am deeply interested. It's definitely worth a try. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Texture"

(Small Study in Kiln Formed Glass....3.50" x 6.50")

There is no quote associated with today's image, but there is lettering. Today's posting is all about texture and how to create it with the characteristics of line using materials involved with kiln formed glass.

Everything I say today about "line" quality also applies to the mono printed rice papers which will begin tomorrow. In this small study (3.50" x 6.50"), the line work began in conjunction with the application of black glass line paint on clear glass (Tekta). 

After applying the paint with a palette knife, I made some gestural marks in the paint when it was almost dry and with corner of a palette knife. By angling the palette knife, I was able to achieve a thicker line removed from the paint. The paint is not easily removed at this stage without it globbing up a bit, but in my mind that simply adds to the texture. 

Black and orange powders were then applied. You can also see that thinner lines and shapes were also scratched out of the paint. Paying attention to the dilution of the glass line paint is important to achieve a contrast of line or mark making in the paint. It's a combination of both types of line that adds interest to the texture. Crystal Clear powder was sprinkled over the whole sheet since glass line paint fires to a dull finish without powders.

I then composed a two layer collage using Chalky Pink (which also looks like a pale lavender depending on the light) as a base for the collage. This particular glass is a special production and may or may not be available in the future.

After firing this two layer collage which was a square shape (app. 6.50" x 6.50") I decided I didn't like it so I cut it with a glass saw on the diagonal to add a more dynamic division of space. I also added some gold purple and lavender fine frit, but it did not show up after firing. It seems that black and orange eat up other colors.

So the last textural element was the lettering done with a pointed pen using tracing black powder and clove oil. (Leonardt Principal Nib) It was then fired at a temperature not exceeding 1250 degrees. (A higher temperature will cause the lettering to spread out and sometimes dissipate.)

This is just a study for me to reference to look at the way these textures and line work appear together. For those of you who like to used mixed media to practice some possible textures that could be used in your glass work, just pretend that when you brayer out the Speedball Printing Ink and remove parts of it to make your texture....that is the equivalent of removing glass powders to create texture. It is much cheaper to experiment with mono printed rice papers than it is to experiment with glass. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Purified by Fire"

($200.00.....5" x 12".....Kiln Formed Glass......Presented in Limestone)

This is a piece of kiln formed glass presented in limestone. The verse inscribed on the glass is Psalm 12: 7 (NIV). "And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times."

My interest and passion for kiln formed glass is in one direction only. That direction is either two or three layers of glass collage. My primary instructor has been Kari Minnick from Maryland. She has been a guest instructor at Helios Glass Fusing in the past several years. I have taken two week long classes from her and am scheduled to take my third week in one week from tomorrow. She has a fabulous website if you care to google her name. My reason for taking from her in particular is that her background in art began with oil painting and then moved to glass. And even though she is not a lettering person per se....much of her work does have actual lettering done with glass powders or a semblance thereof. 

In this piece, the lettering was written after the glass collage went through a full fuse. It was done with Tracing Black Powder + Clove Oil and I used the same pointed pen (Leonardt Principal Nib) that I use for lettering on paper or other mixed media surfaces. The only difference is the speed. It is impossible to make the letters using the same rhythm one would use for writing on papers. Glass is a very different surface, but the results are always fantastic. This piece will need to be fired one more time at a much lower temperature so that the hairlines will not spread and dissipate. 

I am also enjoying seeing the different combinations with glass.  In most of the exhibits at The Open Doors Gallery, there is an array of  glass and steel....glass and mixed media....glass and wood...and above all....glass and limestone. It is an unbeatable combination and adds a dynamic to any setting. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Glorious Days"

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


"Glorious days are the ones filled with prayer and creativity." This quote was born out of all of the glorious days I've spent with artists, especially those who are on the Prayer and Creativity Team at my church. One of those days happened in a "Symphony of Layers" class in my studio yesterday. Since I was aware of several people in the class going through extraordinary circumstances, I was reminded once again that emotional pain needs a lot of healing through the arts. The more pain.....the more art and beauty is needed. To my artists in the PACT Ministry, this fact must never be forgotten! That's why we do what we do.

This piece created with pouring medium has some great colors. The one that was added last as a bit of a surprise is the light lavender. It is a tiny bit of Dioxazine Purple plus a lot of White. Another thing I tried in this one was the last minute addition of several drops of pouring medium with no color added. It creates an ethereal look by slightly mingling with the surrounding colors. You can see it at the top center left.

For those of you who do lettering....especially script, I do not do the press / release technique when writing on this surface. The entire quote is written with no pressure and the shaded strokes are added after the fact.

We discussed edges a lot in yesterday's class so I want to bring that to your attention because this piece and most pouring medium pieces have a wide range of edges. A piece with all hard edges is cold and creates a "so-so" response in the viewer. A wide range of hard edges contrast with diffused edges and color shapes that create extremely soft edges by being next to a color of similar value are all necessary to create a vibrant piece. I am convinced that is one of the appeals of this particular technique. So create away and enjoy the process and share your art with the world. It is badly needed! Just a few more things to think about.

"Step by Step" (unavailable)

(unavailable)

"Step by step and line upon line lays the foundation for growth." It is so natural to want to speed through the steps of learning and be automatically at the finish line. I have noticed that even though everyone knows that you must take one step at a step, there is still that hope that it isn't so and that one of us might be the exception. Even people with seemingly natural ability must go through the steps.

This is my first photography piece where acrylic paint has been one of the layers. I like the idea of covering up extraneous detail with paint to cause the viewer to focus on the main attraction. There were trees and flowers at the top and to the sides of those stairs so I simply used the same colors and painted over them starting with the green first and then the pink over that. It also helped to soften the edges with a clean sponge brush dipped in water and then blotting with kleenex.

Other layers included erratic pencil lines and lettering...brush lettering with dilute prussian blue...monoprinting with Caran d'Ache ink...and gesso plus a water brush to remove the excess.

So if you have nothing to do this afternoon, you might want to try or think about these things.