Hope

I have tried to open up with this piece. I haven't built up the same layer of paint that is at work in the sister painting, but I am focusing on not letting that be a hindrance. I began tracing the sparrows in this painting then moving them around the composition and transferring them onto the surface of the painting with carbon paper. The result is a nice graphic outline of the birds hidden within the paintwork. They are a type of second generation image. I am also beginning to work with the birdsong. Birdsong came up at the Mass Art interview, and mention of it made me realize that I had yet to explore the attributes of the birds I was so keen on including in my work. So here I've taken the first portion of the Savannah Sparrow song tititi and transcribed it to Morse code, dash dot dash dot dash dot. It is sprinkled throughout the composition.

Maybe now it's called "Hunger"

I apologize for the inexpertly Photoshopped image. It fell victim to my camera work and perhaps I should've reshot it, but I was eager to post the image online.

I had my grad school interview with Mass Art on Tues and it brought up some interesting issues for me concerning my work. It was suggested that I had not really achieved a dialogue or integration between my painted images and the abstract substrate of my paintings. And I agree. The birds are somehow seemingly superfluous. I am thinking on why I incorporate them and what I may be hoping to ask or investigate with them. Formally, I am beginning to allow the paint to violate the borders of the birds. I am also continuing to introduce new realistic elements throughout the entire process of the painting hoping that this will be a start to better integrating them into the many layers of mark. This piece was already on a trajectory to go "over the top" visually, but an issue that I voiced during the interview was that I was seeking to make my work opulent or gaudy. I know that I haven't quite pushed it as far as I can go - so here's my latest effort.

Hope 4' x 2'

Heal

Can I pay someone to name my paintings?...Really. It's a task in which I feel I come up short.




So here is an Untitled piece which I began working on again today. It was very simple, I set aside four hours for painting and wrote the schedule in my day planner. And what do you know? I stuck to it!

The consensus in the critique was that this piece functioned really well albeit without a focal point. Previously I had given up on it not knowing where to go. And while we sat in the studio talking about it I realized it raised the question of complete abstraction for me. The background texture and complexities are really what concerned me most in making this painting. The birds were including through force of habit. I think I found a happy resolution to that situation today by taking the dive and painting out two of the birds; and developing the problem bird in the bottom right of the composition. I think this allowed me to fully explore the intricacies of the abstraction while creating a focal point. I'll take a few days break so that the heavy paint can dry and see what I think.

See the last photo of this painting that I posted here. (It's a bad photo, sorry.)

Panel no. 2; 4' x 2'

I am already well beyond what is pictured above. I have fully articulated the third bird pictured here as only a drawing. And I began working with doilies to build texture and weight at the bottom of the composition. This panel is much drier than Heal and I am not sure if I will keep or lose that aspect. So far it feels neat, perhaps pastel. There is text throughout the work. They are phrases from a radio show I listened to while working. The show talked about various imaginings of the afterlife. The particular snippets I chose struck me as very poetic; "brief twinkling", "recycling of souls", "when your name is spoken for the last time".

Heal

I worked in the studio last night which is unusual for me. I generally spend my days painting. But I think there is something to be said for the change in routine to shake things up. I went a little wild and began pressing stuff into the paint to affix it to the panel. I'll take a breather to see what I think, and if I like it, I plan to build it up more. For now there are some lengths of lace, a few buttons, and strands of thread dotting the picture. Perhaps like the materials a bird would use for a nest...

Heal, 4' x 2'

Here's the first of the three two foot by four foot panels I am working on in the studio at the moment. I remember saying I was stuck when I began the last "sketch" Flutter. I suppose now I am considerably "unstuck". The painting is lurching and reeling towards something right now. It feels awkward, but positive. I am opening up to the possibilities of accident and mess and the grotesquely beautiful. When I told this to my husband, he mutely nodded and left the studio. I suppose he was confirming the "grotesquely beautiful" part (in the kindest possible way). No matter. I think I'm onto something.

Flutter 6 x 6"

I haven't done much painting yet this year so I decided to take small steps. This was conceived of and begun as a sketch; but I am thrilled by the results. You may recognize the silver background from an earlier piece. I think I am putting it to better use here. By gluing the paper to the wood panel then peeling, scraping and sanding it away I created a weathered surface to begin painting upon.

Finished

and ready for Thursday's critique. We'll see what kind of feedback I get, but for now I am putting this aside.

School update

Mass Art gave me an interview!!!! Yea!

I really like the progress I am making with this drawing. Currently I am using a white out pen to build a trail of white circles throughout the image. The resulting marks seem like cobwebs, but more importantly they are giving structure to the composition and strengthening the drawing. I am toying with titles for this piece and would appreciate input. The first word I like is "nourish" and I think it is captured by the addition of the embossed golden circles at the bird's feet - like seeds. The second word I like is "vesper". I love anything related to the Catholic church all that creepy, mystical, ritual...But these are Vesper Sparrows as well which we have in the marshes around Massachusetts. Any votes?

The Details

I'm filling in the details on the birdies...

28 x 40"

This is a drawing I've been sitting on for a week, but I'm very excited to be sharing it with you now. I think it is a good commingling of the various ideas I have been working through over the fall. I drew the gathering of birds then masked them off and began working with the ink. The masking fluid unfortunately pulled up all my pencil marks, but I suspected that might happen. I'll have to fill in the details on the birds again. I am working on a gorgeous and large piece of Khadi paper (a cotton rag paper handmade in India). It's 28 x 40" and so so thick it can just about stand up on its own.

Prana project #5

Birdies in da Twees

Prana project #4

Prana project #3

More progress

I am working to build up the darks and introduce movement in this composition. I am also working on a very small scale to build texture by creating the clusters of small circles.

phoenix 12 x 12"

ink, stitching, watercolor and cutout on Khadi paper

New Drawing 22.5 x 30"

Our breath became trees 8 x 8"

Number 2 in the prana sketches began to resemble a winter landscape. So I capitalized on that.

Finished...14 x 28"

I think. And hark, where are the birds. I was able to work up a really interesting surface in this piece and added only a little imagery - the gingko leaves. "Decorative" seems to be a four-letter idea in art; but I love treading that line. Is it working?

#1 8 x 8"

I think this idea of Prana may occupy me for a while. Here is a small sketch where I played around with the idea of deliberately placing drops of ink on the surface rather than working in washes.

Prana

I saw some great work done by my friend's primary school art students. She called them "breath" paintings. The concept of moving media with breath was so exciting I went to the market and bought myself some straws. Voila! I began creating this image by first blowing some light washes around the paper. I am also working with a metallic dry pigment which I hoped would behave more like glitter than it did. I used spray glue and the doilies as stencils then sifted the gold pigment onto the surface expecting it to only adhere to the adhesive. But it worked its way into the fiber of the paper. Not to worry though. Because of this I conversely had a happy accident. Once the adhesive dried it acted as a resist and I was able to expose the doilie by applying a light ink wash over the area - check the bottom right side of the page. Perhaps this is the start of a Prana series...

I'm chugging along on this one.

Here is a shot of the drawing before (on the right) and after (on the left). I really darkened it to its advantage I think.

Tying up loose ends

I had time over the last three days to get some good work done in the studio. Some of what I am pursuing is playful, a way to experiment with new ideas; but I am also finishing some work as well as working back into older drawings that need attention.

Silver Silhouette 6 x 6" acrylic, cut out and paper mounted on panel

Botanical revisited 20 x 20" ink on Arches

acorn inklet 5 x 7" stitching and ink on Khadi

SOLD...

Whoever said that thing about counting those unhatched chickens never met me...It's still not entirely a done deal, but -

I sold a piece from the Drawing Project, Yea!

Getting back on the horse

Well, I've really had to give myself permission to make mistakes in order to coax myself back into the studio. I have had such a long break from regular work over the holidays with our two trips out of town, and the grad school application process is really a Herculean achievement that sort of hangs in my mind. As I thought about simply showing up this week, and primed myself for the week ahead I realized I need to be gentle with myself. "It's okay to make bad paintings...for now, just paint." Of course the work never goes badly, really. It's just the fear that you won't live up to your past which is paralyzing. And the permission to fail is a very powerful catalyst towards productivity.

The piece I am working on above was begun in December. It is the sister to the piece of wood upon which I painted "pretty bird". I have held off with the tight realistic renderings of the animals mostly due to aversion, but I think there is some benefit to it all. I have remained wide open to risk in the background of the painting because my investment of time and effort so far remains small.

Happy New Year to all of you and best of luck with whatever you are working towards this year.

Icarus 5 x 7"

I played around with this sketch I started for the fundraiser and I really like the results!

I promise, I checked the white balance when I photographed this. And it's still yellow!

I dug this out today after working on a new painting during the morning. I began adding the strands of circular marks right before I quit for the day. My last few drawings were too light. And here I am really trying to develop some good darks as well as some subtlety and depth in the darker values. But I am as of yet unsatisfied with the black color I get once the India ink dries.

sketches

Pictured above are some small 5 x 7" inklets that I am working on for a fundraising event. The Foundry Art Centre's Off the Wall happens March 22- if you're in St. Charles, Missouri, check it out. You may snag some nice art for cheap.

Revisited

Yes, yes, yes. This exposure is horribly yellow. I'm lazy. It is in focus - a problem that I am slowly working out. It feels so good to get into the studio to work on something I know won't make it into the grad school portfolio. I feel so free (and happy). I had the thought to stitch some of the paper I have laying around. And while I was dragging it out, I happened upon some past failed drawings. I began ripping them with the idea of attaching them to fresh pieces of paper and beginning again. By ripping off either the left or right edge, I was left with the basic composition above, and I liked it so much I began working back into it. I think my older drawings are too light mostly because I felt I couldn't reverse the ink marks I was laying down on the white paper. But I am going for it...if I want to lighten up the darker areas I am creating I think I will collage some fresh paper into the piece. Ahhh, freedom.

Done

Finishing up

These two photos aren't stunningly sharp, but there is a heavy cloud cover today and just not enough light leaking into my studio. I am posting them to give you a general idea of the progress on these two works. I will upload better photos later.


I think this purple piece is finished. Strangely enough I sat down in the studio today and really felt as if I was haphazardly flinging paint - et voila! Perhaps the idea of "just getting on with it" really does get you somewhere.

Keeping with the "anything goes" vein, I am pushing this painting into new territory and allowing it to be ugly (which is making it look quite nice). I do tighten up too much. The little artist child inside me wants to throw paint and get messy. So I suppose now is as good a time as any. (Can I use anymore cliches in my entry...)

The grad school portfolio has been chosen (for now) and is uploaded under the "twenty best images" link. Cross your fingers for me...

Updated photo

Here's a picture of the progress made on the current piece.

Another new painting 12 x 48"

Here are the beginnings of the piece on the panels I recently cradled. Yes, this is a four foot tall painting that is only one foot wide. I am back to my oblong formats of yore. There is something I really like about visually composing on these stretched out fields. The paintings for me are becoming more about space. Can I create visual movement by depicting objects that seemingly move through the space of the picture plane? The gingko leaves in the smaller purple painting play across the picture and move the eye by undulating through the space. The leaves above are drifting through the composition and collecting in heaps along the base. In the piece above there is perhaps more direct evidence of the influence that the seasons and the surrounding natural world have upon my work. We relocated from the desert to Massachusetts this year and as spring progressed into summer I was fascinated with blossoms and leaves around me that I had never seen before. Now as the weather cools and we prepare for winter my work is taking notice of the change in the color of the foliage and of the motion of the falling leaves that float to the ground.

On another note, I have finished with the drawing project and posted the remaining pieces under the Drawing Project portfolio link to the right - 50 pieces in total. The last 8 drawings really broke with the original concept of the project as a drawing from something observable. Instead they more closely reflect what is happening in my larger ink pieces which is more abstract and self referential. It's possible that I will start a second project more in line with this way of drawing and on larger squares of paper. We shall see.

New Warbler painting 10 x 20"

I have been working on this piece for a week or so now. I think the concept and aesthetic of the bird paintings is slowly being refined. I also began painting on the larger panels I recently made, and will post them when they develop more.

The last post of October

I visited Home Depot on Monday and had wood cut for two oblong supports which I am excited to begin painting! I also completed another drawing in the daisie and doilie tradition - posted here.

I put in a little more work on the drawing posted below and uploaded it under the portfolio link. I also posted 6 new images in the Drawing Project album. Check them out!

Another show!

Warbler one and Warbler two will be showing at FUEL in Philadelphia from Dec 2 until the 28. Yea! Check out their website.

Birdie cutouts and lace tracings

I'm pretty excited about where the last drawing left me (the one with the pink daisies and doilies in it). I think I found a good mix of tools with which to create a composition. Here's the second one in progress!

Untitled

This I think is finished. And I am pleased with the last few decisions I made - to gray out a large portion of the composition in order to define the background; and to use the fuschia watercolor on the other two daisies so as to make them a more prominent visual element. It was all there. The drawing was done - but I needed the tone and colors to bring it together and give it structure. I am going to take a break from this and see how I feel about it in a few days, but right now I couldn't be happier.

Cut out

I am slipping in an image of this drawing which has progressed in a rather drastic fashion. Yes, I took an exacto knife to the composition and excised the bird. It wasn't working. The new look is very minimal and really in direct contrast with some of my other drawings (which are filled with things and laboured over). My exploration of drawing is splintering and I am loosing a sort of cohesion within the body of work. But I need to take these chances and stretch myself right now - grad school portfolio or not.

I think I am finally striking that note of opulence which I always covet in other people's paintings. Today was a real "drag your feet" kind of day in the studio, but I couldn't be happier with the results! It's true - the days when you are most reluctant are often the ones when you do your best work.

New drawing on khadi paper

I began a new drawing on Friday. I found some larger sized sheets of the Indian cotton rag or khadi paper and bought these oblong shapes. I was excited to see what I could come up with for them. I used to work regularly on oblong formats and they still excite me in the same way. Somehow they seem to reference a passage of time - as in Japanese scroll paintings. They open up a sort of compositional asymmetry and dissonance that I like to explore as well. I am just in the beginning stages of this piece building up texture and detail in the background and letting the composition evolve.

#39

I always find a way "through" this project. Just when I feel I have reached the limit of what is possible a new thought occurs to me and a little door is opened to allow me to proceed.

#38