january 16

01-16-15 "raspberry ridges"
01-16-15 “raspberry ridges”

I thought this fabric was silk, but now I’m not so sure. It may be nylon. It has interesting ridges in it, and is another American Players’ Theatre costume material swatch. Swished some acrylic paint on it to see if it would create a nice “ghost” image on the paper below it, like the silk did. Not really. So, I’ll try again with silk some day soon. I like the ghost images almost as much…but they’re pretty light and don’t show up on photos very well. 3.5″x10″

january 14

01-14-15 "jesters"
01-14-15 “jesters”

This piece began with a tangle of silk threads. After collaging them onto this paper (5.25″x3.25″) I pulled from a watercolor sketchbook, I added three colors of thinned acrylic paint. I remembered to turn on music this afternoon while I worked—good idea.

january 13

01-13-15
01-13-15

Here is a small little block print using water-based ink. I carved the image this afternoon from a piece of soft block (can’t remember the brand name). 2.5″x3.5″

Printmaking is not yet intuitive, and I’m not sure it ever will be for me. Today, I didn’t start carving with any pre-conceived notion of an image or even a theme or idea….but once I carved it, that’s how I saw the image. Then I inked the block and printed the paper, and suddenly the printed image is all backwards from how I “saw” it and how it’s “supposed” to be! Makes the (much more complex) prints my Aunt Vicki has done over the years all the more impressive to me.

january 12

01-12-15 "play in the woods"
01-12-15 “play in the woods”

I was looking through some material scraps that I bought a couple of years ago in Wisconsin. They are pieces of material that were used in theatrical costumes by American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin. We go there almost every year to see Shakespeare or another delightful play in an outdoor theatre (or a time or two in the “new” small indoor theatre on their grounds).

In the pile of material, found this piece of dark brownish-taupe silk, and decided to see what happened when acrylic paint is scraped over it. This is the result.

january 11

01-11-15 "crossing lines"
01-11-15 “crossing lines”

A photo taken this morning, cropped and de-colored. Can you guess what it is? I was tempted again to post an image more filtered and textured, but decided on the simple once more.

january 6

01-06-15 "riding the wave"
01-06-15 “riding the wave”

Painted earlier in the day today, so I could get better light—another scraped acrylic painting on matboard (about 6.5″ square). It’s always interesting to see where and how I place the paint, how softly (or not) I drag the scraper, what the paint does under the influence of the scraper, and what my reaction to the “product” is!

january 5

01-05-15 "moo"
01-05-15 “moo”
#5 (detail)
01-05-15 “moo” (detail)

So, it’s late again. I’m showing today’s full painting (sorry, bad lighting) (I took a better photo the next morning), but also a little close detail of it that I like. Scraped acrylic paint on matboard (about 6.5″ square).

january 4

#4  "love and happiness"
01-04-15 “love and happiness”

Mixed media: ink, watercolor pencil, yarn, gloss gel medium on an ATC (artist trading card).  The “title” is from the fact that I was listening to some Al Green music when I did the first part of this card (playing back the Kennedy Center honors show).

I think I need a better camera set-up—and perhaps try to finish the piece before nightfall!