"Solitude"

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


"Solitude is where discussions with yourself take place." Having a good talk with yourself is a rare thing these days, but I expect that it would change the world if everyone engaged in this type of solitude.

This piece is an experiment with Pouring Medium "to the max". There are three layers of pouring medium with layers of flourishing and lettering in between and ending with stamping and the final lettering.

Obviously, very little color was added to the medium to keep it translucent. I added Titan Buff to the first layer of medium and Raw Umber to the second layer, and a bit of Titanium White to the third layer. With each additional layer, it became harder to write on and I would not recommend it for the faint of heart. An extremely light touch is required. It is similar to writing on encaustic wax.

Of course, the lettering had to be sprayed with acrylic coating with each layer and the pouring medium had to be prepared to receive the lettering. All in all I like the look. It resembles vellum and also encaustic wax. Just something else to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Berries At The Gate"

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

"Berries at the gate cheer the weary and bid them come in." There are certain combinations of things that serve as a warm invitation to go in and see what's inside. Limestone, wrought iron, and red berries will do it every time. There might be other things that trigger those same kind of feelings, especially this time of year. Enjoy the good feelings that those associations create.

This might be a good time to talk about the difference between using Fluid Acrylics or more heavy bodied acrylics out of a tube. The "haze" on the photography pieces I've been posting, of course has been created by adding acrylic to pouring medium and applying to the sealed photograph with a palette knife.....followed by spraying with water until the degree of "haze" has been reached. Fluid Acrylics are typically the best choice because they are already in a fluid state and mix with the pouring medium with no problems. In this piece, however, I used Titanium White from a tube. No matter how thoroughly I seem to mix the two, there are always a few bits that stay suspended in the pouring medium. It almost looks like snow falling. After this happened the first time I decided I liked the effect for the Christmas type pieces I've been posting. (This goes back to the idea that each and every person who picks up a brush will come up with "accidental" techniques while working. All you need to do is observe and make a note.)

Also, for those of you who write with pointed pen... Spencerian Script such as you see in this piece, is much easier to write on this surface than Copperplate (or Round Hand as some call it). You also need an extremely light touch to glide across this surface or your pen will stick and not want to move at all.

These are just a few things to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Ethereal"

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


"Ethereal imagery transports me to a place where nothing needs to be added or taken away." This piece is based on a photograph of architectural elements above the windows that look into the atrium of the Biltmore. This quote can be interpreted from an artistic or spiritual viewpoint. Either way, it is lovely to be transported away from the cares of daily life and partake of beauty wherever it can be found. Take the time and be refreshed.

As you know, I have been creating imagery based on photographs. This one follows the same steps as I've stated in recent postings. But this time, I did use Titanium White mixed with Liquitex Pouring Medium to create the top coat. I also made the monoprint of Walnut Ink a bit darker because I wanted to write with white gouache.

For my Spencerian Script students, the lettering in this piece perfectly demonstrates how to make spencerian a bit more readable. I did increase the x-height a bit and added more weight to each of the down strokes. You still get the "poetic" feel with the added benefit of legibility. Now I would love to write everything a bit more illusive and less readable, but I am here to tell you that there are a great many people who want to read the quote. This will forever be a dilemma to those of us who do lettering art so you'll simply need to determine what audience to address. As for the bit of added flourishing. One easy way to figure out the placement is to start at an edge, going one direction, and then let the line go completely off of the design space and then reenter going the opposite direction and off of another edge.

Also, a bit of a reminder about pastels. Thanks to Georgia Deaver, those of us who took that class understand that if you want strong pigment that will stand the test of time, you must use soft pastels. Chalk pastels will not work. They just disappear into the background. You don't actually need every color on the planet, but just start with a few colors you know you will use regularly.....like white, raw umber, (light, med., and dark) of your favorite colors, etc. Just some more things to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Transition" ($30.00)

($30.00.....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"A fallen leaf is a sign of seasonal transition just as right choices are a sign of a transition in life." It would be great if transitions in life happened as regularly and "on time" as they do in nature. The good news is that every life can have a quick turn around by making and following through with good choices.

Unfortunately, central Texas does not have the same brilliant colors in the fall landscape as you would be seeing in the Smoky Mountains. So the next best thing is to paint the colors as they would appear in other parts of the country. These particular colors are Raw Sienna plus White, Cadmium Orange, Napthol Red plus Raw Umber. This image viewed from across the room is quite brilliant. The color, of course, is "kicked up a notch" with Pouring Medium added.

In most of my pieces, I choose to focus on the image, especially color, so that it gives a power punch from across the room. Even when Pouring Medium and strong color are not chosen, the powerful division of space will give that "across the room" power punch. In this piece, there is a simple division of four horizontal bands with softly diffused edges. This type of division works every time it's tried.

Spencerian Script is my hand of choice when I have a long quote or don't want the lettering to overpower the image. To achieve a fine hairline on this type of surface (which has been prepared with gel matte medium...diluted) I dilute my gouache a lot with water and then add 1-4 drops of gum arabic in a small container not much larger than a thimble. It has been my experience that different colors require more or less gum arabic than others. Also, if the lettering turns out too light...I do go over the downstroke very lightly (with no pressure) just to make it more readable. All of these things are just something to try or think about.

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"Morning" ($30.00)

($30.00....mounted on a 1/8" clayboard panel)

"Morning rewards early risers with a treasure trove of fresh ideas." I already know that some of you are going to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about! But I would challenge you to try it for awhile and see how it goes. It really can be the quietest and most productive part of the day.

Many mornings in the hill country look like this piece right before the sun comes up. Often the fog settles in and then burns off with the sunrise. It really is a restful piece that required a restful script to support the concept.

Spencerian Script is a very "poetic" hand and I fell in love with the simple beauty of this script almost from the first moment I really began to understand and practice its unique characteristics. It is deceptively simple because it has very few shaded strokes, has an angular and smaller x-height than copperplate, and has a "rounded check mark" type of exit stroke,  but when it is viewed in a longer passage, it has a sparkle and simplicity that lends itself to quieter, more thoughtful pieces where more pronounced lettering does not contribute to the piece. These are just some of the reasons why you see so much of it in my work.

It also has a historical look and fits perfectly with vintage photographs or collage pieces where you just want a simple line of lettering without being too "fussy". So my advice to those of you who are still struggling with spencerian is simply to hang in there and practice just one line of writing a day. To quote myself....."everything is difficult before it is easy". (posted on May 14, 2011) Practicing with a very sharp pencil until you understand the form of every letter will speed up your progress. It is extremely difficult to write with pen and ink until you understand the form and characteristics of each letter. Just something to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.