My Painting Process - Part 4

Completion Stage: Putting the Pieces Together

This stage of the process is such a delight and so fulfilling. It usually begins by laying out all of the separate elements, together, on the stretched canvas background, finalizing their placement, and sewing the cloth layers in place. Any additional text is now adhered to the painting where ever it seems to fit best.

Once all of the parts are solidly in place, the painting is ready to be made whole. In other words, it’s time to cohesify the painting. Everything has been prepared and painted in parts, and now they need to come together as one cohesive painting, rather than a collection of disjointed elements.

It’s a joyful experience that feels like starting fresh but with a structure already in place. I become lit up with ways to tweak the color here or create a shadow there, determining, “What else is needed?” “What areas to darken or lighten.” and “What alterations to make.“ I am truly in my happy place as I watch the painting transform in bits, as little alterations add to the whole. 

From inception to completion, the process of creating a painting is a joyful experience. Every part of the process has it’s gifts and delights. One of the greatest gifts is being able to be present for each of the stages, moment by moment, along the way.

This was part 4 of a 4 part series. Links to the first 3 are below.

You may also be interested in…
Before I Begin - Part 1
The Beginning Stage - Part 2
The Development Stage - Part 3

My Painting Process - Part 3

The Development Stage…

The middle stages in developing a painting primarily involve adding paint, creating the text to be included, making any revisions in the prepared cloth pieces, and considering any other elements I might want to add to the painting.  

I can get lost in the joy of playing with paint on the stretched canvas… adding colors, lightening areas, darkening others, thinking of how I want the background to show up around the cloth elements. In some paintings I take my time with this painting stage, just to continue enjoying the process.

Once I feel clearer about how the cloth pieces will fit within the whole, I give them their first layer of paint. There are times I prefer the raw look, and will choose to leave them coated but unpainted. 

Although the background of stretched canvas and the layers of cloth develop separately, they keep coming together to help clarify what each one requires in order to fit within the whole. It’s during this stage when it becomes clear if the painting would be better served with a different cloth construction… and a new one is prepared.

Up until this point I’ve considered the words I’d like to include in the painting. The concept and meaning behind the painting has developed within my mind and I am ready to produce the text in different sizes and sometimes in a variety of fonts to be printed. The placement of text on the painting becomes a super enjoyable game. Since I print more text than I will use, I have a multitude of choices as I move the strips of words from place to place. Decisions on the placement of text may lead to adding new layers of cloth to house the text.

More to come. This is part 3 of a 4 part series. Links to the first 2 are below,

Next up… Completion Stage: Putting the Pieces Together - Part 4

You may also be interested in…
Before I Begin - Part 1
The Beginning Stage - Part 2

My Painting Process - Part 2

Beginning stages…

I often begin a painting by covering the blank canvas with color. There’s so much freedom and joy in the feeling of a paint filled brush on the stretched canvas. It never gets old. There’s a wonderful ebb and flow to the dance between the brush and canvas, a give and take. Part of the fun is in placing dabs of multiple paint colors on the canvas and mixing them right there with the movement of the brush. The first coat of paint is pure play, with a definite awareness that anything placed on the canvas can be covered up, so at this point, nothing feels precious.

Another early stage of the process is in the construction of raw canvas pieces to fit the paintings concept or focus. This involves cutting, fraying, and stringifying them to size. But before I can do all that, I have to have a sense, and something of a vision, of the layout of the pieces within the whole. The prepared piece(s) help me to get moving forward on the painting and get a feel for the whole. They act as a place holder within the painting as it develops, but may not be the final piece(s) that end up in that particular painting. Many cloth pieces, created for one painting, have ended up in another, or on the pieces in waiting pile.

I love the beginning stages of a new painting… the flow and freedom of creating the first layer of color on the canvas, the feel of the cloth’s texture between my fingers, the pile of strings that develop as I pull the threads from the cloth to create the fringes. It could be thought of as the best part of the creative process, but for me, there are many best parts that take place as the painting’s process develops.

More to come. This is part 2 of a 4 part series.

Next up… The Development Stage - Part 3

You may be interested in:
Before I Begin - Part 1
Completion Stage: Putting the Pieces Together - Part 4

My Painting Process - Part 1

I’m here to share my process in creating a painting. Although there can be similarities in the way other artists work, every artist has their own steps, details, and experiences in creating their very individual and original works of art. I’ve decided to share mine in a series of 4 blogposts, broken down into 4 stages, to be shared over the next several weeks. I’ll be focusing on the steps in developing a Canvas-on-Canvas painting.

This will be a general overview of the process, although one size doesn’t necessarily fit all of my paintings. I begin Part 1 of the series by describing what commonly takes place before I even begin a painting.

Before I Begin:

Before I put paint to canvas, I often get an idea… it could be a vision, a title, or concept of something that zings me. No matter what it is that jump starts the creative flow, I am sparked by a desire to express something I find meaningful. 

Often, once the concept begins to take up residence within my thoughts, I begin to get a feel for the colors to use in that painting. It’s not that I’m trying to come up with a palette, although that does happen occasionally. It’s more of a feeling sense of the colors that come to me. I guess it’s hard to explain how I might feel the colors but I do believe I feel them first and then get a subtle visual, as if I’m seeing the colors through a mist and from afar. However misty, there’s a sense of clarity on a specific color palette to begin with, and I am able to have the paints at the ready before I get to work.

There have been a few times in which I’ve used my collection of painted color swatches to choose the palette. Although I find it to be fun to play with the many choices, the process feels a bit clunky and awkward. The color flow ends up feeling a bit less natural.

This is the first part of a 4 part series. Links to the next 3 are below.

Next up: The Beginning Stage - Part 2

You may be interested in:
The Beginning Stage - Part 2
The Development Stage - Part 3
Completion Stage: Putting the Pieces Together - Part 4

Threads in Art

I love to use threads in my artwork, to have them appear as lines of stitching on cloth, and to watch them hang down below the defined border of a canvas. I love when they become another element in a painting as a jumble of tangled strings or simply provide texture on the surface below a layer of paint.

One of my friends on Instagram asked me the following question… Do the threads have meaning for me, do they represent something or symbolize something?

This is my answer… I am so attracted to the look and movement of threads, the way they meander and flow. For me, their meaning shifts depending on the specific piece of artwork.

In general, at the core, they are the threads of our connection to one another, to all life on the planet - past, present, and future, and to the Divine. They are the threads of a prayer shawl and those in the tapestry of life. They are the link that bind us to our collective history, to the pictographs and cave paintings, to the philosophers of ancient Greece and the builders of the pyramids. They are our heart connections and the very threads that pull at our heart strings.

And like the magnificent underground network of mycelium that enables communication between plant life, threads represent the unseen connections between all living things.

New Beginnings

“Opening to the Next Chapter” 18” x 18” Acrylic Mixed Media on Canvas

New Year, New Beginnings

I recently completed a painting for the New Beginnings show at Pajaro Valley Arts. I not only want to share images of the painting and it’s parts, but I’m also here to share the words that have been incorporated into the painting. The concept, words, and construction were all created in tandem. 

When I first heard about the show’s theme, I immediately wanted to incorporate a book into the painting I would create. That’s when I began to ponder the concept that as a new year begins, we are just starting to write the next chapter of our lives. The painting is titled, “Opening to the Next Chapter” and it is built with a cloth folded open to reveal the place to begin writing that new chapter.

As I began to develop the canvas and the pieces that would become part of the whole, I wrote. I wanted to clarify and understand the concept that I was building the painting around. And in the end, I included quite a bit of text into the work… much of it hidden under paint or cloth. I thought I would share some of it here along with images of the whole and it’s parts. 

These are the words that can be found under the piece of cloth on the left side of the painting: 

This is your past. You know what it holds. It no longer exists except for the place you choose to give it in your mind, in your memories. And you may add layers to it from a new perspective, from a different vantage point. You may try to hold onto some of the past with a firm grip while letting others fade away. As you stand in your now, with the new pages before you, can a firm grip on the past impede your ability to write your new chapter? Your new chapter begins today. What lies ahead?

Here are some details images of “Opening to the Next Chapter”

And if you are in the area, visit the show. It is filled with fabulous and fascinating pieces of art from local artists.

Pajaro Valley Arts Annual Membership Show
NEW BEGINNINGS - Exhibit dates: Jan. 18 – Feb. 26, 2023

Opening Reception: Sunday, January 22, 2023
from 2:00PM – 4:00PM

Location: 37 Sudden Street, Watsonville, CA
Gallery Hours: 11.00AM – 4:00PM
Open: Wednesday – Sunday

MASKS ENCOURAGED

2023 Digital Calendars

I’m here to share a new offering and a new experience for me. I created my first digital products, which led to me capturing my very first QR code. Maybe QR codes are an old concept for many, but although I have seen them around, I’ve really never known how to use them, and certainly never created one. So this has been a big deal for me. It’s like stepping into a new dimension that I’m finding super cool.

About the Offer…

There are TWO 2023 DIGITAL CALENDARS to choose from. Each one comes with 14 printable pages and is filled with art and quotes… including a cover page, 12 monthly pages, and the full year at a glance on the final page. The calendars display cropped images from one of two painting series… the Music in Art series fills one of the calendars and the more recent Affirmations & Meditations paintings are found in the other. 

Pages can be printed on your home printer or viewed on your desktop. So, pick a calendar for $6.97 and you’ll receive the printable PDF in your inbox. Scroll down to view images of some of the pages. To learn more, scan the QR code or CLICK HERE.

From the Affirmations & Meditations Calendar

from the Music in Art Calendar

Wishing you a very Joyous Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!!

Art Calendars & Planner - a Limited Edition

Give the gift of art this holiday season!!

3 Art Calendars & 1 Planner
Only Available November 7th thru 21st

I'm excited to announce that one of my paintings is included in a collaborative art calendar project with 86 fabulous women artists from around the world.

Wall Calendars: There are 3 wall calendar choices filled with beautiful and colorful artwork. (either nature/landscape art, OR abstract art, OR representational art) They are 8-1/2" x 11" with a spiral center for easy hanging. Each page has space for notes.

The Planner: I love the planner! Not just because one of my paintings appears in it. At 6" x 9" size, it's easy to carry anywhere and it's filled with fabulous artwork and space for writing goals & dreams, notes, priorities, and task lists.

CLICK HERE to view a video tour of each of the 4 choices.

These offerings are only available for a limited time so they can be printed and shipped in time for the start of 2023.

“Threads of Connection”

In case you’re wondering, “Threads of Connection” is the painting of mine that’s in the 2023 planner journal. It is located on one of the weekly pages in February.

Santa Cruz Love Note

“Santa Cruz Love Note" 18" x 18" Acrylic, cloth, papers, strings, and threads on canvas.

“Santa cruz love note” is currently hanging in a Local show.

Here are the details:

Exhibit: Local Visions
at: Pajaro valley arts
(pvarts.org)

When: Now until July 31, 2022

Opening reception:
Sunday, June 26
From 2PM - 4PM

"Santa Cruz Love Note” in process

I created “Santa Cruz Love Note” specifically for the Local Visions show at Pajaro Valley Arts, a membership exhibit. We were told to have fun with the theme and that’s exactly what I did. I filled the painting and layers of raw canvas with the many things I love about living here in Santa Cruz. And I could have added even more. In the lower right hand corner of the painting, I’ve attached something of a love note about the area. These words are somewhat visible under the paint.

Pajaro Valley Arts

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Santa Cruz, it’s a happy place, surrounded by natural beauty. There’s plenty to love about Santa Cruz County… with the magnificent redwoods, the hiking trails, the forests, the coast, the beaches, the arts, the people, the culture, the beauty, and so much more. Since I began developing this painting, my appreciation for the area has continues to grow.

Gallery Information:
37 Sudden Street, Watsonville, CA
Gallery Hours: 11.00am – 4:00pm
Wednesday-Sunday
Masks Encouraged

Here are some details of the completed painting:

A 12 Piece Painting Exercise

Just beginning the 12 works on paper

Earlier this year, I began playing with 12 small pieces of watercolor paper (8” x 8”). I taped the group to the closet door in the studio and started with ink lines, scribbles, watercolor pencil and a bit of paint. I wrote a word at the top of each of them and added a related quote in pencil.

Last year, I did a series of 12 Meditations and wanted to create something similar this year.

Ready to take them down and work on them one by one.

I continued to work on them as a group, using charcoal and an orange water soluble Woodie. Then it was time to take them off the wall and complete them individually.

Although each piece began with a word and a quote, I had no intention for those words to influence the paintings. My expectation was for the words/quotes to partially or fully disappear under the paint.

The pieces developed individually based on their initial marks and lines. I played with layers of paint and colored pencils, and chose circles and shapes from a growing collection of pre-cut papers.

I’ve completed 9 of the 12 so far, with 3 more to go.

Wholeness - The 3rd one completed

These will each be matted and available for purchase on the website. Contact Me for more information.

You may also be interested in:
The 12 Painting Meditations

Connection and Disconnection

Threads of Connection and Illusion of Disconnection are two of my recent paintings. They are currently hanging in the tri-gallery “This is Now’ show at Curated by the Sea, in downtown Santa Cruz. The show is being held in partnership with Arts Council Santa Cruz, and showcasing the artists of the Visual Arts Network. It focuses on works created within the past two years that relate to current issues in our world.

First Friday reception April 1st, 6 pm - 8 pm
with live jazz music

About the Paintings: Although we think of ourselves as individuals, separate from one another, we are all connected through an intricate web of energetic threads. We are like single cells that come together to form the whole organism. Our actions, reactions, thoughts, and beliefs are not isolated within our small piece of the world but emanate out in unseen ripples to all. This was never more apparent to me than at the beginning of the pandemic when the worries and concerns of the collective unconscious seemed to be present in air. Meanwhile, in recent years we’ve seen an increase in a mentality of separation, an exaggeration of our differences, and an avoidance of finding common ground.

“Threads of Connection”

So, as soon as I heard the theme for This is Now, I wanted to create a pair of paintings around the concept of our connection to one another and the illusion of separateness we experience.“Threads of Connection” and “Illusion of Disconnection” were painted in tandem, stepping them through the process of development together, side by side. 

“Illusion of Disconnection”

In “Threads of Connection,” the cloth cut-outs on the top layer have been connected like a web, with each of the holes tied to all of its adjacent cut-outs. There are two quotes that reference our connections. One is by Martin Luther King and the second is from Mitch Albom.

With “Illusion of Disconnection,” the cut-out squares from the upper layers of painted cloth seem to hang in their separate spaces yet they are still connected, by the red threads, to the whole. I’ve placed the words of Albert Einstein in the painting, present but barely seen under the paint.

Show will be closing on
Saturday, April 9th.

Curated by the Sea:
Address: 703 Front Street, Santa Cruz
Hours: Thursday through Saturday noon - 4 pm

Sketchbook Love

Sketchbook Page: Playful Joy

It’s a joy to get lost in a sketchbook page. The art play that’s done in a sketchbook is a gift an artist can give themselves. I love being able to fill the pages with anything that’s calling to me. It could be pure experimentation and pure play. Any page can be unique and totally different from any other, or it could become part of a series of multiple images, exploring a single concept. The focus might be on an idea that’s been in mind for a while or just playing around with paint and materials with no idea in mind. And each creation becomes part of a hand held collection of ideas, a history of moments in time in an artistic journey.

Each of the 5 sketchbook pages being shared on this post, were a creation in joy. Although they are very different from my works on canvas, I’m fully aware of how my sketchbook art can end up influencing my paintings.

Playful Joy: The sketchbook page above, was started with the paints that remained on the palette from works on canvas. It was a playful process, filled with joy and gratitude. The marks, the colors, the writing, the cloth pieces (remnants of the current work on canvas), all coming together in a sketchbook experience.

Sketchbook Page: Grid First

Grid First: This painting was begun by drawing out a grid and once again, using up the leftover paint on the palette. The goal was to just play with paint, pencil writing, adding a bit of paper collage, and some scrapes and scribbles. The quote that I added was within arms reach, the first one I saw. Usually the quotes I use are related to the focus of the work, but this was for the fun of it.

Sketchbook Page: A Dialogue

A Dialogue: I began the page with the following written words: “a painting is a container for a conversation… dialogue between the artist and the Divine, between the created and the creator. It’s a give and take, a shared creation, a joint effort - the co-creative process.” When I paint, I am well aware of the dialogue taking place… the questions asked, the answers given. With this page, the focus was on that conversation… on the co-creative process that resulted in a playful sketchbook experience with a different look and feel.

Sketchbook Page: Color Play

Color Play: The goal here was to use a different palette, one that’s out of my comfort zone. The first colors I thought of were purple and quinacridone crimson. Then with some pink, red, and a bit of orange added in, this collection of colors didn’t look at all like me and what I am used to. I found this color palette to be too loud for me. I prefer a quieter, more earthy set of colors. Yet, I have to admit, I found the experience to be totally enjoyable and look forward to playing with new mixes of colors in the future.

Sketchbook Page: Playing with Paint

Playing with Paint: My primary focus here was to take the opportunity to get lost in a sketchbook page… to fill it with paint and then flick some sprays of paint off an old toothbrush I use for such things. I wanted to keep up with the sketchbook even though my days were being filled with the development of a new series. That’s where my head was at the time. So, I stepped away from the new works on canvas and gave myself a playful sketchbook experience.

I have lots of ideas on how I want to use the sketchbook moving forward. For now, I am more focused on the works I’ve been developing on my easel. But maybe this post is a reminder to take some time, from time to time, to show up and experience the joy that can be found on a sketchbook page.

You may also be interested in:
Finding Inspiration in the Sketchbook

Finding Inspiration in the Sketchbook

Recently, I completed a 30 day sketchbook challenge course from Cheryl Taves of Insight Creative. The completed pages were shared on Instagram and reposted to Facebook. Although I would love to share many of the images from that experience, today I’m focusing on the artwork which has been inspiring me outside of the sketchbook.

A pocket to hold notes in my sketchbook.

I’ll begin with the page that filled me with joy and delight, both in the conception of it and in its creation. Now, I’m thinking of taking this idea and creating a similar piece in a larger size… and it has already inspired some titles for additional paintings. (Maybe a series?) I amused myself with this one by creating a pocket to hold my “notes”… while using my most favorite material: raw canvas. And the addition of the circle, paper, and threads made me quite the happy artist.

Sketchbook page with text on cloth.

For several years, I’ve held a vision of a painting I wanted to create on canvas. So with some cloth and the words of Albert Einstein in hand, I proceeded to play with the idea on a sketchbook page. I loved the experience of seeing my idea come to life in an altered form. Now, both the original idea I had in mind, along with this sketchbook creation, have taken up residence within me, inspiring a desire to play with it more. (Variations on the theme on canvas?).

Sketchbook page using cutouts from prior page.

At this point, I might as well share this page too. I couldn’t resist taking the cloth pieces I cutout from the prior page and placing them in the same location they would have been but on a new page. (Playing with my first variation on the theme!) Once again I used the words of Albert Einstein and added some asemic writing scraped into the paint, a red square, and a similar black background.

Sketchbook page created with limited palette in a limited time.

I fell in love with a new color palette in the creation of this painted page. Since I was getting ready to leave for the day, it made sense to limit the time spent on the sketchbook page to 30 minutes. I grabbed some ivory black, titanium white, and yellow oxide paint to work with a limited palette, in order to create something in a limited time. I finished off the page with some text and music scraps that were on the art table within reach, and managed to achieve the 30 minute limit. Since that day, I have been inspired to use this color palette again and again.

I’ve loved experiencing the gifts of this sketchbook challenge… playing with ideas that have lived in my mind, exploring concepts that stimulate my creative thinking, trying things out that I would hesitate to do on canvas, and being reminded that we can continue our sketchbook practice even when time is limited.

So much inspiration can be found on the pages of a sketchbook.

You may also be interested in:
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages - Part 2

2021 Reflections

Cropped images from the concertina sketchbook pages

As I write this, the new year is just hours away. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been reflecting on all that happened (and didn’t happen) in 2021… and considering potential plans and intentions for 2022.

Simplicity pages with ink, papers, cloth, and acrylic on paper.

Last year, I entered 2021 with several ideas for the creative projects I was excited to delve into. 2020 had felt like a slow, never ending experience. And although I had lots to show for it, after spending an abundance of time immersed in exploration, I longed to get back to “my artwork” and the materials and paintings that fed my soul. I had an idea of what that looked like and what that meant. What I didn’t anticipate was another year of exploration and a concertina sketchbook experience that would change the trajectory of my year in art.

I may set artistic intentions, but I learned long ago that my greatest intention is to go with the natural flow of my creative spirit. I know that one artistic adventure leads to the next and they each become stepping stones to all that’s created in the future. Allowing that flow is probably at the foundation of all of my work. It’s like being carried forward with limited vision of where I am headed but also infused with ideas and imagination. The most important place to be is in the here and now, fully immersed in the painting project of the moment… because what I’m doing now is a building block for what will emerge next… and next… and next.

Cropped images of the Elements series.

So, the process of exploring the pages of the concertina sketchbook project carried me into a whole new world of exploration. And although I will enter 2022 with a list of potential painting projects, I am excited to see where the creative flow will lead and what will unfold within the next 12 months in the studio.

Wishing you a Happy New Year
and a fabulous
life adventure that
unfolds in beautiful ways
for you in the coming year.

You may also be interested in:
Concertina Sketchbook Project
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages - Part 2
Series of Transition

Circle Trios

“Expansive” 8” x 10” acrylic mixed media on canvas

“Meditations No. 6” 4-1/2” x 6”. Mixed media on paper

As I recently looked back on my use of Circles over the years, I noticed how often I’ve created works with three circles in a row. The imagery of the three circles is so reminiscent of a stack of stones and the beauty of the way they connect.

Where the circular shape, in itself, carries a simplistic expression of peace and wholeness, the threesome seems to portray a bit of drama. Like the stones, the image seems to have the unsettling possibility of looking like it could topple over.

Recent paintings and sketchbook pages with the image of the 3 circles.

You may also be interested in: The Circle: a Meaningful Symbol

The Circle: A Meaningful Symbol

Some of the circles that have shown up in my art in the past 1-1/2 years.

Day 15 of 30 day sketchbook project

The circle has been a reoccurring theme in my artwork through the years. My first “real” painting that established my own artistic style, back in high school, was designed around two overlapping circles. Since then, the shape has shown up in different forms and in a number of series of paintings… mandalas and landscapes, in paint and collage, as closed circles and open.

Last summer, during the 30 day sketchbook challenge, I became reacquainted with this meaningful shape and all it can represent. I went from playing with a shape to connecting with it on a much deeper level. And with that, a bridge was created between my recent artwork and the work of the past. I felt empowered by a renewal of meaning in having these circles appear in my paintings.

Happy Birthday in Phoenician - acrylic mixed media on paper. 6” x 9”

The symbol of the circle holds so much meaning. Circles are our connection to the whole within us and to the whole of humanity, to all living things… the circle of life… our Oneness.

This unending  shape without a beginning and end, has been used by cultures throughout time. It is thought of as a sacred symbol and used to symbolize the cosmos and heaven. Circles have been used to represent the cycles of life, the seasons, and the unending nature of time itself.

I’ve found both comfort and meaning in this reintegration of circles into my artwork. It is likely to be a recurring element in the future as in the past.

Meditations #1 - acrylic mixed media on paper. 4-1/2” x 6”

“Meditations No. 4” 4-1/2” x 6”. Mixed media on paper

Series of Transition

“Release” 8” x 10” acrylic mixed media on canvas

I’ve begun a series of small paintings that seem to be a bridge between where I’ve been and where I’m headed. As a group, they’ve become transition pieces, with each painting carrying me closer to where I want to be. My creative explorations of the past couple of years have introduced me to a wide range of artistic experiences. Now it’s time to return to the work I feel most connected to.

“Cycles” 8” x 10” acrylic mixed media on canvas

The Inspiration: I’ve been reading the Artist’s Rule, a book that combines an internal exploration of monastic practices and art practice. With each chapter, I’ve designated a concept, with one word for what’s coming up for me on those pages. Then I create a small painting in response. So far I’ve completed 6 chapters of the 12, with the idea of devoting one week to the concept, artwork, writings, and reflections on each chapter. I’m getting so much out of this experience and the creation of the series has become a journey in itself.

Since these paintings came to life as a tangent of the prior series of Elements, they will join that series as something of a larger body of work. My recent paintings have elements of this past year’s experiences and some of the old is beginning to show up.

You may also be interested in:
My Artist’s Path: in Words and On Canvas
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages

“Now” 8” x 10” acrylic mixed media on canvas

“Essence” 8” x 10” acrylic mixed media on canvas

My Artist's Path: in Words and on Canvas

“Path” 8” x 10”. Acrylic, papers, cloth, pencil, gesso on canvas

This three stanza poem and the concepts behind the words were the inspiration for the painting I share here. “Path” is the fourth in a group of small works inspired by one of the chapters in the book, Artist’s Rule by Christine Valters Paintner. After reading a chapter, I focus on a specific concept, designate a single word to associate with it, and then create a painting with that focus in mind. This canvas was created to reflect something of the give and take during the creative process; between myself, the creation, and in collaboration with the Divine whispers. It becomes a beautiful dance.

Although I usually incorporate the words of others in my paintings, I’ve chosen to include a quote of my own words in this one. The handwritten words of the first stanza of this poem are barely seen within the painting. Here is the full poem:

“Path” a detail closeup

“There is a beautiful dance
Between the creative spark and the creation
Listening to the messages and direction
This is my artist’s path

Between the creative spark and the creation
Myself as an ongoing work in progress
This is my artist’s path
Becoming an active and visual process in creating me

Myself as an ongoing work in progress
Listening to the messages and direction
Becoming an active and visual process in creating me
There is a beautiful dance”

“Path” a detail closeup

“Path” a detail closeup of texture

You may also be interested in: Series of Transition
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages

Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages - Part 2

Concertina Sketchbook Pages

In art as in life, each step I take leads to the next. The Concertina Sketchbook course I took led to a series of artworks on paper and on canvas. Then the process I used to create the first layer of a few of the canvas paintings inspired the concertina sketchbook I’m sharing here today.

Concertina Sketchbook Pages

I had fun filling the pages of this small concertina with ink drips, collaged circles, sheet music, raw canvas and dress pattern paper. Although I originally thought I might add some acrylic paint, I decided to leave the pages with a more minimalist look. So, no paint. I did decide to add some asemic pencil writing in just a couple of places. The pencil was chosen to avoid the permanence of a pen. I ended up so happy with the gentle softness of the pencil marks and how they added to those pages.

Now, I want to create more like what I have here and find a way of merging this concept with a new series I’ve had planned.

You may also be interested in:
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages
Concertina Sketchbook Pages

Concertina Sketchbook Pages

Work in Progress, the inspiration (on canvas) for this Concertina Sketchbook

Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages

When I completed the Concertina Sketchbook project, my head was filled with ideas for two new painting series that delighted my heart. I expected to dive right into the new work. Instead, I continued to play with the images that came together on the pages of that concertina. In the past couple of months, my focus has been on inviting inspiration from that sketchbook before moving forward into the new projects. My intention was to gain greater comfort and flow with the concertina processes in order to combine my old methods with the new.

First, I played with similar materials and techniques on paper and completed four studies. I chose a few of the sketchbook pages for reference and began laying down similar marks, elements, and collage pieces, followed by paint.

2nd of four works on paper

3rd of four works on paper

4th of four works on paper

“Renewal” Acrylic, paper, pencils, and cloth on canvas. 11” x 14”

Then I moved onto canvas and began a small series of paintings, called Elements, to explore similar marks, shapes, and materials. Currently, four have been completed with the 5th in process. I’m not sure how much further I will take this series since I haven’t made a real commitment to it. I’m just taking one step at a time.

I’m thrilled to be working on canvas once again (after spending so much time on the sketchbook and the above works on paper).

Sometime soon, I will move on to play with the larger body of work that’s been waiting in the wings. It’s been waking me up each morning with images and ideas. But at the moment, I’m willing to see what develops from here.

“Dichotomy” Acrylic, ink, paper, pencils, and cloth on canvas. 11” x 14”

“Levels” Acrylic, ink, paper, pencils, and cloth on canvas. 11” x 14”

“Synchronicity” Acrylic, ink, paper, pencils, and cloth on canvas. 11” x 14”

You may also be interested in: Series of Transition