Monday, February 28, 2011

Oh well . . .

- another tumblr image I found -

Right now I'm saying, "oh well". Spent a lot of time working on the 3rd piece (HA! . . there's that word . . three!) of a series connected to the number three (mind, body, spirit). The first two I've posted here. I made a "mistake" about a week ago to the final "touch". Somehow I retrieved something I liked. Again . . it was almost done . . and added another one of those "touches" and . . bong! . . the gong went off . . WRONG!!!! Think I'll give myself some time and space before I do that again. So I need to read this quote over and over and over. . . . . . and over . . and . . This little 9" square watercolor paper I've been painting on . . thought it wouldn't feel as "precious" as a canvas or cradled panel. Who knew?!?

I don't work fast. I know what I like. I don't mind redoing, if it's in the fairly early stages, but putting a lot of time into a piece . . . oh well. I think that's why I worked in oil. I can do well to retrieve something in oil or encaustic but acrylic ... ! So this series will have to wait. Glad I can put oil on acrylic. Unfortunately I can't glue tissue. At least I've never read what oil medium could do that. I have a lot of cradled panels that I made and bought for future encaustic paintings. I think I'll go to oil and cold wax. I had hoped to take a class from Rebecca Crowell, as she isn't too far away from me; maybe one on one. When I work with acrylic, I get this kind of "tedious" feeling in my body, knowing that unless I spray with water after putting a mark or brushed area on, it's on there for good. With oil I can come in with solvent. Rebecca Crowell writes about her frustrations on her blog. I know this is a part of creating. Somehow it seemed easier (as I remember) when I was creating prior to my dry spell.

Feels good to blow off steam here!! Below is a "treasure" I found along the curb. Plowtrucks and their salt created an "oh, wow!" piece. Wonder what an onlooker might have thought had they seen my excitement. Have been looking at flickr photos of the wonderful job nature does creating abstraction, and the artists who spot them.


It's pretty flat. Actually the photo doesn't do it justice. I can see my son's face if he were to have seen me putting it in my car!  :)

11 comments:

  1. That is so frustrating when a piece that is close to being done, is given one last touch that un-does it. Can I ever relate to that. I had been playing with acrylics, too, lately, but I don't think I can do it. They are too unforgiving, and there is something that I find unpleasant about working with them.

    These past two weeks, I've returned to oil and cold wax. I love it. And I'm so jealous to hear that you're near enough to Rebecca to take a class/workshop! Her work is fabulous and from what I've seen on her blog and cold wax and oil web site, she's incredibly open and generous as a teacher.

    Good luck when you return to your third piece. It might just need a bit of time and distance for now.

    (The rust-sculpture above is beautiful.)

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  2. The quote says it all! I stopped painting watercolours because I lacked the courage. The paper was so expensive and I was petrified to ruin it which of course effected my paintings. It takes courage to push a painting as far as it will go, experimenting, playing , learning. Love the rusty bits!

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  3. Hi Lynn . . I'm determined to finish the other two acrylics in this series & also working on an acrylic painting (that I paint over & over . . maybe that's the secret to acrylic . . knowing that you're going to keep painting over it until it's right . . not something I ever did with oil!). And then I will do oil & cold wax . . hmmm . . maybe I'll gesso the panel and combine them all!!

    Hi Robyn . . thanks for visiting and the word, "courage". I don't often look at that in myself . . at least in art! :-) Thank you.

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  4. Hi Jann, thanks for visiting my blog, I thought I'd come and say hi, and how so fitting to see a photo of rust!! I reckon if I was the onlooker I'd be thinking wow, wish I had found it :-)

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  5. JG - I agree with R - water colour is just too challenging - all the more reason to embrace rust. Love the piece you found. Fiona and I are always picking bits up that must make people scratch their heads. Last week in Melbourne I picked up a great piece of mangle brake calliper; Fiona found an exquisite rusted and coloured flattened bottle cap - and the list goes on. Embrace rust it forgives and keeps on rusting. By the way I am happy for you to place pics of my work on your Tumblr with links etc. Good for fellow rust lovers to have the stuff out there. Go well. B

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  6. Have you tried retarder in your acrylics? I bought some this summer when I wanted to work outside and found it worked fairly well in keeping the acrylics wet a little longer.

    I love Rebecca Crowell! I discovered her last yr in Santa Fe. Haven't been to her blog in a while. She is apparently going to come to Salt Spring next yr but I am really allergic to oils so sadly I probably won't be able to attend.

    I think that would be greatly inspiring to work with her. Can you hear me packing you off???

    Love the rusty bit, now what is your plan for it? I so agree, nature offers some fabulous bits, if we just look, as you did.

    Nice post about process. I have found it so easy to go past the point of no return on pieces but I am finding if I am more patient it works out better. I do find that I often have to put things on and take them off, cover them up. I am a slow worker too!

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  7. Hi Kim: thanks for visiting here. Your work inspires me to do some assemblage.

    Hi Barry: Love your stories about you and your wife finding bits of this metal (exquisite! only an artist & metal/rust lover!), organic, and feels like it's alive with it's evolutionary transformation.

    Hi Carole: I am developing my patience . . [:-)] . . . much better than it used to be. Retarder: I have some. I should try that. Rebecca Crowell: her workshops are full now. I can do one on one, but contemplating whether my budget will go for that. The rusty bit: Yeh! I have an idea brewing in my head . . from ideas I get on tumblr . . to do an assemblage piece (wood, plaster, and one of these pieces). So many avenues to create!!

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  8. Gosh, it is disappointing when you work beyond the happy place. I'm not much of a painter, but I have certainly ruined some pieces by going too far. And I hate to feel apprehensive about trying things or holding my work as too precious.

    Love your found rust!

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  9. Hi Leslie . . your comment has got me thinking . . . very thoughtful comment . . "too precious" . . something for me to look at. :-)

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  10. thanks for swinging by with your friendly comment...i'd be wrapping that treasure in some cloth with some leaves with a bit of dampness and waiting for magic to happen...

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  11. Love your site. Just learning about eco-dyed fabric. It's beautiful. Interesting suggestion. I know about rust printing, but not leaves.

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