"Two Exemplars"

(image 1)

(image 2)

An exemplar is an example, model, or pattern to refer to when doing something. In this case I have an exemplar showing Spencerian Script miniscules (or lower case letters). The other exemplar is showing some different ways of printing on rice paper to create a pattern, texture, or both.

There was no posting yesterday because I was "knee deep" in setting up for a "mono printing on rice paper event" in my studio. I also taught two of my private students in Spencerian Script this week and that piece (image 1) also shows a technique with rice paper.

In the first strip of image two, I placed about a 1/2 tsp. of Speedball Printing Ink (water soluble) on my glass surface and brayered it out in all directions to app. the size of my print. I then created a "chevron" pattern using (3) different sizes of broad edged shaper tools. You can also use credit cards cut to the width you want.

In the second strip of image two, I used a little less ink and two different sizes of cut up credit cards. You can vary the width of these lines by the angle of the credit card. In the first stripe, I changed the angle as I was going down through the ink to create a tapered line.

In the third strip of image two, I brayered out a fair amount of ink (1/4 -1/2 tsp) and made a diagonal stroke with a very old 4" brush....pressing hard as I move through the ink. In the same ink, (before printing), I made some gestural lines with the corner of a metal palette knife which created the very thin white lines. I then made the print, dried it, and printed with white Speedball Printing Ink and a rubber segment of circles I received in a package. After printing the circle, I dabbed the edges and part of the print with a damp tissue to soften some of the edges.

In the fourth strip of image two, I placed app. 1/2 tsp. of printing ink in the middle of my printing surface and brayered evenly in all directions, approximating the size of the paper to be printed, but I went one step further by brayering outside of that thicker ink on one end to create a gradated effect since there was less ink on my brayer at that point.  A commercial texture stamp was then use in a repeat pattern over all of the ink and you can see the gradated effect quite clearly.

In the fifth strip of image two, I again brayered out some ink and used my index finger to make different size circles. (with thin latex gloves on) I also dipped my finger in water to remove more of the paint...on the largest circle. The corner of a metal palette knife was used to create the thin lines inside the circle. (It is important to press hard with your finger.)

In the first exemplar, I used some very watered down gouache or walnut ink....smooshing it around on the glass printing surface and then laid the rice paper into those very dilute puddles. (If the paper falls apart, you have too much water.)  You could also use the printing ink or transparent watercolors. After that dried and was sprayed with acrylic coating, I adhered it to a 4" x 6" piece of masonite. I then stamped the image with the same stamp you see in strip (3). The surface was again sprayed 2x with spray acrylic coating and prepared for lettering. The lettering was written with WN Venetian Red Gouache.

The first point to remember about mono printing on rice paper is that all rice papers are not created equal. In the examples you see today, I used Shanghai....purchased from Jerry's Artarama.

The second key point is that mono printing is all about the amount of ink placed on the printing surface and also how much paint is removed. Removal of painted with some kind of tool is essential if you want to have some translucency when layering with other images or text.

The third key point  is the need to have very substantial brayers. The rubber brayers with metal (not plastic) are the best. Asel's here in Austin has some and they can also be ordered from Daniel Smith. It also helps to have .... 2".....4"....and 6" sizes.

The fourth key point is the actual making of the print. When laying the paper into the ink, use a clean brayer (preferably one with a clear plastic roller) over the print to make sure it makes good contact with the ink. You can also place a sheet of wax paper over the paper and rub over it with your hands or the back of a smooth wooden spoon that is flatter than most wooden spoons.

Last, but not least, lay the print on wax paper to dry or hang on a clothes line with clips from the office supply or regular clothes pins.   They will dry faster on a line than laying flat. You will also need to spray all prints with Krylon Acrylic Spray Coating (not to be confused with Workable Fixative) before adhering to a clayboard, masonite, or other surface.  (Remember, this ink is water soluble.)

To know what to do with your stash of printed papers, refer to other blog postings showing finished work to see some of the possibilities.  You will soon have your own ideas about how to use them.  (Storing them in gallon size baggies....by color....will also make this whole process easier.  And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Lesson Learned?"

($150.00......6" x 6".....floated on a linen mat in an 8" x 8" wood frame)


"History repeats itself until the lesson is learned." This is true in personal experiences and in the history of nations and cultures. It is a wise person who reviews their life from time to time and notices what particular habits are continually repeated as well as though that produce success. It's a great time saver to stop doing things that don't work.

A band of color(s) running diagonally across a page can be boring all by itself or not have very interesting texture. However, the composing of opaque and transparent collage over that band of color can create a lot of drama.

The segment of an old book page became the focal point with the added texture of an embossed emblem. It was then easy to "frame" that one segment with the burnt sienna color of the background and the aged book spine. Those two collage items were then "framed" with transparent scroll work plus the more ornate scrollwork acting as another part of the "frame". I also printed out the copyright date (1800's) and placed it in the lower left hand corner. And the final touch was the fragment of silver leaf adhered to the book spine. The placement was decided by a desire to have it quite near to the center of interest and also becoming a part of the "frame" around the cream colored book page.

Collage can often be overdone, but it helps to think of all of your collage pieces as a unit. Take note that there is at least one third of this design space with nothing except for the quote. This negative space helps relieve the eye. By keeping the detail in one area, you are telling the viewer exactly where you want them to look. A good analogy is a logo or lettering on a tall pillar in a large building. Your eye will immediately go to the one area on the pillar where there is detail of an image or lettering. And that's the power of negative space. It helps direct the eye. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Unfolding Dreams" (sold)

(sold))


"The reward of the diligent is the unfolding of dreams." The steady and focused attention on a particular skill is the essence of diligence. Steady means "on a regular basis"...like everyday. It is a steady observation and self critique as you work on your work. Go for it!

The foundation of this piece is acrylic paint. There is no gesso. I did add molding paste to the raw umber and retarder to all of the acrylic mixtures to extend the working time. My desire was to experiment with gestural strokes with a broad sweep across a larger sheet of paper.

The texture was mostly created with shaper tools and credit cards. I also used a brayer and alcohol to remove and soften the lines in several places. It's another exciting approach to mixed media and surface texture. The butterfly was printed on silk tissue paper and as you can see the raised texture shows up right through the paper to create a total integration with the surface.

I enjoyed writing the quote with a Mitchell #6 and Walnut Ink. It is the movement created by the diagonal sweep of color that gives this piece drama as well as the butterfly positioned so that it looks like it's in flight. And there you have it. Just a few more things to think about.

"Think" (sold)

(sold)

School has started and teachers have prepared their materials in hopes that their students will learn. But learning does not take place simply because a teacher teaches. The student also must have a desire to learn. This quote is a take off on another quote...."You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." Learning doesn't happen by osmosis, it happens when we think and apply what we've learned.

White is a powerful color especially if it's white gesso. The ability of gesso to give as little or as much coverage as you desire makes it a powerful tool for transparent and illuminated images. This piece appears to be glowing and even more so as it is lit up on a computer screen.

I am experimenting with "veiled" effects and intensity of color. So you might see some unusual pieces as I go through this process. It has totally captivated my interest. This is a meditative process that can keep you engaged for hours.

It can be summed up in three points. First, practice applying gesso in different densities and stages using different sized segments of credit cards, shaper tools, or sponge brushes. Second, apply acrylics in very dilute layers with the same consistency as in watercolor. Third, use pens or pencils to create lines, lettering, or drawings either on blank paper or in between dried layers. Also try stamping into the wet gesso. By alternating or changing the sequence of any of these steps, you will come up with some interesting effects. Just something to try or think about.

"Obvious Things" (unavailable)

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

Many times there are things in life that are not obvious because there seems to be a veil over our understanding. Knowledge and truth can lift that veil so that the deeper things in life can be understood. (Implies a deeply spiritual application in our understanding of God.) In this piece the veil is represented by the thin layers of gesso that allow lines and color to peek through.

There was much excitement in the air when Yves Leterme came to teach in February of this year. (It is still hard to believe that we battled an ice storm that week!) His remarkable ability in executing gestural writing plus his gesso works made an impression on all of us who attended those classes. This is a cropped portion of one of those pieces with a few additional touches.

Long before Yves came to town, I was deeply attached to graphite and pencils of every kind. (And very fanatical about how sharp pencils should be!) So my desire is to develop pieces with gesso , pencil, and imagery and make them uniquely my own. The technique of applying the gesso is not complicated. I use (3) methods of application, depending on my goal. Credit cards cut in various widths, broad edged shaper tools, and sponge brushes are my tools of choice. You can cause the gesso to "pool" along an edge or scape it off, add water to the edge to soften and blot with a kleenex for very ethereal effects.

The soft divisions of space can be created with pen and ink, pencil lines, or soft color blocks. Soft diffusion of these lines or color are then created with the overlay of gesso.   If you use water soluble media, you will need to fix that layer with spray acrylic before applying gesso or you can use "thinned" layers of acrylic.  This technique is very conducive to the inclusion of drawing or small painted images within the piece. It is a meditative process of working which you might like to try. Just something to do or think about.

"Threshold" ($40.00)

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

Prayer is a holy activity that anyone can access immediately. The visual of stepping over a threshold brings the point home. If you want to know God...pray.

This doorway and the steps leading up to it appear to be floating in the air. Details were omitted that would have given context to the doorway. The "floating doorway" gives credence to the quote because the threshold that is crossed is obviously in the mind.

Anytime I want to focus on the ethereal, white seems to enter the process. So after painting the doorway, I sprayed the piece with Krylon Acrylic Coating to seal the gouache. With the help of white gesso and a 1.50" broad edged shaper tool, I was able to apply the gesso and take it off in areas to achieve the desired effect. The corner of a discarded credit card was used to inscribe gestural marks into the gesso. Rubbing alcohol and a stiff brush will remove any gesso or acrylic paint to create more texture. Just something to think about and experiment with.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"A Duet" (unavailable)

(unavailable)

The two characteristics that seem to consistently describe a successful person are determination and discipline. Some people are born with more determination than others, but more often than not, both qualities must be given careful thought and practice. The "carrot" to motivate us to to develop these qualities is achievement. Just something to think about.

Sometimes when creating paste paper, I get sudden urges to do things to create more interesting textures. I especially like to create texture that doesn't look contrived. After applying my paste on this piece, I created some italic letters with a broad edged shaper tool. As I hung the piece to dry, I decided to spray that area with water...followed quickly by placing a trash bag on the floor! The texture turned out incredibly well and I have new technique under my belt.

The point in sharing this is that you might want to try this yourself, but more importantly, don't be afraid to follow your "gut instinct" and experiment by doing whatever comes to mind. After all, it's not life threatening.....it's only paper!

"Journals" (sold)

(sold)

Journals come in all shapes and sizes and deal with a broad range of subject matter. This band of color represents thoughts streaming through the mind in categories much like they might appear in a journal...or a blog!

This piece could easily fit in the category of "colorist". There are artists who do amazing work with color. A "colorist" uses color as the subject matter rather than a particular image. Texture and gradation also become supporting roles in this type of production.

The entire piece was created with paste paper and shaper tools. After creating the textured bands of color, I used a 1.50" shaper tool to scrape off the paste to create soft areas of color with a smooth texture. Having the contrast between rough and smooth textures is the heart of this piece. I personally know a "colorist" who does amazing work with color in oils. Her name is Rebecca Bennett. Check out her website.