I’ve got so many “in progress” images of this new triptych that I was commissioned to create that I decided to at least split it into two posts. Today I’ll features the humble beginnings, some close-up details of the texture & color during the process, and (above) the finished product. Hopefully that will leave you wanting more while you wait for the second post. 🙂
These pieces were based on another set that I created a few years ago during a residency. Although the clients loved them they just weren’t large enough to fill the space that they were to be hung in so I got to re-create them in a larger version! I very much appreciate their willingness to let me be creative with the replication and not try to get it precisely the same pattern, colors and textures. They are created on wood panels and the texture is a mixture of concrete and grout, layered on thin & wet so I can play with the design before it gets too dry.
It looks a whole lot different after it’s dry, sealed and I’ve put multiple layers of acrylic on it:
Next post I’ll show how it goes from one stage to the next. Until then!
So I’ve really begun different ways to explore art, techniques, etc. and one of the recent projects I tried was to create background papers using shaving cream as a medium for transfering acrylic inks onto the paper in interesting patterns. Sounded like fun and not too technical so I gave it a whirl!
shaving cream on a piece of acrylic
adding acrylic ink to shaving cream
Paper with the ink/cream on it’s surface
Adding more color for a second go at it
After the second layer was added
Finished with the first attempt
The first attempt didn’t really fall in the “successful” category but it was a learning experience, anyhow. 🙂 As I continued I did more mixing in of the ink before applying the paper & peeling it off, which worked much better and got more of a “marble” effect.
multiple colors
mixing and swirling
Pulling the paper off, prior to removing the shaving cream
paper after the shaving cream was removed
Trying some different color combos
Another color combination
The cream could be used several times before it turned “muddy” and had to be replaced. Here is an image of my favorite pieces from the session.
Selection of designed papers
If nothing else it was a fun sensory experience with lime scented cream and brilliant colors. Would I do it again? Yup…but first I need to use these papers up. I’ve already started on one, look for it soon!
It’s true, everyone LOVES something free! And, since I’m just nice like that, I happen to have one for you today! You are welcome to download this line drawing to use for coloring, painting, zentangles, digital artwork, collage, whatever strikes your fancy. Of course there IS a catch…
“Spiral Tree” – how will you get creative with it? Click image for full size downloadable file!
The only thing I ask is that once you are finished having fun with it, please take a moment to snap a picture of your creation and post it on my Facebook Page so I can see it. I’m excited to see what everyone ends up doing with it!
This has to be one of my favorite new pieces. It took it’s sweet time but was worth the wait! Created on another of the canvases that I had textured and painted white, it began much differently than it ended.
Finally I couldn’t stand it any longer and figured ANY progress had to be better than it just sitting there! So I grabbed a charcoal pencil and just started drawing.
Lately it seems all my doodles and sketches are swirly vines. I’m sure this is symbolic of something but I’m just going with it. Once I’d gotten that pattern down I went back with a blending stump and softened and worked the design. After sealing that layer the next step had to be some color!
That ended up being more than just the next step, there was color, color and more color added, blended and swirled all over that canvas in thin layers that let some of the under-colors peeks through. Here’s a detailed image of a section of the finished work that highlights the colors and texture of the piece.
The title means several things to me. I’d not painted in many weeks so that part of my creativity had been lying dormant, it is the middle of winter and all the growth outdoors is dormant as well and, after sitting around the studio for months the art itself is no longer dormant but alive with color and design. Happiness!
I’ve had a period of being semi-dormant, at least as far as my online activities. I wrote and scheduled the blog posts for the last four weeks all at once and set them to auto-post – both here and on my digital blog. I set auto-tweets and Facebook posts and then I hibernated. Not entirely but I purposely allowed myself time away from these digital tasks so that I could have time to work on my goals and schedule for 2013. I knew they were not going to be done for the “New Year” celebration January 1st but as the days passed I was afraid that too much time would slip by and they might not get done at all! Along with working on that project I’ve just taken time to relax, to travel, to nap, to do pretty much whatever I felt like. What a treat! So, the next post you see on here will be post-dormancy. I guess we will both have to wait and see what it’s about. 🙂
A Randomly Creative Blog 