Archive for March, 2007
Aspen, Banff AB – 3 stages
Thursday, March 22nd, 2007
Mixed media: Water-wash pencils, Oil Pastels and eraser on 14 x 11 paper
Small drawings solve a lot of issues and make it easier to make decisions when doing larger work with more expensive materials. 1st day: There is a nice breezy feeling in the first image, at which point I had stopped drawing and considered it finished. Next day: I felt that the trees were not strong enough in character, because this species of Aspen have black areas of bark, particularly on the bottom half of the trunk. – also wanted to take advantage of my new water-wash pencils, experiment and see if oil and water might be able to cooperate for a change! Final day: I might have left well enough alone, but how do we expect to learn new things if we don’t go out of our way and look for them? The final drawing has good traits as much as the first version, it’s just darker. This piece has been taken to the max with these materials; the water-wash pencils do not take much “abuse”, in fact hardly any. Once water has been applied, after the paper dries it becomes slippery. More drawing on top and more painting are less effective…not helped along by the eraser which actually uncovered a few secrets for future drawings. Erasers on top of oil pastels do neat things, and if pushed “beyond” will tear a top layer of paper off along with it. This can be used to advantage because it opened up some space in the treetops where it was getting too crowded and overworked. I’m happy with the end result.
Aspen, Banff National Park
Thursday, March 22nd, 2007
Protected Bison reserve, Banff National Park, Alberta – 14 x 11 Water-wash Pencils, Oil Pastels and eraser on paper
As with the Redbuds drawing before it, this was an attempt to see what oil and water could do in one place. One great thing I learned from trying this combination is how using the eraser to create spaces between the leaves removed portions of paper. I like the effect, and will use it somewhere else in future works. As opposed to oil pastel alone, the paper cannot be reworked for long though, something I enjoy pushing; it warps and the texture changes unfavorably. Additional marks with the pencils do nothing to improve the slippery texture once water is brushed on, and they don’t erase well then either. Interesting!
Redbuds, 3 phases
Saturday, March 17th, 2007
The first image shows the drawing as I initially thought it to be finished. After hearing other Artists’ opinions, their comments reflected my own suspicions that the tones weren’t quite right.
Second image: after attempts to correct the lighting, gone was the fresh look and brightness of Redbud petals that I found admirable about the first one. Aquarell water wash graphite pencils were also used in this drawing, so additonal water and scraping off of the pastels to start over made the become warped, slippery in some parts, and difficult to work on.
During the third and final version I tried to bring back the brightness of the petals (as seen in the 1st) and the sun through the heavy blueish haze. There is something in each picture that ought to have been left alone, but this is what happens with exploring or striving for one thing: other things can disappear, and the medium being used has limitations. You can push those limitations, but in the end they still control the results. Only so much scraping off and starting over is possible, and the work can lose its fresh appeal.
Redbuds, misty morning
Saturday, March 17th, 2007
Redbuds, misty morning, 11 x 14 oil pastels, watercolor graphite pencils
This drawing was an experiment with oil pastels and water soluable graphite to see if the two could cooperate vin the same drawing. This post shows the final piece that dulled as improvements progressed, so here it is now, not as nice as a work on paper, butbegging to become a large acrylics painting.
It was about 8 A.M… the sun barely shone through the thick mist this early Spring morning. The surrounding forest was grey, and the brilliant pink blossoms of the Redbud bush pushed through it all, with the only other colors being patches of green grass starting to grow in the feild.
March Winds
Thursday, March 15th, 2007
March Winds 11 x 14 Oil Pastels on paper ~ all Paper Places series are matted and framed with double 3″ white matt and 3″ wide white 22 x 26 frame.
This is my ode to Jackson Pollock via Oil Pastels. Style occurs in response to the subject and the media. When March Winds was finished it reminded me of some of Jackson Pollock’s work, which I never really understood. While I drew March Winds I was kind of thinking of him and the very abstract style of his work.
“… the painting has a life of its own. My mission is to bring forth this life”. (Jackson Pollock)
Post-dated note: Accepted for Grand Prairie Arts Council (GPAC) Open Juried Art Show and Sale September/October, 2007. Grand Prairie Memorial Library 901 Conover Drive, Grand Prairie, Texas.
Dancing With Trees #1
Tuesday, March 13th, 2007
Dancing With Trees #1, 11 x 14 Oil Pastels
… is a good example of how the right medium makes all the difference; despite a couple of days spent continually working on this one it is almost cartoonish. This subject needs to be painted because, although I do like certain things about the drawing, I’d like to attempt more realistic colors and subtleties of movement with paint.
Pinion at Sunset, reworked
Monday, March 12th, 2007
Pinion at Sunset, the final piece.
Pinion at Sunset
Sunday, March 11th, 2007
11 x 14 Oil Pastels on paper. First stage, found not enough depth, but am fond of the light and colors. Needs reworking I think.
Linden Sunset
Monday, March 5th, 2007
Linden Sunset ~ Available framed
It wasn’t until reviewing all the photos I took this evening that I noticed a tiny surprise on one of the Linden flower buds. Right place, right time. Thank you Universe!
Post-dated note: Linden Sunset is accepted for the Artjury.com 2007 Fall/Winter Juried Online Exhibition.