Elegance and Simplicity

In my last post I shared with you the development of a textured surface made created from paper that would be painted using acrylic and/or oils and now I would like to provide some samples of 5 x 5 inch study paintings in which you can see the results that can achieved.

All the paintings in this post, I used acrylic paints, except for one, were I used spray paint on a portion of the canvas. Some of the canvases had a portion of there surface area painted not with a brush, but applying a technique used by etchers preparing their plates for printing, by wiping off the ink, including using either a cloth or paper towel to remove some paint, only to use it also like a rubber stamp. This allows for the paint that was removed to be transferred back in a different area and by only covering the top surface, it leaves the crevasses untouched.

We can faintly see this method of transfer of off-white paint having been used on the larger area of the canvas to finish the painting. While a more dramatic effects are aimed for in the next sample by using brush and the etching method of cleaning ones plate.

The etcher’s method is when one uses either the edge of ones palm to wipe the surface of the copper plate and remove the excess ink. By using the side palm of ones hand, paper towel or a piece of soft cloths shaped in a ball and then carefully wiping the surface of the canvas and removing the wet acrylic paint so that it only portions remains in the crevasses of the papers textures. This can be clearly seen in the image above, were multiple colors remain scattered randomly about, building numerous layers of color amidst the texture.

The following painting uses a number of different combinations. First the right portion is sealed with painters tape so that I can brush the color yellow, followed by orange that is wiped off. However next I add a little orange acrylic directly to a ball of cloth and then with the same motion of removing paint from the surface, I am now striking the raised ridges of the paper texture and leaving behind concentrated amounts of random color.

Ones this portion of the painting is completely dried—I usually wait a full day—this area is taped off to protect the surface from the other area being worked.

Now instead of using brush or cloth subtract or transfer method, I employ spray paint, containing a fine texture to emulate a particular surface of stone. It was first given a light pass before a second one to firmly cover the area evenly with paint and texture.

Study for Elegance and Simplicity

Upon the completion of this study, I fell in love with the limited color selection and how the paper’s texture reacted to it that I would have to attempt a larger size painting. Doing so would also reveal how the idea on a much smaller canvas translates to a larger medium size one.

Elegance and Simplicity, close-up

On a technical note, the upper left area was first worked, meaning that the rest of the canvas was covered to protect the area. Instead of painting the exposed section, I applied some paint to the cloth and using the etcher’s method in reverse by applying the paint. However at the same time I also wiped the section clean. 

Using this technique, permitted me to color softy the paper, while at the same time leaving ample amount of paint against the raised ridges of the papers texture. This process was repeated several times until the desired visual effect was achieved.

Elegance and Simplicity, MM/C

After a few days the section just completed was covered and work on the opposite side began. One would think it were easier since it was black, but after three coats of acrylic paint, there was enough variation to balance the two sections.

The last area to be painted was the grey. This area too required several coats of paint before evenness and the loss of paint brush tracks disappeared. Several weeks later the painted was sealed with a matt varnish.

In the end, this painting was presented to my son for his twenty-third birthday.

Thank you for your visit

and comment . . .

Egmont

I am finally painting again

Earlier this month we had record high temperatures as if it were mid-August, now it has been raining most of the week and by tomorrow the temperatures are to drop so low that if the rain continues, we are expecting the possible of snow in the lower elevations. The last time the Bay Area had any snow was in 1976, however I was in Europe at the time and therefore have no recollection of the event. 

Right now I welcome the rain as there is nothing better to do than to paint, continuing the work I started about a week ago on my first painting in more than a year ago. in the meantime I look forward to the possibility of a little snow.

After applying the sculptured material to the canvas, it was time to prepare the entire surface for painting by applying gesso. Doing so with a brush which which I will be painting in Acrylic and then using oils, helps me to contact mow directly with the surface and get a feel for the type of brush work I will need to apply for the desired effect.

It will be at least another two weeks before I may consider the painting finished, in part because white always takes longer to dry and the weather is not helping in that department. Besides, the process of painting needs to evolve, were the artist connects with the painting and vise versa. 

Upon the completion of the painting I will share with you the entire evolution and process, along with plenty of photographs that have documented the process through the various stages. So stay tuned.

Thank you for your visit and comment,

Egmont

Split decision

In the midst of our journey through the winter season, I begin my exit, leaving behind but not forgetting the last couple of months of contemplation and melancholy, when I begin to think about creating art. With the last coat of satin varnish having been applied, I am ready to share a painting, whose canvas surface first underwent distressing.

When I first wrote about applying newsprint to a canvas and then distressing the surface, I had yet to finish such a painting, even though I had proceeded to work on a smaller canvas with a drawing, then painting a winter squash. It remains unfinished because I still need to resolve a visual problem before proceeding.

Untitled

Unfinished, 12 x 12” (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

For a little more than two months the desire to paint has stirred deep within, however too many distractions cautioned me to curb those urges. However, a couple of weeks ago I was visiting my friend Ian’s blog Abstract Minimalism, it became even more difficult to resist those urges to paint. Ian had just posted Fired Earth, an acrylic multi-medium painting on newsprint. As I left a comment, I noted, “. . . where is the text of the newsprint?” When the comment was left on his blog, I was seeing his painting as if I had painted it and not Ian. I returned a few hours later and correcting my observations with a follow-up comment.

Fired Earth

Ian Foster, mixed medium, 24 x 24” (60.96 x 60.96 cm) 2010

If it were my painting, I would have revealed the newsprint and with that said, I could no longer curb those urges not to paint. On January 30, a canvas was pulled from storage, one already with five layers of gesso and sides covered with painter’s masking tape.

The canvas was covered with several layers of carefully selected pieces of newsprint, secured with medium gel and once completely dried, was sanded to achieve specific effects of distressing and blending of the images and type. This process was repeated an additional three times and between the layers, only portions of the surface was covered with new pieces of newsprint and then sanded, leaving selected sections untouched. Once the last layer was applied, the entire canvas surface was lightly sanded using a 150 grit sandpaper before being temporarily sealed with medium gel.

Close-up of the finished newsprint layer

During the process of applying the newsprint, several ideas were going through my mind; in the end it was important to keep it simple, minimalist but complex. This contradiction would be achieved by selecting only two colours, Burnt Umber and deep Cadmium Yellow, and then applied in multiple layers through glazing, thereby achieving a rich depth.

After two layers of glazing

Because the newsprint was sealed, it now needed to be lightly sanded in order for the paint to adhere. Using painter’s masking tape to seal off the area that was to later receive the deep Cadmium Yellow, the first layer of Burnt Umber was then applied. It was a mixed with glazing medium and a little bit of water and brushed on evenly, using a one and a half inch glazing brush. Because I was now using acrylic paints and not oils with Liquin, I was able to apply a second coat a few hours later that first day.

Close-up of the sanded area after the first two layers of glazing

The following day I tried something new, I began sanding a portion of the painted area, removing some of the Burnt Sienna and revealing more of the newsprint, rather then having the entire area evenly covered with paint. Doing so would allow sections of the finished painting to show more of the newsprint than in other areas of canvas. After adding coats four and five glaze, I repeated the lightly sanding the previous same area, while expanding into another section of the canvas for a little variety. With no further sanding to the Burnt Umber, another ten layers were applied over the next two days, allowing about two hours of drying time between each coating.

After four layers of glaze

Though I consider myself a methodical thinking painter, working out as many issues mentally in advance before starting to paint, I continued to analyze the process after each application of a glaze in order to adjust any technical aspects or even shift the initial direction the paintings outcome.

After the initial fourth application of glaze, I decided to adjust the mixture of the medium by omitting water from the combination. The water had caused the colour to dilute, something I did not want. I decided to use pouring medium, which kept the colours tone intact, but increased fluidness. This brought about a considerable shift in the colours depth and finally produced the results I had initially wanted.

After fourteen layers of glaze and a satin finish

Because of the heavy coat of satin varnish, I felt it best to let the painting dry for two days, since I would need to use painter’s tape to seal of portions of the area in order to obtain a perfect straight line where the two colours merged.

When I applied the mixture of deep Cadmium Yellow with the same approximate ratios of paint, glazing medium and pouring medium, the depth of the Cadmium Yellow seemed to evaporate. It was not until about seven coats that I was beginning to achieve some depth of colour. Adding more paint would only cause the translucency to become clouded, so I simply continued applying more layers after each one had dried for two hours.

After fifteen layers of cadmium yellow deep glaze

With fifteen layers of glaze, I decided that a little more drastic measures were needed in order to have a little more depth to the colour. The decision was that the final two coats of deep Cadmium Yellow would have the equivalent value of 6 layers each, meaning they were poured on as to be having the colour applied with a brush.

A larger quantity was mixed and poured onto the surface with little intervention of a brush, other than to help evenly spread the mixture. This had a more than pleasing appearance I had not anticipated, it produced a surface effect one sees on the hood of a brand new car. The depth, shine, and high gloss dominated the painting in contrast to the larger section with a satin finish and darker colour.

I never thought of having one section of a geometrical abstract painting be gloss and another part with a satin finish, but seeing the interaction between the two and the visual effect it generated, it is an idea I plan to include as part of the composition in a future painting.

Split decision

Acrylic on newsprint/canvas, 20 x24” (50.80 x 60.96 cm) February 8, 2010

—

As I bring this posting to a close, I regret to inform you that my on-line activities will be significantly be curtailed for the next unforeseeable future, because my Macintosh laptop has broken down. It has served with valor and distinction for many years.

Though it was repaired thirteen months ago, I cannot justify the expense of another repair or the purchase of a replacement, considering my jobless situation.

I hope that you my dear follower will understand when my visit to your site are not as frequent as I would like them to be.

Egmont

General Update

My not posting as often should not be considered that I am losing interest in either of my blogs or for lack of something to say. Rather I have been preoccupied as to the direction my art is taking me, along with another reevaluation of both my blogs.

Since blogging these past five months, I have come across numerous incredible creative artists and their amazing artwork. This has had a profound impact and influence as how I view my own solitary art but also the roll of my blogs and the purpose they are to serve.

When I started painting in 2000, I had two views; and two directions I wanted to go, traditional and abstract. After attending several college courses in 2008 and a contemporary art history class in the spring of 2009, my creative perspective was shaken up and since then, it has been in a continuous state of transition. During this evolutionary period, it appears I am languishing motionless, adrift without wind to move me ahead, when in fact this period is being spent reflecting inward about my current state and my art.

Progress on the distressed canvases has been slow. One, the largest of the set, 20 x 20” (50.80 x 50.80 cm) finally saw movement with the addition of two beer ads. When I originally came across the German beer ad from Spaten and the American Ale from Budweiser, I thought I would have some fun. The idea was to cover over the Spaten glass of beer and then rip off portion of the American Ale, revealing the Spaten underneath. Now that this has been accomplished, the collage can be considered finished, though deep down I feel one element is still needed to truly consider this painting finished and ready for my signature.

Untitled

Newsprint on canvas, 20 x 20” (50.80 x 50.80 cm)

Stage 4, layer eight

Untitled

Newsprint on canvas, 20 x 20” (50.80 x 50.80 cm)

Stage 5, layer nine

Close-up of the beer ads

Stage 5, layer eight and nine

On the other hand the smallest of the canvases, 12 x 12” (30.48 x 30.48 cm) has seen progress that is fraught with mixed emotions. I see the drawing being successful, I also see technical failure, and now I come to a crossroad, having to decide if I let it go or make the corrections.

Untitled — in progress, 12 x 12” (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Stage 6, watercolour pencil over graphite pencil drawing

I view failure as success if one learns from the error. What I am referring to is the illustration of the acorn squash, which should have had a white under painting in order to cover the newsprint from showing through and influencing the illustration and its spectrum of colours. As I keep finding it a visual distraction and the fact that the colours appear not pure, I must now decide if I shall go ahead and carefully cover up the drawing and redo all the pencil and watercolour work.

On a more positive note, it was ten days or so I started two small canvases, both 8x8 inches (20.32 x 20.32 cm) and instead of going for a distressed background, I opted for a typographical composition. As for the next step or layer, well that to is like being the ancient mariner adrift on a still ocean with an albatross for company.

Untitled — in progress, 8 x 8” (20.32 x 20.32 cm)

Stage 1, 4-5 layers of newsprint

Untitled — in progress, 8 x 8” (20.32 x 20.32 cm)

Stage 1, 4-5 layers of newsprint

In less than one week it is time to celebrate the day that brings friends and families together, around a table decked with decorations and packed with wonderful dishes, while at its center is a roasted bird, a turkey.

There were well made plans in the works, that in a few days I would go on my last photographic expedition for the year and accompanying me would be Bruce and his son Kevin, both of whom I had not seen in almost a year. I would share with them my previous explorations by returning to two of my favorite finds, discoveries made after taking my daughter back to Santa Cruz, then traveling the long way back home along the Pacific coast on the Cabrillo Highway, Highway One. However the day we choose was simple too close to the American holiday Thanksgiving Day and after some contemplation, we decided to postpone the trip for another day.

Until my next post I wish you my dear reader and fellow follower all the very best,

Egmont

When is a work in progress finished?

More than six months ago I started with an idea by adding modeling paste in the form of vertical textures to represent a build up of drips and when I completed this stage, the surface was painted over with acrylic and fine tuned with a number of glazes in oil. Since then it remained tucked away with the other unfinished canvases, along with the blue painters tape still attached to the sides, despite considering it was a finished painting. Still I could not shake the feeling that there was more that needed to be said, even though having followed through on the original concept on all points.

Three weeks ago while working in the garden, I came across a number of very delicate roots from a birch tree that had invaded a flowerbed I was preparing for spring. Upon closer inspection of these roots, I noticed there fragile structure and felt they resembled arteries and veins and could be used in a painting, considering I still had not dealt with the open-heart surgery in artistic terms. While I continued gardening, the mind was actively involved figuring out ways to work with these wonderful roots, when the painting from months ago came to mind.

A few days later I pulled the canvas, dusted off the sides and experimented with a few strands of roots to see how they would interact with the textures. Once satisfied that this would be the path to take, I proceeded with my usual cautionary attitude, covered the surface with regular gel medium and strategically placed the roots onto the medium. That evening I studied the results, analyzing every aspect of the progress, only to decide to wait until morning, when under natural light I could best judge the next step to be taken.

With a fresh perspective I concluded a few more roots would need to be added, especially one that would rise off the surface and so appear three-dimensional, now that I had planned to introduce tissue paper into the mix and did not wish for it to be just a cover. Once the new pieces of roots had adhered and dried to the surface, it was time to add the buff coloured mulberry tissue paper.

I had used tissue paper before as a top layer in which I tore numerous small openings, allowing the textured surface beneath to poke through; it was this approach I was now embarking upon for this canvas. After covering the surface the artwork was set aside, in order to contemplate on the current process and instead of overnight, the canvas remained set aside for almost two weeks.

Though there were still some technical issues to be resolved the art work in progress finally had achieved a level of completion in which it could be considered finished, now that the relationship of surface texture and the roots all interacted with their new skin. All that needed to be resolved was making the suspended tissue paper stronger, then protecting the entire surface and settling upon a title.

Well that was yesterday . . .

After further serious contemplation I decided one more layer of mulberry tissue was required since too much of the roots dominated the surface visually and I still had not achieved the desired effect.

The process of the second tissue paper layer needed to be applied with greater control since there were areas that did have the desired look and were not to be covered. This would mean tearing up larger sections of tissue paper and adding them as if composing a puzzle until a homogenous look was achieved so that it did not resemble having been patched.

Now that I consider this canvas a finished piece of artwork, I view it not as a success nor a failure, but rather a study in the process of materials and their relationship with one another. For it has spawned numerous ideas on how to improve upon the relationship of the materials used in this artwork when considering another canvas that deals directly with my heart and the surgery I underwent.

Art is a process, nothing more. A process of adding, subtracting, subtracting and adding until the artists hand stops, pulls away and the artist takes a step back.

Now I just need to settle on a title; any suggestions?

Painting 101: Creating a distressed background — part three

The work progresses with my usual slow steadiness, methodically analyzing a variety of possibilities and after careful consideration, cautiously progressing to stage three. The canvases have started to reveal a direction in which each one desires to be taken and what is to happen next. From this point on, no canvas will receive the same treatment, especially the 16 x 16 inch canvas, since it saw only one new addition, a single tree. An image I immediately fell in love with and when one considers some of the concepts that were being previously contemplated, this illustration of a tree was perfect for a pastoral scene. The use of this print also would mean the canvases fate was being sealed early on and any additional layers of newsprint for a deeper distressed look was no longer possible.

The elements that are retained so far help bring together the direction this painting is heading, not only because of the solitary tree, but also because of the title ‘Pepper Spray Times’ and the word that has been mostly sanded down, but still visible ‘Community’. The placement of these three elements has been most deliberate, allowing for what is to be painted and where to balance out the composition, considering the painting when finished will be placed behind an old wooden window frame.

Untitled

Newsprint on canvas, 16 x 16” (40.64 x 40.64 cm)

Stage 3, layer five of newsprint after sanding

The idea of combining an image with a window frame is nothing new. When visiting Santa Cruz, we stopped in at a local gallery where we saw a photographer using an old window frames to place his photographic images onto the glass of a distressed window. However I did not care for the image to be placed upon the glass, rather I would want it to be behind and not even against the glass, rather give the illusion of looking to the outside onto something of interest.

My first inclination had been to create an abstract but what can a derelict window have in common with an abstract? The two seemed foreign, considering what I desired to visually express. In the end I settled on the idea of a pastoral scene with a songbird resting on a branch, especially after finding a wooden window frame, which had all the right qualities and reflected the passages of time.

Untitled

Newsprint on canvas, 16 x 16” (40.64 x 40.64 cm)

Close Up

Originally I had planned to stain portions of the newsprint surface with Kusmi tea from Kousmichoff to achieve the antique parchment look, but because the newsprint was adhered to the canvas with a thinned solution of medium gel, this was no longer possible. The use of the medium gel had also sealed the surface and though I could sand away the layer with very fine grit sandpaper, I would run the risk of altering the current look. After having achieved the desired distressed effect, I will just have to do without the Kousmichoff stain and so the surface was permanently sealed with gloss medium varnish.

Untitled

Newsprint on canvas, 12 x 12” (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Stage 3, layers four-five of newsprint after sanding

After sanding the last application of newsprint, the smallest of the three canvases required a specific newsprint that we only receive once a week, when the supermarkets release their grocery advertisements. Since the first layer of newsprint had contained the store header, the direction this canvas would take was set early on.

The week before I had seen a pumpkin patch and the idyllic scene had started to influence my thoughts, but I am keeping my options open. I have considered the possibility of painting a cluster of walnut on a tree or a beautiful Bartlett pear with a touch of autumn colour. But first I will have to add one to two layers of newsprint featuring produce items and only after distressing the new layers could I determining what occurs next.

Untitled

Newsprint on canvas, 12 x 12” (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Stage 4, layers six of newsprint before sanding

Previously I mentioned one would need to cover the entire surface with gel medium after one had glued into place the desired pieces of newsprint, but as I quickly discovered, this also meant one would have to first remove this layer with coarse sandpaper in order to reach the newsprint one was trying to distress and blend. Therefore the recommendation was to thin the gel medium with water so that it would still have ample adherence strength, but one would gain greater control in the sanding process.

After a selection of carefully chosen new images of seasonal produce which were cut to size and temporarily placed on the canvas to make sure the items would enhance the over all composition and appearance of the canvas. For it was important to distribute not only the right image but also a bit of colour.

When it became time to glue down the pieces of newsprint, I noted that by giving the paper a slight mist of water on its backside had added in the adhesion process. The paper became also more delicate to handle and if not careful could rip, however this could be turned into an advantage as another way to distress. Remember different grades of sandpaper is not your only option of distressing, using a small sponge, ones finger or a small tool to work the paper when it is wet allows for different kinds of damage and sandpaper is really the tool that blends the multiple layers.

Untitled

Newsprint on canvas, 12 x 12” (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Stage 4, layers six of newsprint after sanding

Though sanding is a key component in the distressing process, keep looking for other ways to emulate surfaces you have seen and contemplate how you might go about achieving that particular look. What I am representing here should only be considered a starting point and that you should experiment, beginning with the different kinds of paper materials that are available to us.

There are shopping bag, cardboard boxes, corrugated paper, rice paper, recycled hand made paper, tissue paper made from mulberry fibers, and the list goes on and on. What matters is what you the artist are trying to achieve and express with the finished artwork. What you have so far seen is that each canvas started out the same way but after a few layers, each one began revealing a direction it would like me to venture.

Untitled

Newsprint on canvas with tissue paper, 12 x 12” (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Stage 5, layer one of tissue paper before sanding

In order to tone down the various grocery newsprint advertisements and still permit it to be part of the painting, I decided to add a single layer of white mulberry tissue paper. This single layer would also provide a unified appearance to the entire surface of the canvas, but after the application of tissue paper had dried, I felt it did not have enough of a transparency that I was after. Therefore I decided to begin sanding the tissue paper with 150 fine grit sandpaper, carefully working the surface as to only reveal the subsurface textures, all the time keeping in mind what I might be painting.

Untitled

Newsprint on canvas with tissue paper, 12 x 12” (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Stage 5, layer one of tissue paper after sanding

As you can see a compromised transparency was achieved but I also had lost the mulberry fibers that laced the tissue paper throughout and though this unplanned segment ended up being a compromise, I also discovered that tissue paper was far more durable than newsprint. By having sanded the paper considerable down with even pressure, the surface ended up being extremely smooth and because this was a single solid layer of paper, it provided an even surface which also strengthening all the layers beneath it into a solid bond.

Untitled

Newsprint on canvas with tissue paper, 12 x 12” (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Close-Up

Sanding is only a portion of achieving the desired results that one is after. The selection and placement of the newsprint or different kinds of paper determines the look and direction of your distressed surface. You are ultimately in control of every aspect of the process; so let you imagination take on wings so it may soar.

While being engaged on these three canvases, I also discovered that there is an advantage to working multiple canvases. I was now able to try out different ideas between them and have the results be immediate, with the possibility to having an effect applied to another canvas while the canvas is still at the foundation building stage.

Untitled — in progress

Newsprint on canvas, 20 x 20” (50.80 x 50.80 cm)

Stage 2, layer four-five of newsprint after sanding

As each canvas began revealing a direction, this one was no different. Though it was clear more layers of newsprint were necessary, there were a few areas I felt were finished, particularly the upper right hand area and the large red lettering announcing a ‘sale’. These areas and the portrait of an African American man would need to be protected while working on adding a couple more layers and distressing between each application. We must also not forget that after the new pieces of newsprint had been added and sanded to their desired effect, it needs to be sealed before the next application of newsprint with gloss medium varnish. This would ensure that what had been accomplished previously would not be at risk of being lost while sanding around the area and blending the new layers with the previous one.

Untitled — in progress

Newsprint on canvas, 20 x 20” (50.80 x 50.80 cm)

Close-Up

It is important to keep an open mind and though something is working for you, try finding other ways to accomplish the same thing and see if the results are similar or different, and are the new effects desirable. For example, I was concerned about smaller sections of the canvas, which needed to be protected, but immediately around the area I needed to apply more layers of newsprint for distressing. So I asked myself what can I do to protect this very small section and still have all layers blend naturally with the rest of the canvas.

Untitled — in progress

Newsprint on canvas, 20 x 20” (50.80 x 50.80 cm)

Stage 3, layer six-seven of newsprint before sanding

What I tried was using two different pieces of newsprint, both cut to the same size and after gluing down the first pieces the other newsprint was also adhered immediately afterwards on top of the first. The idea is that once the sanding begins, more pressure would be applied to the area where just beneath was the image one wanted to preserve, thereby removing most of the two layers one had just attached to the canvas.

By applying moderate to less pressure on the remaining area of the two pieces of newsprint, varying degree of layered distressing is achieved and allowed to carefully blend in with the surrounding pieces. This is a critical point, making sure that regardless of the layer one is working on, to make sure each additional piece of paper is carefully blended in with the previously layer for a seamless appearance.

Untitled — in progress

Newsprint on canvas, 20 x 20” (50.80 x 50.80 cm)

Stage 3, layer six-seven of newsprint after sanding

Even though I consider this canvas ready for painting, there has been a debate with myself over the addition of one single, large piece of newsprint that would be lightly distressed and afterwards the canvas would be considered finished. It would be simply a collage with no further additions or manipulations, but for now I will sink into the multiple layers and extract segments, creating another level of view.

The photographs I will share in another posting, are to be a visual essay, taking you on a journey within the distressed collage and the many facets that are pieced together as a puzzle into one image. It is then we will learn this canvases final outcome.

Painting 101: Creating a distressed background — part two

The evening had been spent studying all three canvases when I decided to see how many different words I could come up with to describe not only the creative process but also the visual interpretation of creating a distressed surface that would be part of an intended painting. By the time I seemed to have exhausted all my possibilities, I noticed a number of words conveyed an element of rationalizing the intellectual elements of such a painting, including a handful reflecting my own mythology.

Untitled — in progress

Newsprint on canvas, 20 x 20” (50.80 x 50.80 cm)

Stage 2, layer four-five of newsprint before sanding

The words are in the order as I wrote them down on a piece of paper and though a few may seem redundant or have too much similarity with another word or phrase, each line represents an idea, a thought and as such should not be dismissed.

Textural environment
Remnants
Recasting found ephemeral
Decay
Timeless iconic treasures
Intimate
Time weathered environment
Recycling- reinventing reality
Evolution
Random
Exposed to natural elements
Deconstructive- reassembled
Synthesis
Dynamic syntax
Emotionally driven on a visual and intellectual level
Reinterpreting
Ambiguous metaphors
Metamorphosis
Juxtapositions is instinctual
Playground
Iconography
A conversation with memory
Fertile landscape
Authenticity
Reexamining fundamental social mythology
Organic qualities
Paradigm
Journey
Vernacular
Social and environmental consciousness
Cultural heritage
Concealment
Believability
Day-to-day observations
Obliterate subtle chances
Aesthetics
Manipulation
Ornate tapestry
Eloquently
Dissolve
Topography of landscape
Multitude of experiences
Influential encounters
Pilfered assemblage
Intuitive limitations
Repurposed
Collaboration of materials
Paradoxical
Alchemy
Story telling
Cross-pollination
Found objects
Esoteric assemblage
Artistic carnage
Worn, tattered debris

Untitled — in progress

Newsprint on canvas, 16 x 16” (40.64 x 40.64 cm)

Stage 2, layer four of newsprint before sanding

My two favorites from the list are ‘pilfered assemblage’ and ‘artistic carnage’; the first describes the general collection process like removing bits and pieces from telephone poles in Berkeley for when I created ‘Orderly Confusion’ to ‘Pangaea’, material gathered from billboards and eight foot walls around a construction site in San Francisco after a rain, while ‘artistic carnage’ reflects the destructive and assemblage nature of this style of art. The word symbiosis cannot be defined as having absolute meaning simple because each painting or artwork that makes use of the destructive and assemblage defines its own meaning of symbiosis.

Untitled — in progress

Newsprint on canvas, 12 x 12” (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Stage 2, layers four-five of newsprint before sanding

Some of the other words like ‘tapestry’ reflect the process weaving of the various pieces of material into a ‘topographical landscape’ that is based upon a ‘multitude of experiences’ and these ‘influential encounters’ are entrusted into the hands of the artist. Who like the ‘alchemist’ of the Middle Ages performs ‘cross-pollination’ in the hope of achieving ‘believability’ while understanding his own ‘intuitive limitations’.

It is a ‘journey’ through a ‘fertile landscape’ of the ‘vernacular’ that continues to undergo a ’random’ ‘evolution’; ‘recycling- reinventing reality’ with each new work of art. In the end, it is ‘manipulating our ‘cultural heritage’ by ‘reexamining [the] fundamental social mythology’ until a new ‘dynamic syntax’ becomes the new ‘authenticity’.

In part three we will see stage two having been distressed and I will detail further my thoughts on each canvas and what I might be planning next, as I carefully thread forward exploring my own potential and overcoming doubt by chipping away at the limitations of fear that I have imposed upon myself.