Tuesday, March 21, 2017

More Tissue Paper

... a habit that some artists might relate to. I like to start a painting off in a mess and then try to harness and control the thing.  Robert Genn 2004

I was just reading  The Painters key newsletter Ordering Chaos and it just seemed to jump out at me.
Starting out messy and putting things in order.  Just what I am doing, although I don't always get the "order" part.

Today I literally played with my tissue paper. Format was heavy watercolor paper with gesso. Wanted to see how this medium worked with layering the tissue paper. Had a LOT of fun and liked what came out. Thought of adding paint to them but I think I'll leave them alone for the time being.
The yellow did not photograph well it is much brighter.

Dead Sea
42 x 56 cm
Tissue Paper collage
Watercolor Paper

detail


Cutouts
42 x 56 cm
Tissue Paper collage
Watercolor Paper


Detail



Saturday, March 18, 2017

Chain Reactions

It would be fascinating to wire up an artist with electrodes to measure exactly how many choices must be made during the process of creation. (Francis Boag)
Isn't it funny how chain reaction works? This morning while reading Dotty's blog that is exactly what happened. She wrote about the study made on gratitude and me, with sometimes my obsessiveness, had to find what study etc.  After about 5 search steps I did find an abstract of a study,  But one of the related options on the page brought me to the subject of laziness, which I get almost daily. From there to a few Youtube videos. From there to this site with lots of videos, Of course, signed up for newsletter getting some interesting videos and MP3 files. One on meditation that I always wanted to try and couldn't get the proper concept. Well to make this long story shorter I tried it out and have started my 30-day challenge of 20 minutes meditation. It was not easy, that I can tell you. I felt it was the longest 20 minutes ever, but I am glad I did it and will continue. What has all this has to do with my latest painting? Well just wanted to share what going through my head.

Spring is here and as usual here a very short season till summer and its heat.  Found some interesting cuts of flowers, bows, pink etc and this is what came out.  I am not sure that these are finished as Heleni says, but I probably will let them rest a while.

Signs of Spring
Collage Oils and Cold Wax
30 x 32 cm
On cut Canvas

Pink Bow
Collage Oils and Cold Wax
29 x 32 cm 
On cut Canvas


Wednesday, March 15, 2017

No Paint Today

Whoever wants to understand much must play much. (Gottfried Benn)
Today at workshop I went back to kindergarten! Hurray!!!

Because Heleni wasn't able to come but had made sure the facility would be open, we worked alone. Only 6 -7 showed up so it was an intimate workshop, I started two new collage paintings and this week brought them to class for critique and further work.  Heleni said they were done. I think I can work some more, but Heleni many times stops me, mainly because I sometimes ruin them. This is a dilemma for me because in the online course I am taking there is a different philosophy. Later when I post these collages I will talk more.


Now back to kindergarten! Among some of the formats that I always lug along where formats in corrugated cardboard. I also had my new set of colored tissue paper and lots of collage material. Remembering about lesson 6 which is about formats and proportions thought I would start to tackle this.

Cut some of the formats into different proportions, decided on one composition format, landscape. Cut and pasted some magazine pieces on each. Then thought, what am I going to do with all my colored tissue papers. Decided to paint with them. Rip, cut, glue I was having a time! These are WIP.  On format 1  I pasted some transparent paper in an attempt to bring the bring that section together


Format 1
26 x 36 cm
Corrugated cardboard

Detail format 1

Format 2
25 x 26
Corrugated Cardboard
Magazine collage
Here Heleni stopped me. 

Format 3
13 x 36
Corrugated Cardboard

Detail 
Format 3


Format 4
36 x 13 cm
Corrugated Cardboard

Detail  Format 4


I loved the way I got variations of color with the overlapping of the tissue paper on each other and on the magazine pieces. Have to learn to control or perhaps not.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Dancing Lines Finale

All large tasks are completed in a series of starts. (Neil Fiore)

Remember my dancing lines? Well I think I have brought them to some sort of finale! Well until I decide otherwise!

Did some white Posca dots, did some veiling, more crayons, and new orientations. When I did some veiling some of the watercolor crayon marks bled.

Mixed Media
18 x 20
Watercolor Paper

Mixed Media
18 x 20
Watercolor Paper


Mixed Media
18 x 20
Watercolor Paper


Mixed Media
18 x 20
Watercolor Paper


Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Extreme Composition Lesson 5 I

Real courage is displayed by those who are afraid to go, but go. (Anonymous)

On large cheap drawing paper make marks in various methods
Make a viewfinder and isolate and develop one area and then another. 
Connect those areas, and then connect with the whole. 

I made about 6 starts here are first 2



50 x 36 cm
Random marks 
Spread with credit card

50 x 36 cm
Random marks 
Worked two areas with lines
veiling, transparent collage pieces
View-finder 19 x 19 cm


50 x 36 cm
Random marks
Large brush stroke 
Lifted and blotted with small paper
Bristol

50 x 36 cm
Random marks
Large brush stroke 
Two worked areas
Crayon work and penwork
View-finder 15 x 20 cm

Please excuse photography, I see now part was in shadow.

Final resolutions coming! Para Para!!!

Jane's advise!
Finally: resolve the piece. This, of course, is the hard part, and it is up to you to find a way to do this. Take your time. Each piece will be different, and some will not lend themselves so easily to resolution. Do your best. If your piece is at a standstill, unresolved, leave it. Move on. Don’t agonize, and feel free to post pieces that you feel are unresolved. Just don’t say “This Piece Sucks” or anything like that!
Dotty's advise!
Find your brave spot!

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Two College Street Collage

Collage is the noble conquest of the irrational, the coupling of two realities, irreconcilable in appearance, upon a plane which apparently does not suit them. (Max Ernst)

Imagery from my alumni bulletin. What memories I have of my College on 2 College.Street Providence, R.I.  It has probably changed immensely, should visit through google maps.  I remember walking through the Museum to one of the buildings, all was connected. Felt that all the artifacts were my close friends.

I like how this came out. Limited colors and sort of grid format. Love working with the transparent collage papers, have to make some more.

36 x 50 cm
Cut Canvas
Oils & Cold Wax


Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Making by Hand Collage II

Collage-making, for me, is basically an act of painting, allowing me to indulge in an appetite for immediacy. (Abe Ajay)
Found this quote on Art Quotes 


This collage started out with a lot of promise, but in the process at one point, it got completely lost.
This morning I looked at the finished painting, and it just didn't register with me. I just HAD to do something. Usually, I can let things rest but I couldn't with this. Started to scrape, take off collage pieces.I added veiling, scraped, palette knife, transparent pieces, everything but the kitchen sink. I don't think it is finished, but I at least I can look at it.  This is a question, sometimes starts with a little more work can be done, Looking at some the stages I can see where it got lost. Why did I get so wild with the red?

Here is painting as I left my workshop.

36 x 50 cm
Cut Canvas
Oils & Cold Wax

After my attack this morning! Dotty may the authorities after me! 

36 x 50 cm
Cut Canvas
Oils & Cold Wax