Writings devoted to the ways in which materials and techniques affect my art process.
Sun Series #1
Monday, December 28, 2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Happy Holidays!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and inspiring 2016!
Thanks for your support and encouragement throughout the past year.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Golden Poppy
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Yellow and Red Plums
Friday, December 4, 2015
The Scary Part...Going Too Far
Monday, November 30, 2015
Apple Blossoms from the Botanist's Journal
Labels:
abstract,
acrylic paint,
collage,
fabric,
found journal pages,
layered,
mixed media,
mono print,
nature,
paper,
pen & ink,
photocopy of original artwork,
quilt,
recycled paintings,
stamping
Sunday, November 22, 2015
The Botanist Makes a Dye Bath
"Black Walnut Dye" 14x15" mixed media collage on canvas One of the things that John and I have an abundance of on our farm is black walnuts. As a child my mother and I would go to her childhood farm in Shelby Ohio and collect black walnuts. Mom loved the texture and flavor of them in her holiday baked goods. And she was willing to go to all of the work and mess necessary to get those precious walnut meats. Removing the husks can stain your hands black and getting the nut out of the inner shell is time-consuming. Around our farm in Southington, the squirrels are the only ones who go to all of this trouble. Until this fall! In October I decided to use the walnuts to make a dye thanks to a visit and some inspiration from Jessica at Praxis Fiber Workshop. I dyed both paper and fabric in the walnut dye (see my post from Sunday, Oct. 25) as well as a few strands of linen, cotton and silk threads. It felt good to use this free resource and I loved the results. Here is the collage that documents the experience which I think fits in perfectly with my Botanist's Journal series. |
Labels:
acrylic paint,
clare murray adams,
collage,
craypas,
fabric,
found book pages,
garden,
landscape,
layered,
mixed media,
mono print,
nature,
paper,
pen & ink,
recycled paintings,
stitching,
thread
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Indian Corn
Labels:
acrylic paint,
clare murray adams,
collage,
fabric,
found book pages,
found journal pages,
landscape,
layered,
mixed media,
mono print,
nature,
paper,
pen & ink,
recycled paintings,
stitching,
transfers,
watercolor
Monday, November 9, 2015
Second Piece from the Botanist's Journal
Labels:
acrylic paint,
clare murray adams,
collage,
found journal pages,
garden,
layered,
mixed media,
nature,
paper,
pen & ink,
photocopy of original artwork,
plastic,
stamping,
watercolor
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Trying to Up My Game
Monday, November 2, 2015
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Reworking the Unsuccessful
Reworked "Remnants no. 004"
Following a critique of this piece and a lot of thought I reworked it, adding some more fabric and details to the sculptural top left area. The consensus was that in its original form it felt incomplete, unfinished and missing the kind of information I usually include that helps create a narrative. I think I was so caught up in the sculptural form of the work that I stopped working on it too soon.
Below is what the original looked like.
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts about this piece.
Or about reworking pieces in general.
"When is a work finished?"
"Will I ruin it if I keep going?"
"Do I stick with my original idea/intent or should I let the work dictate the progress?"
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Eco Dyeing
Eco Dyeing with Plant Materials and Black Walnuts So, not because I didn't have anything else to do....I have plenty to do!...I decided to try some dyeing with all of those black walnuts that are laying in the yard. Jessica Pinsky from Praxis (http://praxisfiberworkshop.com) was here to get some walnuts for dyeing her yarn and that is what got me going. I googled around a bit and then just kind of dove in. The large piece in the background on the left is a piece of cotton and the large one on the right is silk organza. The foreground pieces are stonehenge paper which I soaked in a bath of water and alum before dyeing. The paper and plant materials were layered in a sandwich between 2 pieces of plexiglass then tied with string. These items were simmered in as enamel pan with black walnuts and water for about an hour. The leaf and plant materials left their marks in green and yellow while the brown is from the back walnut dye. I don't know what I will do with them, but they were really fun to do. I had forgotten the surprise and delight of opening a tie dye package! |
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Growth with Authenticity
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Remnants no. 003
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Felting Workshop
Felted Vessels by Susan McClelland |
which is located in the Waterloo district of Cleveland. Jessica Pinsky welcomed the 8 participants to her new studio and venture and Susan McClelland taught the class.
I have a little experience with felting and it was fun to renew my interest in it. I had forgotten how much fun it was to do felting. Especially in a group of other like minded people and artists. There is a certain methodical, repetitive, and contemplative aspect to the process which is akin to knitting or quilting that I really like.
Praxis is a great new place for the textile artist. One can learn weaving, dyeing, shibori techniques, felting and other processes associated with fiber. Jessica is a talented artist and now a business woman and entrepreneur! Check out her website ( http://praxisfiberworkshop.com). Join in the fun!
Workshop Participants felting their first vessel. |
Class vessels |
Taa Daa!! My vessels |
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Some of My Favorite Things
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Experiments with New Materials
Monday, September 28, 2015
Layered Ambiguity
Labels:
abstract,
acrylic paint,
architecture,
black and white,
chairs,
clare murray adams,
collage,
door,
fabric,
found book pages,
layered,
mixed media,
paper,
plaster,
stitching,
thread,
window
Friday, September 25, 2015
End of the Growing Season But Not the End of Its Beauty
I had to drop off some artwork at Rachel's house and in her kitchen she had this amazing display of dried flowers hanging from the overhead beams. Why didn't I think to do that?!
I have seen hanging dried flowers in books and magazines yet I had not really considered doing anything with them in my own house.
Or maybe I had, but didn't realize how stunning it would look. And how much I would enjoy the beauty of plants that are past their prime.
We have acres of beautiful wildflowers and weeds growing in fields and woods.
We have beams and rafters in our house.
I always have several flower arrangements in the house starting with pussy willows in the spring and running the gamut of flowers growing throughout the summer and fall.
But once the frost comes I feel like that part is over. But now it doesn't have to be.
I immediately came home from Rachel's and started cutting the end of the growing season to bring indoors.
What a beautiful installation of shapes, colors, textures, sizes and smells.
Thanks Rachel!
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Sewing Paper
Labels:
abstract,
black and white,
clare murray adams,
collage,
embroidery,
fabric,
found book pages,
lace,
layered,
mixed media,
paper,
plaster,
plastic,
stitching,
thread,
watercolor
Thursday, September 17, 2015
What's in a Title?
Monday, September 14, 2015
For the Love of Fonts
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Many Techniques, Many Layers
Saturday, September 5, 2015
By the Skin of My Teeth!
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Life Maintenance or When Real Life Takes Over
"Botanical Lies" (first side) Originally posted on July 1 |
Labels:
clare murray adams,
collage,
colored pencil,
found book pages,
garden,
landscape,
layered,
mixed media,
nature,
paper,
pen & ink,
photocopy of original artwork,
stamping,
stitching,
two-sided,
watercolor
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Rust, Bleach, Burn, and Stain, Oh My!!
This past weekend I taught a workshop at the Morgan Paper Conservatory in Cleveland. As the title of the posts says, we rusted, bleached, burned and stained paper to use in collage, printmaking, and painting. The class consisted of artists with a wide range of backgrounds and talents...collage artists, printmakers, painters, book artists and papermakers.
It was 2 days full of experimenting and sharing. Here are some of their results.
It was 2 days full of experimenting and sharing. Here are some of their results.
Thanks to the Morgan for inviting me to teach this fun class
and thanks to all of the participants!
Thursday, August 20, 2015
20 Year Old Shorts!
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Influences
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Knives, Spoons and Mom's Recipe Box
Missing the Forks 6x7" on board More from the silverware series where I used those precious, favorite napkins as collage elements. The writing behind the napkins are copies of some of my mother's recipes. I have her little recipe file box, which is pictures above, as well as lots of loose recipes that she collected. When I find myself writing notes, art ideas, book titles, etc. on little slips of paper instead of in my journal or my date book, I know that I am turning into my Mom! |
Sunday, August 9, 2015
From Paper Napkin to Art
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Diagramming Sentences from A to Z!
"Diagramming Sentences
from A to Z"
26 individual pages in a box
for display.
Pages measure about 7.5 x 11".
The artists book group I belong to, ABC, (ArtBooksCleveland@yahoo.com) presents a book exhibit each year called Abecederia where the participants create a book that revolves around the letters in the alphabet. The group is dedicated to promoting, encouraging and teaching contemporary and traditional artistic practices involved in making handmade books.
This was a fun and challenging exhibit. Part of the challenge for me, and I suspect for many of the members, is to find a way to use each letter of the alphabet in their project. While one doesn't have to use every letter, the books need to clearly reflect the importance of the alphabet, whether it is one letter that is emphasized or all of them. Here is my entry for this year using the alphabet and remembering my love of diagramming sentences.
I really did love this activity. It was a way to visually represent the alphabet and seems to me now, and I think then, as an artistic endeavor. I had a lot of fun creating crazy and implausible sentences using each letter of the alphabet. I did have to consult a book about diagramming as it wasn't like riding a bike. I forgot some of the rules.
I wanted the pages to reference the way we used to take turns diagramming the given sentences on the blackboard, hence the use of the black and white. I smiled all though this project.
I did take some liberties with the "book" aspect as I did not bind the pages together.
I felt it would be easier to read as single pages and could also be displayed on a wall as opposed to on a pedestal.
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