Making Marks

Black and White

These squares are another result of an exercise in the book, Finding Your Own Visual Language book by Jane Dunnewold, Claire Benn, and Leslie Morgan.

In the past I would have hesitated to create designs using just black and white. I was completely in love with and tied to color. However, after enrolling in the basic design class and being forced to use only black and white, I see that color can be a crutch.

I still love to use color, but I now understand that color can sometimes confuse the eye into thinking that something is a good design. There's no camouflaging a poor design when using black and white. The starkness allows me to see the bones of the structure. Now I know that color can flesh out the basic framework to create subtleties or ehance the underlying logic of the design.

I did use a black and white technique in the past. When I couldn't identify the problem, I would take a photo of a piece that wasn't working so well. Somehow the camera removed me from the piece. Then I would look at the image in black and white, and that gave a clearer picture of any design issues.

Spring Surprises

The daily walk with Scooter has helped me to see lovely surprises as the seasons change. The daffodils caught my eye today. In this yard, I love their brightness juxtaposed with the bare tree.

One of the other things I've been noticing is layering and depth. (Yes, this comment is on the heels of an article about my lack of depth perception!) As I really look at landscapes, I see the more interesting ones are layered with a foreground, middle ground and background. Many of you may be thinking, "Um. . . what's the news here?" However, I've been working on such design-oriented, flat projects that having engaging items in each part of a composition is a revelation.

This leads me to my next project. I will be experimenting with oil pastels and some of the pattern designs I have used in chalk pastels to create abstract landscapes. I hope to have some images to share soon!

Eyesight and Artistic Perspective

I went in for an eye check late in 2007, and the doctor performed many different vision checks. One of them involved testing 3-D perception, and it turns out I'm not very good with this. (One of the ironies is that I also test high on spatial abilities tests.) The vision test got me thinking about my art preferences.  I tend to like flat-looking images with patterns. I've never enjoyed making sculptural objects. I do work in depth sometimes, but it's layering objects to be seen from one angle.

Thinking about visual perception and creating art also reminded me about Monet and other artists whose use of colors became brighter as they aged. I was told in art history class that the theory is that Monet's visioned worsened, and he may have thought he was using the same colors all along. With phenomenon in mind, I wonder what my work looks like to other people.

Regarding this image - I've been looking for a good photo opportunity of wintered Queen's Anne Lace, and I finally got it! I love the skeleton look of the once-full flower head.

Art Class and More

I'm sorry to say that I had to drop out of my art class. It was just getting in the way of my daily work, and I was falling behind. I decided to stop before I got too stressed out. (Class entailed 6 hours a week in class plus homework!)

The good news is that at about the same time as I made the decision to stop art class, I found a book by Jane Dunnewold, Claire Benn, and Leslie Morgan called Finding Your Own Visual Language. What a terrific find! The designs at the left are from the first exercise. (Sorry, I'm not giving away any of the book. You'll have to buy it yourself.)

I feel like the book and exercises will keep me on track and exploring different ideas, so that made the decision to stop the art class easier for me. The question of why I'd need others' direction is interesting. . . why not just explore on my own? I found that I just kept sliding into the same ruts. They were comfortable, but I don't think I was getting any better results. Maybe you'll see some differences in my work as I continue exploring my visual language.

Spring is here!

I've started noticing the first signs of spring - a few crocuses in bloom, the first blossoms on a tree, and daffodils shooting out of the ground. The weather has been warmer and the sun has come up earlier in the mornings. I appreciate that! I don't have to take the flashlight when I walk Scooter in the mornings.

Last year I took a photo of a cherry blossom tree and I turned it into a Gocco print (left). I'm hoping to capture more spring images this year to experiment more with the Gocco machine.

Scooter Update for Feb.

Here is Scooter patiently waiting for me to tell him it's ok to eat the treats in a little dish. He's come a long since May way in terms of obedience and patience! (This picture was originally for a birthday card about enjoying treats, and Scooter did get to chow down on these eventually.)

Most of the time he's doing much better when we walk, too. My big goal for him this summer is a reliable "heel". There are times when he pulls too much on the leash: one time when we were walking on the snow, his pulling resulted in me slipping and falling on the ground.

I realize we are completely biased, but Scooter seems to be cuter every day.

Art Class Project #2

Art class has been fun on some days and a challenge other days. We have been working in black and white only, and this giraffe assignment was to create a design with "transparent" layers so that each element of the design could be seen (such as the branch and leaves are in front of the giraffe, and the branch color changes when it goes over a giraffe spot). This was difficult for me to visualize. Then we had to create at least three "color shifts" by drawing lines through the images. An example of this is near the top of the giraffe's head where what was black changes to white. After all the struggles, though, I like how the final product looks.

P. S. It was made with a product, called Contrasto paper, which is made from two layers of plastic film. When you use an Exacto knife to cut through the top layer (of white plastic), you reveal the black underneath. Cutting this so carefully  was a challenge!

February 14 - Ann Altman

Ann Altman is about as close as a fellow artist can get - down the street. She's a neighbor, a teacher, a founder of Lunaria Gallery, and a wonderful artist.

Ann works primarily in acrylics and oil pastels, and her work is represented by Portland Art Museum  and galleries.  Reproductions of her paintings are among the top sellers available in the Syracuse Cultural Workers catalog. Additionally, Ann has an extensive resume of public and commissioned work.

Her color choices consistently draw me into her work. Then I notice lively textures that set off her compositions. She also has a knack for creating a mood with a few brush strokes.  Ann is currently incorporating silver and gold leaf into her acrylic paintings. Let's see them on your website, Ann!

February 13 - Amy Wagner

I'm happy to say that Amy Wagner is not only a great artist, she's also a friend. Her website will soon contain new work; she has used oil pastels to interpret what she saw during recent radiation therapy.

Amy will be participating in a special event at Lunaria Gallery as a guest artist in March, 2008, where one of her radiation pieces will be shown.

February 12 - Robert Schlegel

I first encountered Robert Schlegel's work at a Lawrence Gallery. His subject matter first pulled me in, but then I noticed his interesting take on perspective. While I am not certain that Schlegel lives in Oregon, many of his paintings remind me of my drive to work (through the country). His houses look like old farm houses that I see every day.

In addition, his color palette is warm and inviting. These are pieces I could look at all day and just drift off.