Find Your Joy 2025 - Open Painting I

Find Your Joy 2025 - Open Painting I - UPDATE

Finished piece (with painting adjustments, isolation layers, and varnish):

Final "Rabbit Hole under the Tree of Cups"

This is a first large-to-me canvas painting that I've completed in Louise Fletcher's course. It is 24" x 30" and was started as a course assignment -- an open painting.

The open painting is a place for experimentation and play. Mine has gone through quite an evolution since the first rubber brush line was made. After many days of adding drips, writing, and paint to the canvas bit by bit, it changed.

At one point, I turned the strange-looking canvas upside-down. With more painting, it changed so much more until a tree shape arrived - the hint being an upside-down funnel that would became the trunk. At that point, there were two spirals on the bottom, one on each side of that trunk. One has been painted over. The remaining one has peek-a-book layers and looks like a portal to an 'other' place. Hence, its serendipitous title: Rabbit Hole under the Tree of Cups.

I may make a few tweaks, but the painting is essentially finished even though it's still on the easel. That said. the overall image to me feels like an invitation -- where the portal quietly awaits someone's entry. How does this piece read to you?

Earlier version of "Rabbit Hole under the Tree of Cups"

Comments

New Project in Progress

I'm working on a new project with multiple layers and shapes of different colored organzas. It is an interpretation of lighting on an ice rink...from a show I recently saw. There is a lot more stitching to do, but I like how its coming along. I'm learning organzas are not easy to work with especially when you layer them and have overlaid edges. The fabric also tends to ravel easily. This post also linked to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com .

Fine Art Restoration - video

This is an exceptional video of a fine art restoration...just beautifully done (and the music is lovely too)!

People have great ideas! They may be friends, colleagues, artist contacts, or even strangers. In this case, it was an artist friend who provided the genesis of this new Blurb magazine through a conversation over zoom. The magazine contains 151 of my favorite photos taken over the years. I'm using it in an art class where the assignment is to review the photos we are drawn to -- for the qualities that draw our notice. Easier said than done, you may ask? Yes, it is. However, by looking at and thinking about why I like these photos, there are some common attributes. They may have patterns, textures, depth, play between light and shadow, and/or an overall pleasing composition. They all have a sense of 'quiet'. The occasional quirky and whimsical images are always a delight, even though more rare. In sum, the photos in the magazine (examples below) are one element of my point of view. That is to bring unnoticed...

Cay Denise

Search This Blog