Reeling in the "Big Fish"

BIG FISH

So to all of the fishermen out there expecting something else---I'm sorry. This is not a post about fishing.

Last week I started working on a piece titled Big Fish. Big Fish is a 26" x 17" banner with a painting on silk as the focal point, framed by tie-dyed fabric with two accent medallions made from polymer clay near the top. The medallions are spouting water (seed beads).

The idea had been in my head for a while and last week it just needed to come on out and materialize. 

Why last week? Well I've been calling this my de-compression piece. I'm in the middle of packing to move out of state and trying to sell my house, which means the house has to be in a constant state of readiness. You never know when someone might want to see the house so it needs to be neat, uncluttered and clean. Oh and I'm still producing artwork--which usually involves a bit of clutter and definitely a mess!

At this point I'm producing mainly hand-painted silk scarves and a few small watercolors, trying to be as neat as possible.

BUT last week after much cleaning, touch-up painting (walls) and packing I needed to do something to de-compress. Something different to take my mind off of the house. Something that involved more than painting.

The Birth of Big Fish 

The plan for this painting on silk began with a sketch on small paper, and then a larger paper (pictured here) with color added to help me plan where I wanted warm and cool colors. The design was then transferred to silk, using a water-based gutta (resist) to outline each area and keep colors from running into areas where I didn't want them to mix.

In the two pictures below the dye (Dyna-Flow) has been added. Salt was used to create the texture in the water. In the first painting the "bubbles" are covered in gutta to keep them free of color. Both of these photos are a bit yellower than the actual piece. I took these photos under a fluorescent light--hence the yellow-y tone.

 In this picture the gutta has been washed out and the bubbles hand painted with iridescent fabric paint. I've added several color accents on the body of the fish as well.

When the fish portion of the piece was done I backed it with a fuse-able interfacing for support. And then moved on to tie-dying the side pieces which became the frame.

The fabric panels which became the frame were also backed with the fuse-able interfacing and attached to the fish panel. I had planned to sew them but realized that I didn't have a strong enough sewing machine needle to go through the backing, so the frame panels were fused with stick-witchery--or something like that. (I thank my mom for teaching me how to sew back when I was 11 years old--it is a skill I use from time to time in my creative work).

A rod pocket was added to the top of the fabric frame and bamboo pole inserted for hanging purposes.

Medallion Accents

The medallion accents near the top of the piece were made with polymer clay, imprinted with a crumpled aluminum foil texture. Seed beads in water-y colors cascade from 4 holes in the center of each medallion. 

What's Next?

So now that Big Fish is done what will I do next? Keep fishing around for ideas???? or pack and clean. I think I feel another fish on the line---or maybe it's a Big Turtle with all kinds of glorious colors and patterns on its shell!

Back in the Studio

"Through the Trees"

Back in the Studio

I'm back in the studio after devoting most of the month of February to packing, painting rooms and clearing away excess stuff in preparation for selling my house. No new work was created in Windy Hill Studio except for a couple of Shamrockin' hand-painted silk scarves. So after a month without painting I was more than ready to get back into the studio.

"Through the Trees" (watercolor) is inspired by the view from the grounds of Singer Castle on Dark Island, in the Thousand Islands Region of the St. Lawrence River. The painting though is more about light and mood rather than a specific place. 

As one of many painters who are inspired by the River I am always looking for new ways to approach my work. So many artists are painting the same iconic scenes and each has their own style. I am happy to be included among the many River painters. But as an artist I feel the need to go beyond the imagery to paint a mood or feeling. 

Simple shapes, organic forms and limited color

In the painting "Through the Trees" I used an analogous color scheme -- colors that are next to each other on the color wheel--to keep the composition simple and unified. The wet-on-wet technique was used throughout the painting to create a soft, muted effect with the colors as they blended seamlessly one into another.

The lower third of the painting is an ambiguous shadowy area creating a kind of boundary between the viewer and The River.

The simple shapes, organic forms, and limited color  reminded me of some of the Arts and Crafts Movement prints--which I have always loved. The day before I painted this scene I had seen an art show featuring a few Arts and Crafts style pieces which must have influenced me.

I plan on painting an acrylic version of this piece, which I know will have an entirely different feel. I'll post that when it is finished.