Saturday, March 19, 2016

This Week in the Studio


This is a  recent mixed media drawing which I just finished for a show submission.  Blue Traveler was created with pastels, metallic watercolors, graphite, and ink on paper. 11 x 11" unframed.

My current body of abstract work is about color, light, and movement/energy. Due to the nature of the medium I am exploring, the colors in the art change  in relation to one's stance and the light in the room. Colors shimmer, then disappear with the slightest body movement, like the lenticular postcards of old. A world opens up, then snaps shut.

Under the Lens was created with metallic watercolor, ink, and reverse collage. Like the previous artwork, the colors change with the viewing angle. This little 5 x 5" piece hearkens back to a time when I dreamed of becoming a medical illustrator but did not have the money for the college that specialized in it.  It is a magical world, unseen to the naked eye -  a hidden world of line, shape, structure. 

When I was teaching art in the public schools,  I taught a class called Art and Science. One of the best units was the study of pond water, where my students learned illustration techniques, combined with sterile sampling of water in their ponds, pools, and puddles. Kids screamed with delight as they discovered the hidden world of odd little creatures that swam through the slide that got captured in ink on paper. Through them I relived the excitement of my youth.

Off to work on the taxes for a while, the bane of my life, then a walk for some cold fresh spring air. One third of my art career is spent on entering shows, marketing, and taxes!  I'd rather be making art!!!