The Flatware Family

Flatware Family   watercolor on Khadi   9.75 x 19

I am not a repeat person.  What keeps my interest in painting is the polar opposite thing.  After having completed "Tin Among Cans", a large work done with LARGE brushes and bold heavy strokes, I wanted to work on a quieter, more delicate subject.  Since we were working on reflective surfaces, I chose some pieces of flatware and arranged them on one of my favorite bar towels.  This work was approached wet into wet mostly, layer upon layer, with a softer touch and medium size brushes.  It was worked from left to right, mostly, in order to take advantage of varying degrees of dryness in the paper.  A few folds were noted and edges wet down so as to soften any edges that might form as the paint dried.  Several years ago, I was stimulated by a very minimalist painting of silverware and wanted to try my hand at this subject.  Not too much working of the medium....as the paper simply won't tolerate it...kind of reminds me of pie dough where the less you work it, the better. A few details were added to imply the hemming of the cloth and the resultant puckering. 

I am pleased.

Happy Easter!

Easter Basket   watercolor   12 x 9.5

A Tin Among Cans

Basement #2 (A Tin Among Cans)   watercolor on Khadi   18.75 x 28

Another composition from my very very very old basement!  While in high school, I used to freak out every weekend trying to decide upon a subject worthy of my attention to paint for the required Monday art project...something so meaningful or so beautiful that it would initiate "pause".  That all seems so funny now, as my work is based on my own perception of the reality, rather than the subject itself.

This work was broadly painted with watercolor on Khadi paper...my first experiment with this luxurious handmade paper from India.  It is an intimate relationship, and one entered into with some trepidation, getting to know and appreciate the qualities of an unfamiliar support.  I like this work (a lot), although I feel that from here on, I will use Khadi for more delicate subject matters.  I hesitated a bit as to whether or not to include typography from the paint cans and decided against...typography (left brain) always steals the show and takes the visual power away from the inherent rhythms.  A visitor to our local gallery expressed this same opinion a few months ago....she paused in front of a very conceptual work that included stenciled lettering.  She offered her opinion that the "readable symbols" caused her appreciation of the work to come to a complete halt.  Ah....something to consider.

Norma

Norma   watercolor and thread   16 x 6

is another steadfast watercolorist from our Monday evening class.  She has the distinct advantage of seeing simple shapes without cumbersome detail.  She also creates lovely travel journals with small watercolor sketches in whatever surroundings she finds herself on travels with her partner David. 

In this exercise, photos were shot (by me) of each artist the week before.  Photocopies of all were laid face-down on the table.  We all drew one as we entered.  So....our paintings were done on-the-spur, as it were.  The goal:  to try to be able to see only valued shapes and masses without our left-brain, naming-brain getting in the way with messages such as "This is a hand... 4 fingers and a thumb....better paint small....better get it right".  We painted monochromatically using a brown pigment of choice.

My only issue was the paper being too short for the perfect frame that I had on hand.  The solution:  I painted a strip with cad red and stitched it on by hand using gold thread.

Make new friends, but keep the old.
One is silver, the other gold.

Here's to Norma!

Good To Go

Good to Go   Watercolor   10.5 x 10.5 

Everyone likes monkeys.  And everyone likes bananas. (well, almost everyone) I don't normally paint such "sweet" subjects, but I thought that working on a stuffed animal would provide a bit of practice in drawing and painting round forms in preparation for the human figure.  AND...there has been a renewal of interest in "Curious George"....both of our grandchildren love him!  I think that one of E's first words was "George".  George is a bit like artists (and children) in that he doesn't really speak, he communicates beautifully non-verbally, and he gets himself into lots of predicaments.

Got a banana?  Then you're good to go!