Sunday, July 27, 2008

Pollensa facade, part 1


Ok, things are moving along slowly here due to two outdated operating systems. But hopefully this post will actually work. I am in the USA for a few weeks and haven't been able to update my blog.

Instead of totally losing touch with my work, I have cut a large drawing in to 8 pieces to be painted/drawn in a larger scale and then re-assembled upon returning to Mallorca. Above is the first panel. This is a mixed media piece combining graphite, white gesso, permanent marker, and white-out tape. My goal is to post all 8 before August 15.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

New Painting Finished Today, still wet


I am excited because this painting was sitting half done for a while and I wasn't sure how to resolve it. But I think I got it. I am pleased. As of yet untitled...

detail...still, they look so different in person.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Open-Box In Cast Plaster- First Try


I have been wanting to do a test-run of this idea for a while. I foresee this working on a much larger scale; this manageable sample measures about 3.5 X2.5 (widest point) in feet and that's 1 meter by 75 cms for my euro-pals out there. As the perpetual teacher, I want to share the steps...

Above you see the clay slabs cut into the layout of an open box, then designed with impressions made from man-made and natural objects. You can see some of the implements on the floor.


Here you can see that clay walls have been built to control the flow of the wet plaster...


Doesn't my foot give you the sense of scale?! Anyway, here it is filled with plaster, labeled and with hooks for hanging. The tricky thing about this technique, particularly large scale, is that it has to be done all at once so that neither the clay nor the plaster harden too quickly. 3-4 hours straight, no breaks. Until this point. 


A couple of hours later it is safe to pull back the clay and let the plaster air dry a bit more before washing the terra cotta clay residue off. 

That's where I am at now: all the pieces have been washed and cleaned with a toothbrush. Now they must dry at least 4 days (that's in the Mallorca sun) before I can paint them.

But Alas, I must leave this piece in limbo until mid- August. I am going to America with Malena first thing friday morning. I will be working and posting from there, but on paper pieces and actual little open boxes. Stay tuned!! Give me a few days to get there and bounce back from the long journey.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

New Diptych

Is it done? This image is a bit washed out. Seeing it up here now I think I need to better integrate the rusted metal elements. I know it needs to be about twice as long.

A side note is that this painting contains a 'reject' painting that was cut up into little squares and used as the base for the lower half. I love recycling older pieces that haven't found a home or satisfying resolution. Stay tuned for more.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Plaster Tiles - Color Schemes

I think these plaster pieces are approaching the color scheme that works with the under-construction theme. Still feeling that, for the size (approximately 8X10 in.), these are still too busy in terms of texture.

You wouldn't believe how many layers of paint are on the second one.  The textures were created with found objects from the street and back roads of Muro, Mallorca.

...well, back to the lab.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Happy Accidents?


This is what results when you prime open boxes over unresolved drawings....Hmmm, these have left me curious. For all my exhaustive planning and gathering, I often am more attracted to the abstractions that result when I am not trying so hard.


Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Plaster Reliefs, new & reworked


You've seen this top one before, but now I think it's more resolved. It was a technical experiment to figure out this material, so I see it as a piece on it's own and not totally connected to the open box/building theme. No title yet. Plaster relief, approximately 8X10 inches. 
These two are samples of a few pieces I am currently working on. The clay original is cut into the shape of an open box and impressions are made with various natural and man-made objects. The resulting plaster relief is then painted in many transparent layers.

The plan is to hang these in large clusters on the wall.  Once again, I amazed at how what I fore-plan in my mind's eye and what comes out is soooo different. While I enjoy these, they also look bizarre to me. Where will they lead me?

Texture compostitions




These are some images I have been making which will be collaged onto open boxes.  They are also the materials I am using to create the plaster relief pieces.