The balancing of details

As I may have referenced/suggested/hinted at in previous posts, I'm drawn to detail and most often, lots of it. I decided to explore in my current works in progress, paintings in abstractions, the combination of detail and no detail. 

Shown below are 2 of the 4 (actually the ones I am most pleased by, at least, in this stage of the game) paintings I'm working on - the latest layers of ideas from the other day. I'm liking the bit of small detail amidst the larger splotches of color and forms......

 What do you think?

The detail is somewhat leaf and fish like, I think  :)

 A portion of the larger painting, the detail (captured a bit too dark??) here reminds me of a bubbly waterfall.....

Though some may consider these complete, I know there are many layers yet to do - both in detail and in not. And because I have not been able to actually sit down and paint much lately, I have been instead painting in my mind (a curious idea and certainly one that is not messy!) so that I know how I will proceed next time I'm actually able to pick up my paintbrush and paint.

So as always, stay tuned. I am looking forward to seeing if what I see in my mind can translate on over to reality!

I had an idea and it involved a mock-up

I have found taking the time to do a mock-up certainly helps in the short and long run of things. I tend to, over the course of my day outside of the studio, noodle around my artistic ideas, checking it all out, seeing if what I'm thinking fits and figuring out how to next proceed. If I throw a mock-up into the mix, I can more accurately move into my next step. I'm finding it to be much more time efficient overall, plus it's a way for me to feel like I'm being productive as I have something to show for all of the noodles!  :)

Below shows case in point. I cut samples of different materials (see previous post) and combined them in their desired order, securing them at the top with a brad. Now having done this, I see I need to add another 1/8" to the overall length to give a bit more room for text under the samples. I passed this important tidbit onto my person who will begin formatting the booklet this next week.... Stay tuned!

An awl is on of my favorite tools......

I don't know how to paint!

This is a thought I expressed the other day. My husband just shook his head at me in disbelief. But sometimes this is how it feels as I pick up the brush and look at my palette of color, somewhat doubtfully and undecidedly. But as with all thoughts (well, the majority!), I let go of this one, and dove in.

Each of the 4 paintings progressed nicely with the layers I added (see below). And I can see the path/direction that each will take me (well, to some extent. I'm sure there will be detours along the way as I work my way along.). Regardless, the feeling of intent, the idea of knowing what it is I'm going to do next, is quite welcome. I look forward to my next studio day!

So as always, stay tuned. I will keep you posted  :)

12" square, oil on panel (hanging on an old door to dry - thus the black handle on the right)

10" square, oil on panel (this is currently my favorite)

12" square, oil on canvas

8" square, oil on panel

First of the New Year

The beginning, there is always one....

....trying to recall what I learned, but still be in the moment of true expression.... 

....without a care in the world, and yet caring so much for a positive ending....

I finally took the time to paint the other morning. It had been months, but with an art show, a trip to Costa Rica, 2 holidays thrown in (hosting and being hosted), moving out of my NE studio, moving into/rearranging/organizing my home studio, plus life in the midst of it all, the stars and paintbrushes were finally aligned.

 I felt a bit like a fish out of water. Everything from figuring out the location of my palette in my new working space, to trying my new painting medium, to the messy oil painted mess I created (I was quickly covered with oil paint  - it covered paper towels, hands, camera, brushes - and thankfully, yes, canvas). It felt good though, and I was quite excited by having bridged the first painting session of the year.

I started 4 paintings, 3 on cradle board (so different than canvas to paint on! - obviously with no give and such a very smooth surface (unlike my previous wooden canvas of old doors and reclaimed wood)), and 1 on stretched canvas. I photographed as I went trying to find the balance in black and white tones despite painting in color.

There was the obvious pleasure of creating again, but I did walk away with a "what now?!" feeling. Granted more layers are to come for each of the above, but I felt the need for something more... something more like my other oil paintings. I wanted to see the details of a story, I wanted to tell a really good story to you, the viewer. 

I'm curious about this line of an idea..... and am noodling it around regularly....  trying to find the answers to the questions (i.e. how do I incorporate a bit of each style into one painting?) 

Hmmmmm..... so as always, stay tuned!

Home Sweet Home

8" x 6" encaustic and mixed medium on wood

A couple of months ago, my good friend, Patty, thought of me and my Tiny Little Houses and offered to put me into contact with Ecumen, a local non-profit specializing in senior housing. She had been contacted by them in regard to their gala, "No Place Like Home" that will be taking place the beginning of November.  At that time, Ecumen will be celebrating their 150th anniversary and having a silent auction to raise money for their Awakenings Project. 

I immediately came up with a visual idea upon hearing about it all. The image above shows the completed piece.... and I have to say, it did indeed seem to be a perfect fit for the cause    :)

Mushroom Patch!

At least that's what comes to my mind when I look at these. I realized I needed a holder of sorts for my encaustic pieces as I worked on them. And so I looked in the garage and found a scrap of peg board (don't you love it when you can turn a scrap into a purposeful idea?!) and some screws. I drilled holes into the bottoms of my round-doweled handles, plugged the peg board holes with screws coming up from the underside, and set my handles down upon them. It's perfect! As the screws aren't permanently attached I can move them around the peg board to accommodate different sizes and quantities      :)

(I use velcro to temporarily attach the handles to the underside of my work in progress.)

I have an idea.....

And it involves circles of all sizes (even though I started out small to just see where this idea would lead me). After drawing out circles about 2 1/2" in diameter, I got out my jigsaw:

and then I got out my drill:

I took my newly cut buttons and used velcro to stick them to my handles. I then started applying encaustic medium.....

 

I decided I would try out a few ideas (Tiny Little Houses, polka dots, flowers etc), just getting a feel for what would work or wouldn't. Below shows a few steps into my process:

 Layers of other mediums into it further give you the end result (well, at least for the idea itself - I still have to play around with my idea on what to do with them - stay tuned!)

So have you guessed it? They are buttons! So very exciting, don't you think? I'm quite pleased with the end result and have come away with the conclusion: my Tiny Little Houses don't belong on such buttonscapes but instead in their own landscapes without any circles cut. I love the polka dots and the flowers work, too.... I think it's best to go simple in design for such buttonness, but there are such possibilities within it all yet to explore! I'll keep you posted.....

Paint Over or Under Paint?

This has been the question of late. I have always been attracted to the under layers of color and texture poking through the surfaces in a painting. Thus my own painting in oil and acrylic has resulted in this visual history.

Remember my posting back in January? I had experienced the freedom of melting away an encaustic painting I did not love. Doing away with the idea, the imagery of it all - once and for all. Nothing remained of its being, except for a faint recollection that only I may have.

Now I am thinking that there might be something there to work with after all. What if I were to continue painting waxy layers until I LOVED it? It's a curious idea, I have to say. And one that would be completely foreign to me in this medium. 

I have 3 pieces in mind I could play around with. This is one of them:

Yes, perhaps in and of itself this is a good piece. I do really like it. But I am not in love with it as I am with my newer work (and yes, at the time of it's creation I did love it). Of course I completely value seeing the progression (where I started (as this painting shows) to where my Tiny Little Houses are now at) and everything does deserve it's place in time. Yet, I keep coming back to this idea of waxy continuation and so.... I might just have to give it a try. How else would I know? So stay tuned. I will certainly keep you posted!      :)

Completely erased!

A couple of studio sessions ago I had created an encaustic painting that left me feeling quite unsettled. I had too many ideas crammed into this 4" x 6" canvas that it more resembled a smorgasbord than a composition.

And then I had an idea.... why should I continue to have this in my studio when I didn't love it completely? I know there are some pieces you don't love and you hang onto them and someone will love them and they eventually find a home. But this piece, I know, was not to be one of those.

And so I turned this unloved smorgasbord upside down on my hot plate and melted the layers of wax and images right off! It was so freeing!! I've never done anything like this before with my art - making this choice to not live with something that just doesn't fit, or trying to make it fit would be like jamming a square peg into a round whole - wasting energy all for not. It was just not meant to be and now, through this drastic action of scrapping a completed piece, I now have piece of mind and a canvas ready for a new composition that I know I'll just love.....

Building homes for my tiny little houses

Don't you just love it when unexpected combinations occur outside of our control?

Sometimes it can take years before 2 ideas meet.... In this case (a small wooden box for an expired idea that had fallen to the wayside (a while ago) and the need (most recently discovered) for a home for my tiny little houses), it was probably only a bit over a month before these 2 ideas were hitched together.

I played/experimented around and created the perfect recipe for the backdrop for my tiny little houses.

The photograph above shows one of the steps. Encaustic covers the sides and the back of the wooden boxes. The next layer of oil will create the tonality for the atmosphere I'm desiring..... Stay tuned  ;)

A series of little houses

So here is what I did with those little houses I drew. Granted it's a bit hard to tell through the photographs below, but I'm pleased with how each layer of wax added another layer of subtle interest and depth to create the overall landscape. And I love the size!; these all measure 3 1/2" x 2 1/2". I'm currently working out my idea on how to present them..... I can't help but think of creating more little houses with orange, lavender, turquoise doors (just to name a few of the infinite possibilities!).....

"Little House with a Blue Door"

"Little House with a Brown Door"

"Little House with a Red Door"

"Little House with a Yellow Door" 

I was drawn to houses

Simple little houses....

For whatever reason, the other day, I was drawn to drawing child-like houses. Sometimes simple is better. At times, I tend to over-think, make whatever it might be more complex, than I really need to. Thinking back to what it was I drew when I was little was a good starting point for a new idea... stay tuned  :)

I've had an idea....

Duke Ellington once said, "I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues." This is one of my favorite quotes and one that I try to keep in mind more often than not (though easier said than done at times!) when I feel the urge to feel sorry for myself...

During these last few months, my creative ideas have been percolating around in my mind, coming out only a step at a time, as the healing process (in my arms) allows.

The other day I was ready to try the next step to an idea I've had. Painting on fabric - specifically a lovely hemp silk blend (in keeping with my desire to be sustainable) with a delightful texture and weight. Granted this is the first draft, but I am excited by the results and possibilities. Plus, it was fun to do (which is always a plus  ;)  )! So stay tuned and we'll wait and see where the next tweaking of this idea takes us....

Hmmmmm....

I came across this thought this morning over breakfast in the recent journal from Surface Design. The fiber artist in the journal's article referenced Vera John-Steiner who wrote the following in Notebooks of the Mind:

"...of the greatest importance in the thought activity of artists and scientists is their pulling together of ideas, images, disarranged facts and fragments... into an integrated work."

I love how clearly this resounds in me!

I can hardly wait!

This last week I received notification I am officially enrolled in a 4 day workshop coming up in June. I can hardly wait! There are pre-conference workshops and post-conference workshops, seminars, guest speakers, exhibitions, along with so much more! All are a part of Confluence, a bi-annual Conference through the Surface Design Association. The Textile Center in Minneapolis is hosting this 2 week event.

My instructor for Mix It Up! Mixed Media Collage is Wen Redmond. I'm delighted and so very excited to see what I walk away with. I feel I'm already dabbling in mixed media and would love some insight on how I could better tie all of my (or at least a fair number of them) various interests and different materials together. This seems like a perfect fit!

The description for my workshop is: "Make your mark! Mixed media embraces the unknown and the unexpected. Participants will use created fabrics and cloth collage. They will experiment with mediums and textures. Get inspired! Be open to serendipity! Investigate layering techniques, unique stamping, image transfer, easy monoprinting and more exciting collage secrets. Embrace the unexpected! Mistakes are opportunities to let go of prearranged outcomes and listen to the inner muse. Experimentation is key!"

Sounds pretty neat, doesn't it? :)

I had an idea and it involved gold leaf....

As much as I wanted to say this painting was finished, I  knew deep down it wasn't. How did I know? Because I had an idea that I kept shooting down and trying to forget - all to no avail as it kept hounding me. So I gave in and am thrilled I did so! You can see the latest detail/addition to my painting, My Inner Reptile. I still have a few more layers to do, but that is all, and then for sure it will be done  :)  As always, do stay tuned....

The Line of Thought Behind it All

This last holiday weekend I was able to experience the exhibition at MOMA titled "On Line: Drawing Through the Twentieth Century". Since then, my mind keeps noodling around the visual ideas the exhibit presented (I have to say I'm curious to incorporate the ideas I have seen into the processes of my own creations........ I've been influenced and inspired.....).

And I found myself quite taken by the thoughts expressed by some of the artists. Here are a couple:
"sewing thread to mend gaps and create visual connections between materials" --Anna Maria Maiolino
"Klee said of his drawn line: "It goes out for a walk, so to speak, aimlessly for the sake of the walk.""

What treasures await!

The last few weeks my husband I have had fun poking around antique shops and the like. Such finds were found! Above are the latest additions to my already full head of ideas. I'm quite excited by the possibilities..... So, as always, stay tuned! I find the off-white door beckoning.......

Tying it all together

I'm thrilled with how this turned out! It all started with an idea (of course). Sifting through the contents of an antique store (Hunt & Gather), in search of a lamp, I found the perfect fit for my idea! Uncanny how it all came together as the base and shade were sold separately (from different vendors) but actually worked really well together. The image is an excerpt from the original oil, The Melody of the Cat’s Meow (it is image 30/32 under gallery of originals on old doors). This was on display at my most recent exhibition at Normandale Community College in their Fine Art Gallery.

Materials include: archival inks printed digitally onto 2 papers: Japan Ogura Lace and Thai Mulberry, felted balls (wool from the sheep at Gale Woods Farm), thread, reclaimed (vintage) lamp shade, vintage lamp base.