This was a fun little collage; I've always been inspired by the connection between music and photography. Using the negative as a collage element brings it into a new realm of art-making, and is a comment on how irrelevant film has become to photography for so many young artists - a fact I'm reminded of daily by my students. Pasting on the old, dry watercolor pan underscores the notion of using art materials as the subject. Enjoy and thanks for visiting!
30/30 Challenge Day 4
This little collage was made on the smartphone. I used 4 images of roses, shot at the same time, with the same lighting. I took the 4 into PS express on the iPhone and collaged them using a provided template. I then saved the collage and brought it into Photo Toaster, where I added a texture effect. I'm playing with some of the apps on the smartphone as I'll be teaching them in my Digital Photography class this fall. Thanks for visiting!
30/30 Challenge Day 3
I've been saving the pits from our wonderful Palisade Peaches, planning to use them in a piece or two. This tree has been sitting in the studio for a long time, with too much space on the bottom. I decided to line up some of the beautiful peach pits along the bottom and then coat the piece with wax. I'm happy with the result. Thanks for visiting!
The 30 / 30 Challenge
A friend asked what I learned and enjoyed about this challenge. I learned some new techniques in encaustic, and in painting and collage. I enjoyed having an excuse to go to the studio every day, with a specific purpose. The most valuable lesson learned was to let go and allow the materials and the process to take me in an unplanned direction. The process was similar to writing at that moment when the muse takes over and the writer becomes a conduit for a shared universal concept. And, as a photographer, it was good to loosen up a bit.
I'm ready to move on. I want to return to photography and begin to explore some of the issues that came up through the processes of the past thirty days, with greater deliberateness and a looser process. Thanks for visiting!
Day 30 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge
This painting began with several layers of encaustic medium, fused between with the heat gun. I used oil sticks to get the vibrant colors, fusing while the oil was still wet enough to move around the composition. I used the letter set to place the text, and metal stamps for the crown likeness. These were all filled with oil stick, then the excess was wiped away.
This is my little "me too" painting. Thanks for visiting!
Day 26 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge
This piece was composited by layering several coats of wax medium over the ground and then pressing the objects into them. Stamps were used to embellish the composition, and oil stick was rubbed into the impressions, then the excess was wiped away. A final two coats of medium went over the piece.
I enjoyed making this piece; following my intuition, with no set plan always delights. Thanks for visiting!
Day 25 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge
This is a photograph that I printed on rice paper and floated onto molten wax to give it a transparent look. The image was embellished using my favorite wallpaper stamps and then filling them with oil stick. A final coat of medium was layered over the top of the piece to pull all of the elements together.
I love this simple tree photograph, and, though it was manipulated to maximize the eeriness of the scene, the image appropriately communicates the feel of that place in time. Thanks for visiting!
Day 24 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge
I printed this image on vellum a while ago, intending to use it in an encaustic piece. This is the third in a series using this pair of hands. I mounted the photograph over several layers of encaustic medium, fusing in between layers to create a smooth surface. I used wallpaper stamps to create the lacy cuffs, filling in the depressions with purple encaustic oil sticks. I painted the fingernails with crimson wax and then carved a lacy ring on a finger. This was also filled in with an oil stick: orange/gold this time. The entire piece was then coated with a final 2 layers of medium, carefully fusing in between so as not to move around the oils too much.
I like the final effect: the white, white hands with the red, red polish remind me of my mother's hands in the 1960's. Thanks for visiting!
Day 23 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge
This is a small map weave. I chose 2 colorful maps, cut them in strips and wove them together. I mounted the weave to the ground with wax after coating both sides of the weave by dipping it into the medium. Next I added the rusty object. The colored twine has the same palette as the maps so I secured a "bouquet" into the little pipe.
This was a fun and colorful little piece to make. Thanks for visiting!
Day 22 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge
This piece is a re-worked map assemblage. I re-used the ground, with the map adhered to the surface. Several layers of encaustic medium were built up to create a surface that would hold the heavy elements of the tile, bottle and rusty object - all found at Dead Horse Bay last spring. The elements were assembled and then more layers of clear wax were added to bind it all together.
I always enjoy working with rusty and found objects; I love the color and the patina. Thanks for visiting!
