chemical transfers

In my summer mixed media class we spent several weeks studying transfer techniques. For the first week this involved using chemicals, specifically a blender marker by Chartpak and Citrasolv household cleaner to transfer images from copy machines and magazines. Here are two finished projects. They are loosely based on the work of the artist Robert Rauschenberg. The first one measures 9" x 12" and is on Bristol board. It features images of the BP oil spill including two of President Obama on the beach picking up tar balls. The color is very subdued.

The second piece is 12" x 18" and is also on Bristol board. The theme is mainly military and the color is also subdued, except for the lower left corner where the palm trees and sunset are. Using the Chartpak marker was a challenge as it has a very strong smell, despite the label which says non-toxic. I gave myself a three-day headache since I used it indoors without proper ventilation! I strongly recommend using this marker outdoors. Despite the headache, I really enjoyed working with this technique because the end result is a seamless, smooth image made up of many different images. I am learning so much in this class!

the blotted line

My summer class has gotten off with a bang! We've been learning all sorts of techniques including this first one using a blotted line from brush and India ink onto watercolor paper (9x12") and colored with watercolor pencils. I traced a model from a magazine onto tracing paper and inked small sections (about 1/2" sections at a time) then blotted the wet ink onto the watercolor paper to achieve this uneven line.

After practicing on several images I was successful enough to do a dragonfly for an invitation to a party we're throwing for my husband's cousin. I was thrilled to translate my new-found knowledge into something practical! I wish I could upload a copy of the invitation but it won't show up here. The final result was pretty nice, though, I must say.

tuff tony

It has been a long time since my last posting, I know, but here is my most recent painting. I actually completed it in June but have been too busy to photograph it and post it online. The past few months have been really crazy due to some nasty migraines that are thankfully pretty much under control now thanks to a new medication. This painting will complete my series of striped paintings where I drew inspiration from Barkley L. Hendricks' work - work which began in Feburary of 2010. I set out to paint a set of paintings with a unified theme and did just that. They expressed my interest in color schemes and unifying rigid grid systems with hand painted marks. This one was all about the gold stripe. It is acrylic on canvas, 30x36". I am interested in expanding my painting vocabulary so I am taking a mixed media class this summer (my next posting will be all about that) and a new painting class in the fall. More stuff to come!

fta

My latest painting is FT A, acrylic on canvas, 2010, after Barkley L. Hendrick's FTA, oil on linen canvas, 1968. I really pushed myself here to line up the strokes and to amp up the composition by adding the diagonal line and the two white racing stripes. Although the original painting was about the army, mine is a bit more playful. I learned to use gel medium to seal the taped edges and that helped tremendously! Compared to my other painting New Orleans, this one taped like a charm! I'll never go back to matte medium to seal tape lines again!

sisters

I just wanted to post that this painting, Sisters, has made it into the Visual Arts Alliance Show at Williams Tower! The show will run from April 29 to May 28, 2010. The opening reception will be on Thursday night, April 29 from 6-8pm. All are invited to attend. This is a painting I made for my sister-in-law, Anna, last year. It is oil on canvas and done in many, many layers. There is also a layer of gesso which gives it the texture that caused the drips to run ragged. It took me about six months to finish this painting. I am so excited I made it in the show!

iii

Another thing the curator of the Galveston Arts Center said to try was a horizontal format. This is based on another Barkley L. Hendrick's painting entitled JSBIII. I'm calling mine III. Although the white columns look solid, they are actually painted like the other ones. I think I like the vertical format better.

new orleans

Hi all! This is a painting inspired from Barkley L. Hendrick's New Orleans Niggah. I'm calling it New Orleans. I used the slanted lines to mimic the angle at which the model was standing in the original painting. I got positive feedback from the curator of the Galveston Arts Center who liked that this painting was of a subject (the diagonal lines) on a ground (the white background). He encouraged me to make more like this one so I'm working on a couple right now in this vein. More to come...