Response to the Landscape

I am continuing to work with the concept of meditative space and landscape~focusing more on the emotional quality of the spaces we occupy than the literal. I have also worked on mark making with blind contour drawings plien air. Though some pieces have a figurative element, others are more focused on the rhythms and forms in nature. At the advice of my mentor Heddi, I plan to start journaling my thoughts on the landscape and possibly other spaces I occupy.

Acrylic on Paper 35" x 133"

Acrylic on Paper 20" x 60"

Acrylic on Paper 7" x 21"

Acrylic on Paper 7" x 21"

 Tomorrow I begin a meditation practice which will focus on space, air, fire earth and water. We will start with the element of space (or lack of) and its corresponding qualities and emotions and how that plays out in our daily lives. This could be a new and interesting way to approach my work. I apologize for any extra shadows in corners of photos...due to the rocks holding the papers!

Encaustic Collagraph  12" x 36"

Carborundum Collagraph 12" x 36"

Monotype 6" x 24"

This weeks work~

 While on my morning walks I lisiten to the artist interviews on utube in hopes I will not encounter a bear and I will be inspired when I get back to work....it has been a struggle getting back into the groove!  
That being said a 16' piece of white paper is intimidating ......I decided to start with some black tar paper we had in the basement.  Earlier in the week I decided to experiment making some black, warm and cool grays.
Here are a few images I worked on using  walking and meditation while up in the White Mountains. I am working only in black/white/gray.

18" x 67"

18" x 67"

36" x 96"

Update

It has been a difficult start....but I am at least starting! The focus is on mark making,  I began with a large trace monotype done with sticks. I then printed the plate which was not so succesful because Idecided not to wet the papaer and I ended up with more texture than I wanted! I am using the solar plates as reference for the drawings/paintings.

Trace Monotype 20" x  60"

Monotype 20" x  60"

Monotype

The Residency went by so quickly!  It is hard to believe that I am starting my second semester!  The work was reminescent of meditative space....some realism,  abstraction and prints which were actually done as walking meditation excercises.
Meetings with my new advisor Tony Apesos and my mentor Heddi Siebel (a multi media artist) went well!  Tony suggested several books and essays. He also asked me if I work quickly ...why not make "several" drawings or paintings....etc.  This also came up when I met with Heddi.  I brought almost everything I had at the Residency and we had a critique....discussed mark making, the walking meditation process and landscapes.  Heddi also suggested that I work on many pieces....working through the process of walking meditation.  She also suggested that I work on color and value studies.  I am very excited about the upcoming semester and wworking with Heddi~her work is amazing!
The above piece shows a bit of the angst in getting started.....when faced with a blank sheet of paper!

New books for the coming semester

I just received new books for the semester~

The Artist Grows Old - Philip Sohm
The Coming of Age - Simone de Beauvoir
Sky Above Earth Below -John P. Milton
Trust The Process An Artist's Guide to Letting Go - Shaun McNiff

Walking Meditation Prints

Relief Plate

This is a series of prints I started this week~I have been working with the solar plate process. It can be used both italgio and relief. Both the relief and intalgio plates were created as I was walking through the park with my prepared plates and sharpened a branch from a tree. I took a few moments to meditate before I began drawing on the plates. Then: Taking time to draw what inspired me as I was walking, not looking at my plate just looking at the surroundings and drawing quietly. I did this for several plates. This was about the feeling one gets in being with nature~not drawing a representational tree but letting the drawing evolve and capture the energy of nature, quiet and the mark. Whether it was a lamp post, tree or a park bench....the lines just emerged. I took the plate back to the studio where I worked on varying the width of mark, in order to convey a sense of air and emotion. This was challenging for me because I was working small....but I chose to work small in order to work through the process and see what effects I could achieve.

Relief Print  8" x 6"

Intalgio 6" x 4"

Intalgio 6" x 4"