"Unexpected Spontaneity"

(unavailable.....6" x 6" collage)

"Design is preplanned order with unexpected interruptions of spontaneity." Design is a wonderful thing, but even well ordered and preplanned things can look static.  So it is good to use techniques that also allow for spontaneity. And it is also common that whatever is true in art can also be true in life. Sometimes the most fun times are planned in advance, but the unexpected provides the dearest memory.

  

Today I went back to my old book pages and a line drawing I did of a Bromeliad to create a collage piece with the emphasis on transparency and opacity. Rice paper adhered over the text pages creates a lovely setting for a line drawing. Being able to see through the drawing is an important part of achieving depth. I did print the drawing on silk tissue paper to have the transparency carry right on through. It's simply not as effective to print images on the silk tissue paper that are solid. It doesn't integrate as well with the previous layer. 

The other technique I exploited "to the hilt" in this piece is deconstruction. (Adhering something to the surface and after a few minutes...ripping it off) This technique helps to have a back and forth conversation between the shapes. Look at the bottom left corner to see that I adhered some text to the red/orange color and then when it was ripped off, it lifted some of the color and left fragments of the text. This was also done on the ledger paper to integrate it with the other areas. 

If you look in the center of the bromeliad, I adhered some of the red/orange rice paper (which had been mono printed) with the color side down. When it is ripped off it creates bits of color and very random texture. There are several other areas where this same technique was used until I was satisfied that there was a conversation going on between all of the color blocks or shapes. 

Last, but not least, I did beef up some of the negative black areas with black ink. The brownish areas you see are splotches of walnut ink which really makes things look old and creates a very rich brown patina.   And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"The Pine Cone"

($60.00......6" x 6"....300 lb HP mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)

"Form, texture, and memories reside in the pine cone." I've always had a fascination for pine cones. They have a compelling form and texture and they bring back memories of pine trees, camp, Christmas, fall, etc. They're wonderful!

This entire piece is about texture. The drawing of the pine cone was done with a pointed pen with a simple line drawing interpretation. My desire was to have a lot of rich brown color and a lot of texture. I naturally turned to walnut ink for the brown which you can see in the stained rice papers from top to bottom.

The text fragments are a few more selections from a very old copy of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's book of poetry. Many of the odd textural shapes were created by deconstruction...adhering the paper and then pulling it off. Even in the lettering, my desire was to have a very textural feel that integrated with the background texture. 

The placement of the pine cone at the bottom edge of a shape created by revealing the black gesso in the background was a natural way of creating an edge to edge shape. A few more darks in and around the pine cone completed that edge to edge look. 

Also notice how the text fragments create recurring shapes throughout. Texture is compelling, adds richness to a piece, and is worth exploring. Layering, staining, deconstructing, and drawing are all ways to add texture. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Process"

($60.00....6" x 6"....300 lb HP mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)

"Process is all about time management." Time constraints require all of us to carefully consider time management. And just so you know, I still struggle with this myself. Just factor in that it will always take longer than you think to get anything done!

There are several more layers of papers in this piece than some of the previous ones posted. The many overlaps and the exposed edges create more depth and subtle value shifts. Notice that there is very little strong color except for the red in the area of the edge to edge shape going from top to bottom. 

And that bit of red was applied by brushing gel matte medium on the color side of the rice paper and then adhering to the support. Wait a few minutes and then carefully lift it off before it dries and the color transfers in a very erratic pattern. I also did the same thing with some of the text pages from an old book. This is commonly referred to as deconstruction.

Walnut ink created the "smudges" on and around the edges. And it is best to dilute it a bit and dab it on after the rice paper is adhered. Notice also the red line created by the edge of the text page. That is something to look for when buying old books for this type of layering. This surface creates the perfect light background for the inclusion of expressive lettering after it has been prepared for writing by brushing on a mixture of (2) parts water to (1) part gel matte medium. 

And believe it or not, the shapes are quite distinguishable from across the room. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"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.

"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.

"A Rich Patina"

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

"The birth of Christ was like fresh water creating a rich patina in time." Anywhere there is a fountain or water running over a surface, patina will gradually appear creating a rich texture. This image says that loud and clear and drives home the core concept of the quote. Christ indeed created a hugh paradigm shift with His birth. That is something to really think about.

There is no pouring medium on this photographic image. However, I did switch to a 90lb. hot press watercolor paper. Before printing the image, I wrote a couple of words with pencil and then bent the paper to allow only a small strip of the paper to touch my puddle of Walnut Ink. You can see it starting at the top left hand corner and going to the bottom. The image was then printed on my printer and sprayed 3x with Spray Acrylic Coating. Most inks and gouache will definitely bleed if you don't spray it well and dry in between coats.

The next step was to prepare the surface for writing. I've explained that process before so if you check the labels at the bottom of the post and look for "surface preparation", you will find those details.

It is rare to have a photographic image with this much patina and texture already there, but this was a glorious fountain I saw in Sedona, Az. When you want to print a photo like this and keep all of the details as sharp as possible...hot press paper will do that for you better than Arches Text Wove because there is literally no texture on this paper. It is as smooth as glass. It is not quite as forgiving as Text Wove, but if you're surface is prepared with gel matte medium, you will be able to remove any lettering mistakes. For instance, I started writing my first line of text on the second line and removed the first line completely. You would not know that if I hadn't told you.

The last thing you might want to notice is the excellent division of space that was in the image naturally and the placement of the lettering that provides a connection between the faucet and fountain bowl. All of these considerations are what bring a piece of art together. These are just a few more things to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Gone to Texas"

(unavailable)


"There is no place like home or Texas for the holidays." What can I say. A Texas theme just seems to pop up out of no where! Enjoy the flavor of our state...even in the Christmas decorations. It will make your heart proud!

This is actually a segment of a larger piece I created when Capital City Scribes had an exhibit at the Austin Airport. The letters were created with a hand cut stamp inspired by some old type I ran across. The concho was actually tied with leather strapping to the canvas. Yes, I actually poked a hole in the canvas and tied it in the back. (And that's not the only "scary" thing I've done, bringing a piece to the brink of disaster!) It's called "taking a risk" and when it doesn't work, some very creative cover-up has to take place.

This "stone and encaustic" look was achieved once again by monoprinting walnut ink on the paper before running it through my printer. I did use Titan Buff Acrylic plus Pouring Medium to achieve that "hazy" encaustic look. As for the lettering...this particular surface feels like you're writing on a light coat of wax and very often the lettering almost disappears into the surface. For that reason, it is sometimes necessary to go over the lettering an additional time to make it dark enough to see. This does cause the spencerian script to lose some of its delicate line, but it simply cannot be helped. Even so, it's worth the trouble, but will require a little bit of practice to retrace the lettering. Just a few more additional things to try or think about.

"Stairs of Life" (sold)

(sold)

"The stairs of life unfold one step at a time and no one else can climb them for you." So often we only notice how others are progressing in life. The reality is that it is does not happen through osmosis. Each person has to be willing to climb the stairs of opportunity and focus on their own gifts and abilities.

Today's piece was created much the same way as yesterday's posting so I will not repeat those steps. However, there is one more additional element added that looks like a piece of collage.

The vertical lettering was typed on my computer and then printed on the Arches Text Wove after I completed the monoprint with Walnut Ink. You could also scan sketches you've created or any other line work and print it in the same manner. It does greatly enrich the surface without adding too many elements. And some of you are like me and have sketches and odd pieces in notebooks or journals that could easily be scanned to include with just the right photograph.

The cool thing about printing over a monoprint in this fashion is that you really have no idea where it will land in the final printing of your photograph over all of this background stuff. It is just another "spontaneous" technique that surprises you with its random placement. So let me reiterate again that if you want a spontaneous look, you will most likely be able to achieve that by using spontaneous techniques. So as you experiment and observe things happening in your studio, keep your eyes wide open for this type of process. Most of the techniques I've learned have been learned by just "messing around" with materials. These are just more things to try or think about.

"Fertile Ground" (sold)

(sold)


In today's culture of social networking and tech devices as close as your pocket...a state of silence must be planned with intention. It is so worth the effort as it provides fertile ground for inspiring thoughts, actions, and prayer. Plan for silence in your life today.

The first layers of this piece were created with walnut ink and water soluble oil paint. I resurrected it from my archives, knowing that at some point, I had written a quote in Spanish that included the word silencio (silence). So here it is with a new line of lettering. The basic format (division of space) was created with horizontal bands going from edge to edge. The band at the bottom was created with a commercial stamp used in an unconventional way. I first mixed some walnut crystals with enough water to resemble melted ice cream. (The crystals produce a richer color than the premixed kind.) By brushing this ink on the stamp and applying it to dry paper repeatedly, some very interesting texture appeared. Dry this with a hair dryer, spray with acrylic coating, and then stamp again with white water soluble oil paint or Speedball printing ink. The technique involves using a brayer on a smooth surface to roll out the paint and then brayer onto the stamp. This process creates wonderful layers with elements of the stamp appearing throughout the texture. You can also remove parts of the white stamping with a damp paper towel to give it a "less contrived" look. Just something to think about.