Arches Always Get Me…

 

I love wetcanvas.com.  It’s a website with all kinds of information for artists but my favorite thing is the WDE, Weekend Drawing Event.  Artists from around the world participate and share images so I can travel to places I may never see in person.  Every weekend one of the participating artists posts 15 or 16 images and the rest of us pick one and hope to get it done in two hours. 

I haven’t had an opportunity to participate as much as I like to but this weekend I did.  While watching a very good football game (in spite of the outcome) I did a drawing of Tintern Abbey ruins (13th cent.) in South Wales.  I may never get back to the UK but this image reminded me of our trip there more than 20 years ago.  At that time we visited Holy Island and the ruins there are similar. I have done several paintings and drawings with a similar theme, part of an ongoing Sacred Spaces series.  This is graphite in a 9x12 sketchbook that I think I’m going to dedicate to WDEs.  This is the first sketch in the book.

My Art and My Faith

Old rowboats have another dimension to me – I think of them spiritually. Their very nature is quiet – they are often used by fishermen as Jesus and his disciples used them. That’s just one reminder of the spiritual connection. I also see an old rowboat, canoe or sailboat as a symbol for God – he will be with you and keep you afloat; however, one needs to take to the oars or set the sail if one is going to go anywhere.

Thinking about that now, almost all of my paintings have a spiritual aspect to them. I have the ongoing series of water related works and another of sacred spaces. The Sacred Spaces may be a church, chapel or cathedral or it might be a quiet spot in the woods or along the shore. And then there are the flowers, God’s jewelry, and the gardens with their garden sculpture, God made and man made.

God created, he created us in his image so we must be creative. Mary Daly said it better than I can: “It is the creative potential itself in human beings that is the image of God.”

Someone gave me their definition of the Trilogy that I now have on my easel – God, the father, Artist; God the Holy Spirit, Inspiration; God the Son, Expression.  By no means do I take that to mean that as an artist, I’m God.  But there is no question, God is an artist – just look around at nature, it’s awesome!

 

Some different techniques

We one is different, the other I’ve is a technique I’ve posted in the past.  I need to work out a routine that allows more studio time and time to post on my blog.  Between having my grandson here two days a week, teaching one day a week and my Fridays with Art Buddies, I’m not getting any major works produced.  That has to change as I have shows coming up and new work is required.  I haven’t been totally idle, small size monoprints I can work on in the kitchen while Warner  chats or sleeps.   This one is part of my Sacred Spaces series.

The other technique utilizes transparencies and hand sanitizer.  It’s one of many transfer techniques and a new one for me.  This is one reason I treasure my Fridays with my art buddies.  We are all constantly experimenting and sharing.  Annie Morgan is the one who does the most experimenting and she discovered this technique.  She doesn’t have a web site or a blog so I can’t give you a link.  She is working on it though.  Here are a couple of the transfers.

I’m working on more of the small monoprints and more transfers.  As I go along I’ll photograph the steps and post them. 

Dancers and some other things

 

This one is a poured piece that has been mounted on a piece of wood and then I put an acrylic glaze over the top to protect it.  I learned about the technique from a friend and decided to try it.  I'm not sure how I feel about it... I do like the painting.

This has been a busy week and I was thinking I didn't have any new work to post.  That is until I actually started to think about posting.  I have this piece hanging on the wall waiting for it to let me know where to go with it.  This is part of my Sacred Spaces Series

And last night I did another tempera resist piece experimenting with drying with a heat gun between steps.  My Creativity class starts tomorrow night and this is what my students are going to learn to do so I wanted to know if they could be finished in the time frame we have... they can.

And, on top of these projects, my husband and I spent a couple days in Chicago... camera in hand.  I'll share a highlight, the Sears Glass Tower, that's my foot just so you can see why I got such an unusual view of the city...

A sketch and an opening

I missed a week... once I got the opening of the exhibit at the Bettye Clark Cannon Gallery done and opened I was whipped and then we had a family reunion of sorts... my husband's siblings and it was great having them but my blog went by the wayside. 

I haven't finished anything new but I have begun a new practice in my morning journal.  Once I'm done writing I do a sketch right over the top of what I wrote so I always end on a cheery note even if what I'm writing about isn't so cheery.  It's transparent watercolor so I can still read it if I choose.

The opening... here are a few shots from the event.

It's finished and framed, ready to take to the gallery tomorrow along with another one that I posted awhile back but decided this week it needed more punch.  It's the Sunflower

The yellow still looks dull in the photo but it has more punch in real life.  These will be going to the gallery tomorrow for a show with 10 other watercolor artists.  The exhibit opens May 1.  I've been up to my neck in framing and I still have more to do so this entry has to be brief.

Almost finished the pour

Several pours later and the mask removed... it's now hanging on a wall in my studio so I can study it.  That silver spot at the top is a giant clothes pin I use to hang paintings in process.  The wall is not readily visable as I work on other projects so I get glimpses... that way when I look at it carefully I'm getting a fresh look.  I still need to add the detail to the door but beyond that I'm still thinking about what it needs.  I see a problem in the lower right corner that needs more dark, part of one of the cross bases is floating.  I'm also leaning toward another light wash on the lightest parts.  Final decisions on this won't be made right away, it needs to sit awhile.

The boat... a disaster.  I love the shapes, everything about it but the colors... I used Winsors, Red, Yellow and Blue and I don't like the resulting darks... very muddy.  So that one will get scrubbed and become a mixed media piece.  I haven't taken another picture yet but will try to remember to do that before I start on it again.

Finally putting paint to paper

Finally, the transfer of the drawing is complete, I've decided on the colors, painted the door blue and added just a touch of the blue on the window before masking them and then did the first pour to take the white out.  The first pour was Raw Sienna.  I want an old look so I decided to use Minnesota Pipesto (Daniel Smith,) Indigo and Raw Sienna.  I've never used these three for a pour so from here on it's experimental as well.

I also did a couple more layers (pours) on the boat and did a little 2" x 2" of an English Cottage.  In addition I started a piece with dancers but more time was spent working out how I would do that than on getting it started.  Next post I'll have something to show I hope. 

Pouring, another step in my process

This is the tedious part.  It's not so much when I'm doing something with only a few shapes but when I get several as there are in this church it's tedious.  I've transfered the traced image to the watercolor paper; however, when you trace something using the 6 to 8B pencil there is a lot of graphite and it is sitting on top of the paper... one wash and you have graphite mixed with the paint and you've lost the image.   So I go over the lines carefull with a harder pencil then, using a kneaded eraser, I push down with the eraser lifting the loose graphite.  Once all this is done I'll be ready to do my first pour since I've decided I don't want any white.  Since this is laborious and I'm ADD, I have another one going at the same time...  not so many shapes in this one...

The next step

Moving along to the next step in the process. You see it reversed. I decided it could be reversed because the place is not important, it was the blue door with the wonderful hinges that I was in love with so that saved me a step. I put the traced image down on my paper and gone right over the lines. Now I will be able to do it again sometime... but with the door on the other side. All I have to do is turn it over and go over the traced lines again All of this part is done with a 5 or 6B pencil so the lines will transfer.

The next thing to think about... do I want to save any whites or do I put a wash over the entire sheet before moving on. I'm leaning toward a wash but not certain yet.

The next step in the process

I've finished the drawing in my sketchbook. Now that it's done I've decided I didn't want those grave stones so prominent so you'll notice I lightened them a tad (or maybe you didn't notice so I'm telling you.). I do like that they are crosses but in the painting I don't want that it's graves to be prominent. My next step is to scan the page in the sketchbook, enlarge it and trace it onto vellum or tracing paper. I trace because I don't want to damage the watercolor paper and that may happen if I try to draw it again. Besides, I've done the drawing, I don't feel a need to do it twice. OK...I've done it again. I have no idea why part of this text is underlined and therefore no idea how to get rid of the underline. (I just looked at the post on my site and the underline only shows up when I run the mouse over it... who knows why?

Now I'm off for a few days of skiing... the last chance this year. When I get back I'll work on the next step.

I've been celebrating all week ... it's my birthday month and this past week was the actual birthday week. I did a lot of sketching and looking but no major work completed. However, I did get one started and I thought some of you who pop in to see what I'm doing might be interested in seeing my process.... so I've posted the start. This will eventually become a poured watercolor piece but there are many decisions yet to be made before I start the actual painting. The drawing is approximately 7 x 7 in my sketchbook. I'm working out the values. Once that is complete I'll determine the colors I'm going to use and the size the actual piece might be. One thing I know already, the door will stay blue though it may not be that blue. It was the blue door that got my attention first so I plan to keep it. The painting may be the same size as the sketch but not necessarily. I've also posted the photo I'm working from so you'll have an idea where I'm going...

A Pastel and how to transfer

I lead a creativity class at my church.  Every week I invite an artist friend to come in and share a technique with the class.  This week it was a pastelist friend and pastel is a medium that I have avoided... I don't like the feel of the pastel on my hands and I don't like wearing gloves.  Oh well, if my students had to do it, I did too.  this is my result.  I'm not unhappy with it and I may even try another one sometime.  It may not be done, I need to look at it again next week.  Once done it will become part of my Sacred Spaces series.

Last week I posted some transfers and that prompted some questions about how I do it... it's really so very easy as long as you can get the right photo paper.  I haven't been able to find it to replenish my supply but you may have better luck.  Print your photo on high gloss JetPrintPhoto Premium Photo Paper by International Paper.  I print on a HP deskjet 5150, any ink jet printer will work.  If it's important that the image not be reversed, reverse it before you print on the photo paper.   You can trim the photo so you will know where you are setting it down but do leave some white at least along two sides so you can lift to see how the image is taking without losing the position.   In addition to the photo paper you'll need an old credit card and a spray bottle of water.  The spray bottle should spray a very fine mist, not big spots of water.  Oh yes, and you'll need a piece of paper to print your image on...

Ready?  Next step.... slightly spray the paper you're going to put the image on.  Now spray your photo... don't get it too wet or the ink will begin to run too soon... just a fine mist over everything you want to transfer.  Once it's wet, lay it face down on your paper, rub it with your hand to make the connection and then take the credit card and begin to pull it over the piece.  After a few strokes back and forth over the image lift one side while you hold the other side in place... if you want more of the image transferred,  give a squirt, lay the photo back down and rub some more.  Next time, lift the other side and see how it's doing.  Repeat until you're satisfied.  You can get a perfect image if you like but I like leaving a few spots on mine... just because I like the look.

Another painting and a drawing

I've added another piece to my Sacred Spaces series. Some in the series are churches or missions, others are quiet spaces that I find peaceful places to contemplate or meditate. This particular piece is a Country Church. It's 7"x7" poured watercolor.

This second piece is a graphite drawing. I may eventually do a painting of this subject but for now, I'm content with the drawing