Experimenting

Happy Labor Day too all. I must be productive today. Yesterday was a crazy busy work day. So many people walked through our doors in five hours. We counted 500 people in the first hour. I want to say it was because of the holiday weekend but our show is ending in two weeks. So, this may be the last minute rush to see the exhibit.

Any who, I'm thinking this post will be based on the works completed for mixed media in spring 2011. This was my first time taking this class, and it was the best class I ever took! It opened my way of thinking toward painting and how I could use materials in my process. The thing I valued most was experimenting with layers of acrylic mediums, how it reacts against itself when it builds up, and what works best within the layers. But the drying time was most important lesson I learned while working with mediums. I also played with the way I wanted to display the work, because it's just as essential to the piece as the materials you use to express your idea. These works are more experimental but helped with my concept in taking it to the level. I don't have most of these works anymore so most of these pictures are not the best. I'd like you to see where my inspiration came from for my future pieces, though.

Untitled study

Charcoal, paper, matte medium, and paint on cotton pillow case

Approximately 18"x30"

2011

 

In the work below I made sheets of acrylic medium mixed with paint and ink. I cut them down and used them to create the image. I then got too excited and worked on the other side with inks, allowing them to bleed through and enhance the face. I didn't care for the outcome much, but it was worth a try. I felt the process of the piece helped lead to subtle changes in my body of work. If y'all haven't notice yet, I'm very fond of the grid structure. I don't think I'll ever get rid of it. I'm a little obsessive when it comes to squares. :)

Untitled(mother)

Acrylic mediums, paint, and ink on bed sheet

24"x 40"

2011

4"x 4" of acrylic sheets

Then they are cut down to 2"x 2"

 

studies of 20

 

Process

These little guys were made to see how I wanted display the work and what was most affective to hold weight of the mediums within the structures.

 

Homage to Agnes Martin

Graphite & acrylic medium on plexiglass suspended from wood frame

40"x 40"

2011

 

This is the first large painting I made to float in a frame.

I used plexiglass and fishing wire to help hold the weight of the medium.