This last piece is a toner transfer of a recent drawing, originally Aquarelle graphite on water color paper. I lost some of the tones & delicacy of the original drawing, but the transfer came out fairly well. I used Golden GAC 500 over a very smooth board. I lightly sanded the very old dry unknown finish on this scrap board, before applying medium. The sidebars are strips of a delicate pre-printed fine art paper applied with the same medium, then touched up with smudges of fine copper pigment.
Category Archives: About my art
Finishing & Scanning a (large) piece
I
felt the need to tweak this piece a bit on my return from my recent trip to the South. Just a little bit though.
Then it was time to scan it! But it is 18″x24″, so this means 6 scans that need to be aligned & patched together digitally: painful. And no color correction on scanning since they all need to be scanned with the same settings. And then how to get the color & light correction close to the original… which seemed much brighter in photos taken on a bright sunny day!
Now in the dark rainy weather, this piece is dark & somber even with the bright lights in my studio. Do I adjust per my earlier photos & memory? Or for today?
Don’t forget to click to see the larger image.
Held Safe in Comfort
held in arms
held on lap
such comfort
such safety
enjoy
an illusion
of value
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held in arms |
Painting drafts: The Burden
I am struggling with this surprising imagery and and with my use of paint. I don't usually start with paint, or even work so primarily in paint. Often I start with a drawing, or collage, or other ... Here I started with paint and a plastic card & palette knife. And there is only a bit of "drawing" with pastel & graphite, mostly "painted" over with a wet brush so more like painting.
The imagery I can hardly speak to 🙂 it is so iconic / religious. It may come from recent reading set in traditional Middle Eastern culture, but it has other symbolism as well. We all carry a burden, we try to persist, to accept, and to continue on as best we can.
Spirit Boxes
As usual, thinking about what I am doing/making comes after the fact! And usually with input from others.
The sentence from my friend Maureen, used in my current art box, has provided me with a much better name for these creations. In the past I have made assemblies of "artifacts", "shrines", "reliquaries", and "treasure boxes".
Now I have a new name for all of these art pieces: spirit box. 
Here is quote from my own description of work made in about ten years ago:
All of the work I was trying to describe, and several other pieces made since, now seem to me best described as "spirit boxes". The works are absolutely creations designed to feed, repair, revive, or soothe the spirit!
Here is quote from my own description of work made in about ten years ago:
I struggle to find the right words to describe the assemblies I make. Each piece houses a carefully selected collection of items that have a special meaning for me. And in a way that is outside any traditional religion, each work is somehow sacred to me. The terms shrine and reliquary come to mind, however I hope that my creations contain vigor and life, as well as natural and man-made remains.
Preparing to work … I hope!
It has been a huge challenge to get my art studio back into working order since my mother died in July.
I brought home so many things holding so many memories, stacking boxes everywhere, piles of books, blankets, linens, beautiful rocks, woven baskets, delicate ornaments, clothing, framed photos, and paintings by my grandfather.
Only two weeks ago I could barely walk across the room, but slowly, slowly things are getting distributed to family members, friends, thrift stores, or to places for use in my own house. Some things will just be stored out of the way for future consideration.
And some newly acquired furniture is now in place for use: a real desk (with drawers!) has allowed me to surplus a wide filing cabinet, and time & work has reduced the estate paperwork to a manageable quantity that can be merged into my normal storage systems. What a relief it is to have my new desk organized, and to put away that extra table & all that was on top of it.
A fabulous find has been added to my studio: a old Mutoh drafting table! While this is missing all the accessories & required an hour or two of scrubbing, it none the less takes a place of pride with my large format scanner and wide format printer as a choice art tool. This drafting table not only tilts easily with one hand, but is raised & lowered without effort using a foot pedal! Such luxury, as my current very large drafting table requires two people for any adjustment. Now that will be put flat as a worktable, I think.
Here it is arranged to look as if I am actually doing a little art, but not so. I am still struggling to get started! The transition has been exhausting. I do have room to work now, but I am still surrounded by so many reminders of Mother that it is hard to focus on my work. I need to somehow use all of this to make art...
My "new" Mutoh drafing table
Marketing drawings … I hope!
I joined a website (Society6) which sells various products with prints of your uploaded images ... and I purchased two items to see how the products look.
The cushion and the mug both look good, but I realized my own error ... I had failed to sign my work legibly or add my website! So I decided to rework all the various combinations & sizes of digital images, and replace them all on the website. Hours of tedious work, but done now. Now these still feature the artwork, but include attribution, so as to be good for use in marketing 🙂
Here is a vegetable combination on a square cushion, available in three sizes and with a choice of indoor or outdoor cover material. I bought the outdoor cover: it is pleasant to the touch, seems sturdy, and looks great!
The mug is a basic white ceramic mug.The image is neatly wrapped and fills the outside of the mug. It looks fine. I may send some of these as Christmas presents to friends & family!
I don't think too many people will find / buy these, but with my name & website on them, they might catch someone's eye if I buy them myself, and even place a few around coffee shops that have mug racks ... might be worth a try.
New drawing in my 2015 Sketchbook
Products for sale
I just decided to try out the online company Society6, which sells mugs, prints, cushions, and more with the artwork of any artist who registers & posts artwork. Registration & posting is free, Society6 takes a commission on all sales. I am told they use quality materials and reproduction for their products. The site images certainly look nice.
It would be quite pleasing to sell a few mugs, cushions or tote bags with my work printed on them, so I have uploaded a few select images. Check out the cushions here, and there are also mugs and more...
Photos of sketch pages
Disappointing News
I am disappointed (*@#%!!) that none of my four entries to the current exhibit at Northwind Arts Center were accepted. I will probably never know why, and it is a pity that none appealed to the jurors, who run a very nice art gallery here in town: the Simon Mace Gallery. I am sorry/disappointed that they did not like my work.
I entered three new assembly/sculptural pieces. These, while not exactly momentous, please me. I though/still think they have merit. But maybe they are a little to "crafty", and read more as assemblage than sculpture, although I make most of my "parts" myself. I don't think the Simon Mace Gallery every shows assemblage work, nor do they tend toward small works in general.
My other piece was again "pieced", with collage elements, although all original work, not found imagery. It is a small work, that is best enjoyed close up. But I love it, and am especially disappointed that it was rejected. Aaargh!
It is hard to dismiss the disappointment, but ... thank goodness it is: 1) sunny today, 2) am just back from a wonderful 3 day camping trip, and 3) I just got a little present in mail. So I can just get over this silly disappointment and move on (I hope)!