Thinking of Spring (Subconsciously)

I have said all I need to say in the first one here - turns out my subconscious is wanting Spring very badly. Strange flower images appeared on the canvas and ghostly little flowers waiting to pop up through the frozen ground.

I don't know what is going on in the second one - needs more work! I am finding it difficult to unclutter my mind lately and it definitely is showing up on the page. Keep on working!!!!

Workshop Play

This past weekend I enjoyed two more days of play and experimentation in a workshop setting. The objective was to apply paint randomly using a variety of tools and try to find shapes to begin a painting. All participants had a large amount of difficulty finding any shapes and the level of frustration could be felt and heard in the room (heavy sighs, lots of scraping and dry-brushing noises).

It was interesting to see how people react to trying to learn a different way of doing something. Many people, including myself, after working away for a few hours and getting nowhere, simply reverted to their old, comfortable methods. For me, that was applying collage papers to try to get some shapes going. The first painting shown here was done the first two days of the workshop when I was not seeing any shapes appear on my canvas. I simply started to collage and found a way to begin. I will paint the small white shapes green to tie in with the green already there and maybe darken it a bit. I'm not sure what will happen to the grey shape, it may get darker or lighter.

The second painting was done on the last day of the class, when, with a degree of frustration, I decided to give it one more try and randomly stamped, scraped and rolled reds on and then blues. I stepped back with my chalk and looked for shapes. With the help of our leader I did see a vase or flower pot which, of course, meant that I needed some flowers. I drew loosely with chalk and then painted the negative shapes. I did get something but didn't like it and wiped the chalk away intending to apply white gesso over the canvas and start yet again. I kind of like what is on there enough to try and make something out of it just to see what happens. It may change into a vase or even a potted plant, time will tell.

And then, it may just get gessoed over! It is play and experimentation after all!

Stage 2

Today I worked on this canvas a bit more and the other three a bit also. This weekend I will try to finish at least one.

Possibilities

I am thinking that finally I might be on the right track! The struggles of the past month or so seem to be coming together for me and I feel positive about continuing with this method of painting/collaging on canvas. The first canvas is just starting to come to life so I thought I would do a few more in the same vein while the mood is right. More posts to come in the next few days as I develop these further.

Another White Day

It has been snowing here almost every day for a few weeks and getting very boring. I seem to gravitate to bright colours even more than usual at these times.

I have just completed (I think) two collages using papers I have made myself. The first one I had posted already but I have made a few changes and will enhance the line work at the bottom once I get some more black liquid acrylic.

It's been fun to do - I love playing with ripping up paper! There's nothing better for loosening up!

This weekend I am attending a workshop on composition and design so next week should bring some new thoughts into play!

Back in the Saddle Again

I have neglected my little blog lately for many reasons, but the important one is that I am ready to start creating again!

Sometimes disappointments get the better of me and I become unable to focus for a while. That's enough whining for now.

I am interested in painting and collaging on canvas in order to create larger works and also to get away from the framing (the time involved and the cost). I have always been a paper artist, using pen and ink, pastel, watercolour and collage and am having an extreme amount of difficulty making anything half decent with paint and brush!

Recently I spent weeks working on a 24" x 36" canvas going over and over with paint, all the while just getting more and more frustrated. The final straw saw me in my pj's at 5:30 a.m. removing all the staples and rolling the canvas up and putting it out for garbage pick-up!

After that fiasco, I went back to playing with paper, staining, stamping and then making a small collage (10" x 14" on matcard). I am relatively pleased with the results and will make a few more.

The next step is to try to duplicate the method on canvas and use papers and paint.

I'm hoping I am pointed in the right direction - time will tell!

An Entire Day of Printing

I have just spent all of Saturday running prints from a collagraph, a drypoint on copper and some zinc-plate etchings. It was a lot of fun but very hard on the neck and shoulders! Sunday was then spent cutting double and triple mats for these prints and some other ones. It was one of those days when I measured and re-measured and two mats just wouldn't work out! I am very stubborn (determined) and kept at it and finally, after a ridiculous amount of time, I realized that I had ordered the frame sizes a bit off which was throwing me off my usual method of having an equal amount around each edge. I did get them to work at last!

Next weekend I am participating in an open studio tour as a guest artist and will be assembling a few more frames tomorrow and Tuesday and then I should be all set. All in all there will be 16 framed pieces and quite a few matted and wrapped for an art print stand. The artwork will range in size from 24" x 30" down to 9" x 10".

Here's hoping for a good turnout and a sale or two!