Awakening Sometimes Means Remembering

Awakening Sometimes Means Remembering

Awakening to My History

Sometimes, I discover a photo or some other record of something I have created in the past, awakening curiousity. I’ve happened upon these things and then wondered, “Who did that? I’d like to see more,” or “Oh, there it is!!” Other times I simply experience chagrin, “Oh yuck! I thought I destroyed all record of that!”

Right now I am in the process of cleaning up this site, as it is going to be merged with several other of sites into a single site which presents a more complete picture of what I have to offer. I stumbled across this post: What words describe this painting?
I wondered where I got the image, so I went in search of… It turns out it was from a two-sided 3D piece called Awakening which I made for the Outside the Box Show at Placer Arts.

 

I completed the piece, photographed it, and delivered it to the show in a short period of time. I really enjoyed doing it as much as any of the pieces I’ve done for that show, because of the incorporation of sculptural problems to be solved. Awakening represents a pleasing marriage of techniques used in my early sculpture work in graduate school and my current painting.

I don’t know where this piece ended up. The way that show worked at the time, I never found out who bought it. Here is the other side of it, which hasn’t been shared before:

Having found more bamboo out on my walks, I just might play with this idea some more. I am working at awakening my sculptural urges again, as well as the 2D work.

In the Process

In the Process

My life is spent in the process: of becoming, of doing, of simply being. Today’s process involves a new pursuit.

A friend of mine is clairvoyant. She suggested to me that I start doing Spirit Portraits of “real people” as part of my readings offerings.  I have always thought that I would like to do that, but had not pursued it. On her suggestion, I decided to really investigate how I could do that quickly, and figure out the logistics and feasibility as well as the demand for such offerings. This painting is the first project in that investigation.

Well, I have these ideas. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. The jury’s still out on this one. Another hour or two of work more and it’s still not complete. That’s not counting the overnight drying time for what I thought was going to help whizz the process along.

I am working on developing a process that will allow me to work quickly. This didn’t, but I learned quite a bit. I found that I can use Golden Acrylic Glazing liquid over the watercolor pencil layer to seal it. That’s important info. I learned that I can lay down washes of acrylic and keep them fairly transparent with water, and a little of the same glazing liquid. It does not dry really quick when I lay some plastic wrap on it however. And, if I don’t add enough water, the resultant texture is pretty darn well ensconced. I also re-affirmed that I can work with my prismacolor pencils right on top of the acrylics. And I was re-reminded how I love working in acrylics for bright colors and quick work.

I might  just decide to prime my canvases with watercolor ground and go back to my watercolor and prismacolor approach. It would not be as quick, but it does have that magical quality that nothing else so far does.