Spring

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Adding Color: the point of no return

Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

Chrysanthemums, work in progress; see previous post. Above: color details of 85W x 45L inches graphite, colored charcoal / dry pastels on white 100% cotton

When working with a large format, it’s easy to overwork the smaller areas. They’re like little compositions on their own. The trouble is, they may seem successful close up, but may not contribute to the overall balance and flow of the larger piece. Above are some examples, where I’m now reluctant to change what needs to be changed…but I will. Back to Art 101: It’s absolutely necessary to stand back often and study the entire composition from afar.

When you throw in a factor like color, there’s no turning back. I had a specific purpose for this drawing though; to fill a wall space in an otherwise fairly monotone, contemporary room. The idea was to create a look similar to a black and white photo where one color highlights the main subject only.

It’s obvious that introducing color has compromised some of the original spontaneity, so to recapture some of that energy, I carefully try not to disturb what’s left of those livelier marks, and enhance some with little sparks of color. Isolating red, and only red to the central main flower sapped all the attention, so I’ve added more colors to it and the surrounding elements than initially planned.

Chrysanthemums: work in progress

Friday, May 18th, 2012

Chrysanthemums, 45L x 85W x 3D inches, graphite, charcoal and primer on 100% cotton, work in progress

Rather than priming the fabric first as usual, water and primer are painted to enhance the graphite while the composition works itself out. It’s been all about getting lost in the improvisation and surprise! Grass blades are implied by the buildup of thin streaks throughout, which also serve to balance and energize the work, plus add slight cubist effects.

This is will hang in a contemporary-style room. If color is used at all it will be limited to red, yellow and green areas near the large main flower. Parts of the surface may be left raw, so to set the finished piece, the entire back will be primed and the front will be sprayed with fixative.

The chaos of this past year, moving to Oregon from Texas, has truly put my artsy artist’s statement to the test; that ‘creativity is an attitude toward life’. I’m accustomed to creating chaos in my artwork, then resolving it. With too many move-related priorities and unfinished renovations, no wonder I’ve felt increasingly disoriented. The good thing is that observations never stop, even if the focus on art-work has to.

On exhibit

Friday, July 9th, 2010

On exhibit at Oxide Gallery, Denton, TX are: Milkweed Melody, 27H x 33W inches framed Oil Pastels on WC paper, has brassy-gold frame painted with an extension of the drawing. Bonsai Garden, 12 x 15 inches graphite on paper, and Lilacs, 36 x 24 x 2 inches acrylics on canvas, gallery wrapped sides painted, narrow frame, which can be displayed horizontally or vertically.

Turmeric Blossoms

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Turmeric Blossoms, 9H x 12W” graphite on paper with 11H x 14W inch white mat.

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family. The local bees, flies and ants can’t get enough of the nectar. The rhizomes are a rich golden yellow, used as a food coloring and flavoring agent, in dyes and traditional eastern cosmetics, and is an important ingredient in curry powder. Native to India, it is grown widely in the tropical areas of Asia. The blossoms are about 14 inches across, these ones seen at the Botanic Gardens in Singapore. Exotic and unusual!

Bonsai Garden, Singapore

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Bonsai Garden, Chinese and Japanese Gardens, Singapore, 9H x 12W inches graphite on paper, white mat and 15H x 18W inches white frame with crackle finish.

New Series: Twenty-five days in Singapore

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

Parkview Square Building, Singapore 11H x 14W inches graphite on paper

The opportunity to travel to Singapore popped up with a few days notice. While I’m here the plan is to do at least one sketch per day. The new series is called “Twenty-five Days in Singapore”. I drew the upper portion of the very unique Parkview Square building from my hotel room over the course of two days while recuperating after the 28 hour flight from Dallas. At a cost of $87 million, the Art Deco style building was completed in 2002. The eight fiberglass figures each holding a light-ball guard the building, only hint at the sort of art and design to expect on the grounds and the gorgeous interior.

Lilacs

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Lilacs, 36H x 24W x 2D inches acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted, narrow frame tidies edges. Hang vertically or horizontally.
Process details, left: a damp cloth is used to remove areas of wet paint to soften and create texture, also dripping water over damp paint and scratching with fingernail under a cloth. Sturdy home-built stretcher frame. The painting can hang horizontally or vertically.

Basic Drawing workshops in May

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Iris, 24 x 18 inches Oil Pastels on paper

Basic Drawing and Color Play

Workshops

Dates:
1) Saturday, May 15th 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
2) Saturday, May 22nd 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Ages: Young adult (16) – Adult – Seniors

Experience Level:
Beginners to Experienced Artists, maximum number of participants: 6

The Workshop:
We will sketch simple objects using a variety of loosening-up techniques, graduating to a more complex still-life arrangement, fun with color, then a longer study period in the afternoon.
Supplies:
Bring favorite reference photos or items that you’d like to study, sketchpad and supplies that you usually work with. A variety of papers and drawing supplies will be on hand to experiment with during class. Also bring beverage and lunch.

Fees:
Registration (pre-paid) – $50.00 Oxide Gallery 501 West Hickory St., Denton, Texas 940-483-8900

Registration Deadlines:
March 12th and March 19th – Maximum Students per Class 6

The perfect place for masking fluid

Monday, April 13th, 2009

Flowering Shavingbrush Tree, April 11th above: details of 85H x 45W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas,wrapped sides painted, trim frame. Still in progress, but the rubberized mask was removed in order to see exactly what stage things are at before continuing. The painting overall still has a few areas to open up; very little work tomorrow should finish it. Shortly after starting the painting I turned it upside down and applied the masking fluid with a toothpick and let it drip. Gravity can be used as a tool!

April 13th, Left: The top third will still leave as much of the primed canvas as possible; a gradation of unfinished space toward more finished at the bottom. I was hoping to leave it as seen here giving an airy illusion, but it does need to develop along with the rest of it…still not as much, but enough to show the main flower better. This means I’ll be once again dripping masking fluid on the piece upside down to preserve the interesting marks that occurred from the 1st application, and also create some new ones with any further work. For previous posts on earliest progress of this painting click here.

Eastern Redbuds

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

Eastern Redbuds – Spring in Dallas, TX – finished April 11, 2009, took off all remaining masking fluid. 11H x 11W x 3D inches, acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted. Signature is on the side, so one is superimposed here on the front. Hang on a wall or display on a flat surface.

Eastern Redbuds is the first of sixteen 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas paintings of various aspects of trees, to hang together as a group or flanking other paintings. This one uses masking medium to block out areas of white. The first layer of dried medium was removed in the above thumbnails. Afternoon post, left: Adding another layer of masking fluid, seen as yellow.

Feb. 25th: below left, looks better turned on its side but it could be hung either direction, mask was removed then the painting was overworked unintentionally – all the marks that were the whole point of using masking fluid are hardly visible.

So on Feb. 26th: below right, more mask was applied, then white painted between branches, tore away a few select areas of the dried mask and left the rest on as texture.