More Playing & Art Walk

I’ve been playing with mixed media, trying to take it a step further.  But that’s after I finished my Art Walk entry.

For those of you who aren’t from the area, Art Walk is a competition that runs at the same time and on the same order as Art Prize which is held in the fall in Grand Rapids.  Art Walk’s prize money is good, Art Prize money $400,000 plus.  But the downside of Art Prize from my perspective is that your work also has to be huge to even be noticed.

This year my venue for Art Walk is our Tri-Cities Historical Museum.  The piece I’m entering is “The Shack”

It’s small, 8”x8”,  another mixed-media piece combining mono-print, collage and colored pencil.  I’m pleased with how this one come out and have more old building images that may get the same treatment.  I’m also thinking some of the old rowboat images I’ve used over the years may work as well.

On a day when I was doing the monoprinting I also tried doing people, I chose a photo I’ve been wanting to do something with for a very long time.  The monoprint alone didn’t work for me and I didn’t think the treatment I gave the buildings was going to work.

Finally, after watching a Carla O’Conner video, I decided to do a bit more experimenting.  I wasn’t going for the look, it was her technique that intrigued me.  I didn’t photograph the monoprint before doing anything else to it but here is stage two and three…

 

Now, again, I have to look at it awhile to decide… add more, take some away or call it done.  These two women were alike in so many ways and yet so very different.   Both expert stitchers, one practical, one fashionable,  I learned much from both of them, got some of the good genes too.