Blog

Abstract Mixed Media

11/27/2021

This piece started out as VERY UGLY. and I was ready to throw it out but I thought about my mantra that every piece going through an ugly stage and you just have to keep working on it so I didn't give up and just kept adding layers.

Now, it's my favorite piece in my Abstract Mixed Media series.

There is something about the depth of color and the composition that keeps my eyes moving around the piece.

I wish I knew how I did this so I could make another piece but that's quite impossible. Every work of art I make has it's own voice and path from beginning to end. I guess that's why I love being an artist since I never know how my day will progress. Will I be frustrated? Yes. Will I hate my work? Yes. Will I try to "fix" what is not working? Yes. Will I love the eventual outcome? Unknown.

In this case, it worked.

Abstract Mixed Media

11/13/2021

I've been working on creating mixed media art for the past month and am really loving this experience.
Today, I ordered some mats since I think my work is worth presenting as fine art.
I might even get the courage to offer these for sale one of these days. But in the meantime, I'm getting joy from making these and feeling my creativity expanding into this new media.

Weavings

11/7/2021

The Denver Art Museum has just re-opened after a 3 year renovation so a friend invited me to join her to hear lectures from the curators about their approaches to re-configuring the galleries and collections.

Because my friend attended Pratt and designed costumes and clothing, we immediately headed to the sixth floor to view the woman's fashion historical collection. As I viewed these pieces, it reminded me of how tiny women were in the 19th century. And how elaborate their clothing. But this exhibit focused on designer's dresses and gowns (and a few pant suits thrown in) so not regular clothing for the middle or lower class.

I was more interested to see the textiles that were displayed from other cultures. They were all displayed behind tinted glass in darkened rooms. While I understand that light is not a friend of weavings and tapestries, it made it really hard to photograph or see the fine details.

Unfortunately, almost 100% of these old weavings were not attributed to a specific artist. Not surprising since women's work — especially then — was not valued. Although in fairness, men also made weavings and their names were also not saved.

I loved this one because not only is it a fragment (meaning the edges themselves were interesting) but part of the pattern reminded me of a menorah. I can't help wondering what this artist was trying to say. I wish I knew more.

Mixed Media

10/31/2021

I've been experimenting with acrylic paints, collage, stenciling and stamping to create some mixed media art. I've also been trying to use a different palette each time.

It's fun to create without knowing what the outcome will be. that's one of my principles of teaching my sewing class "Stupendous Stitching" and it is a process that I enjoy and now am bringing into my mixed media world.

Of course, "printing" on a gel plate already ensures you cannot predict the outcome but when I pick up a brush, somehow, my brain takes over and wants me to paint, knowing the eventual outcome so it's been hard.

I know I will never be a realistic painter. And doing abstracts is also hard and takes years of practice until you get it right. But I find mixed media is much more enjoyable since there are so many opportunities to correct what you don't like and save what you do. Because I work in layers, if I hate a particular piece, I can cover the whole piece with white gesso and start again.

As usual, 99% of my artwork goes through an ugly stage but I have found, when I don't give up and throw it into the garbage, I usually end up with something I like.

This piece is a perfect example. I felt it didn't really work with all the vibrant colors until I toned down the black "blobs" with white strips and added the numbers. I always have a hard time adding black but this piece demanded some contrast.

Craft? Art? Who Cares!

10/23/2021

I LOVE this work. It's by the artist Oscar Becerra and is being exhibited at the Denver Botanic Gardens right now.

I love the scale, colors and designs all over this creature. I wanted to get out all my markers and start a new sketchbook just repeating the patterns I saw.

The division between craft and art has always bugged me. What does it matter except to elevate some artists and down grade others. Would art historians think that crudely made representations of animals in caves isn't "art" because these people didn't have a BFA degree?

In my definition, art is personal. It is the personal expression of an individual and the impact it has on another individual. It's about connection.

And this piece made me smile. That was my connection with Oscar. I look forward to hearing his thoughts at a lecture next weekend.

Composition

10/16/2021

I have to admit. I'm addicted to YouTube.

I found this artist – Jeanette Goulart – a couple of weeks ago when she offered a free 5 day class on composition.

Most YouTube art videos are people demoing products or showing their art but I really appreciate artists that actually try to teach techniques they have created or discovered so I can learn something NEW.

What I learned from this class is that there is a ratio of contrast in art that is more than just looking at value. She called it Papa, Mama, Baby. Kind of like Goldilocks. It doesn't matter which three values fall into these categories as long as the three values all appear into that ratio. So your first value could be black, (Papa - the most dominant and largest) your second value could be white (Mama - the second medium coverage) and your third values could be gray (Baby - the smallest coverage).

I found this a very simple discussion of why some compositions work and others don't.

I have painted and drawn many 7 value scales but this was the first time I though about the ratios of values.

I encourage you to check out this artist and instructor.

Contrast

10/9/2021

Fall is my favorite time of year. Not only is it cooler, but I actually enjoy seeing gardens going to seed and not showing me their full summer glory.

I took this photo while walking with a friend in the Botanic Gardens this week and looking at it now, it reinforced an essential art concept. Contrast.

This is something I struggle with the most. Adding darks to my work. I will print out this photo and hang it on my wall to remind me that adding darks enhances the lights. No one would ever see the pointed leaves surrounding this pod if the inside of the pod was also green. And, the black also creates depth, drawing our eye into the center of the seed pod.

Nature tells us a lot, if we can only listen.

Granulating Watercolor

10/3/2021

I love working with watercolor. I love how the colors mix on the paper and now I'm experimenting with granulation.

Some paints are created to create granulation when painting. Others can be mixed with granulating solutions to breakup the pigment into particles. You can really see the granulating effects in this painting. Totally different effect than painting with regular watercolors.

I love it because it makes painting a landscape so much easier.

I added some detail (like the tree and hills) with colored pencil.

This painting is done with Daniel Smith Genuine paints. I tried granulating my regular watercolors with salt water as well with a granulating solution but didn't have much success.

You know me. I love texture and color and this granulating effect makes me happy on both counts!

Collage

9/19/2021

I've always found collage challenging.

My friend Janice McDonald is a master at this form of art. I went to her studio eons ago just to admire her paper stash. She had thousands of papers ranging from magazines, books, handmade and purchased papers — all organized so she could find just the right scrap/color or texture to create her art.

I am far from that organized.

I have been working small (the ones pictured above are on playing cards). I'm happy with how they turned out. I think mixing solids with patterns, limited color palette, transparent tissue paper and adding that all important pop of black were the keys to success on these pieces.

The other thing about collage that has always stopped me is the idea you to plan the composition. I didn't plan these at all. I just used my intuition to place the papers. I worked on all 13 cards at the same time so I couldn't overthink it. This is the way I like to work so creating these tiny collages was fun.

Art Drop Day

9/11/2021

Art Drop Day is the first Tuesday in September and I've participated in it for many years. It always interested me in having people discover free art — a gift from a stranger.

This year, I dropped 7 handmade notebooks in a park near my home.

I put my business card inside the notebooks, hoping that someone who discovered them, would email me and let me know they have a piece of my art. No one emailed me but I did receive a phone call from a man who called me a "robot who ate batteries for breakfast and lunch" and that he "hated my art".

Wow. Sad. Now I regret including my business card that had the phone number and my studio address on it. Obviously, this person has some mental issues but now, I'm locking my studio door just in case.

We often talk about making art for ourselves and not listening to critics so I'm taking this phone call in stride and will continue to give more away next year (without my business card!).