Patricia Powell Kessler

New Beginnings

2012-01-03T22:22:00.001-05:00

I began this blog because I thought that it would be more fluid than a web-page.
I had three blogs that I really wasn't paying attention to and then found some of my material deleted. Now I have decided that I should just focus on one blog, Reform School Art, (just click to get there) where I will post on teaching and learning which is how my time is spent. Art is my focus because in the end it is what interests me. I wish you all well for a glorious new year and invite you to come along for a new adventure.

The end

2011-11-23T19:59:00.000-05:00


Recently I have found that some of my photographs and text have been removed from my posts without my permission. I am either going to end this blog and also Abyssal Plain or find another host site. I will let you know what my plans are but in the meantime, happy Thanksgiving.

A blue note

2011-09-20T17:17:00.000-04:00

This is my first stab at working with indigo and it makes me happy. I am so pleased that I will be signing up for our next workshop of dye group 2 of the Potomac Fiber Arts Guild in October. Please go here to read about our day with the vat at Ann Graham's studio.

Here is an interesting note from my 90 year-old friend, Sidney concerning indigo:

“Indigo made a huge difference to my southern family's fortunes - so I know
quite a bit about it. Have seen it do its magical work at a small factory in
France where they are attempting to bring the colors back into favor. There
they use woad , a biennial. The southerners were ably to grow Indigo
Tinctorum as the weather there was hot and humid. You probably know that the
word pastel derived from the early use of chalk died blue. And I could go
on and on”

“My ancestors used ground sea shells or limestone instead of the very
poisonous stuff you used - and there was always that crucial moment as to
when to add it to the eveil smelling slurry. When dried the indigo was sold
in little rectangles - somewhat like dominoes but thicker and they made huge
amounts of money - but just for one generation -as it was a fast dye and the
Brits used it for work clothes and uniforms. Then of course after the
revolution they were no longer customers. Did I tell you all this already?”

Fire Next Time

2011-08-26T13:35:00.000-04:00

60" x 48", marble dust, acrylic, and oil on canvas.


A new painting, first in a series on elements. This is without title for now. I haven't worked in oil or on a large canvas for years. Now we just wait for the hurricane.

Seeing the light of day

2011-07-28T11:21:00.000-04:00

Cocytus, 23" x 37", plant and metal dyes on silk and wool.


Xana, 19" x 36", plant and metal dyes on wool and silk.

Two new wall hangings that have yet to be revealed. David was kind enough to photograph them for me today.

"Their hearts turned cold....

2011-07-05T23:48:00.013-04:00

"But their heart turned cold and they dropt their wings." H. T. Wharton, Sappho Somehow my post honoring the life and passing of Cy Twombly mysteriously disappeared. I am re-posting the images of this work dedicated to his memory.
Re-purposed linen ground dyed with turmeric and black walnut. The shapes are alpaca wool dyed with plant materials.


"Their Hearts Grew Cold", 2011	62" x 25"

Back to School

2011-06-28T21:33:00.000-04:00


"Back to the classroom" possesses an odious tone conjuring up dull days filled with drill and testing....but not in my crafts class! Those of you who wish to spend five weeks working along with others on surface design techniques for paper and fabrics will have the opportunity to make art in new ways and explore crafts from around the world.

Join me beginning July 11 through August 11 (Summer Session II) and use the materials you make to create artist’s books and fiber works.

PowerPoint lectures will highlight artists and cultures from around the world engaged in traditional and innovative craft applications.

Studio sessions will include the following and more!

Marbling
Suminagashi – Japanese decorating technique
Paste papers
Stenciling
Book art forms
Batik

Field trips, too! Our first stop will be the Embassy of Indonesian to see the exhibition "Indonesian Batik: World Heritage".

Montgomery College

Takoma Park Campus

Crafts AR 123 – 001, CRN 11341

3 Credits Summer Session II

Monday – Thursday 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center Room 209

Amalgamation

2011-06-15T23:22:00.000-04:00

Wind and water are mighty forces that bring diverse elements together.

Shore lines may contain flotsam and jetsam and interwoven bouquets of natural materials.

These wreaths from the sea are richly textured and beautifully unified.

Strands of grasses or sea weed furl themselves across the sand as if it were a blank page.

These "compositions" were captured for me by David.

The repetition and variety formed by the waves was fascinating.

This exotic bouquet was situated in a rocky crevice just above....

this area on Lopez Island in Washington. The tiny flecks of white on the rocks in the middle are seals.

Hope Springs

2011-05-06T23:21:00.000-04:00

Weather has warmed and it is time to drag furniture out of doors again.

Time to experiment with spring blossoms and a dye pot. The petals from the Kwanzan cherry, Carolina spice bush and leaves from the Japanese painted ferns did not yield anything special.

The highly saturated azalea blossoms of clashing hues were a success, but not in the way that I expected.


I froze them briefly, then wrapped them in the silk with some fresh leaves (which left nothing). After bundling, boiling and then unwinding, this is the colorful silk scarf!

The Horse Fair

2011-05-03T15:53:00.001-04:00

Birth announcement for a pinto colt. Talented ceramic artist, Janice Arone, and I created this one as a collaborative act. I made the form with stoneware in her great studio in Charlottesville, VA and she fired and glazed him. His debut was the crafts fair last weekend in Williamsburg, VA and this weekend he will be shown at her booth at the Crozet crafts fair.

Here are shots of draft horses and one cute little Appaloosa. David took these photographs at a county fair in Maine a few years back.

Pulling bits together

2011-04-12T16:05:00.001-04:00

A few months ago I joined the Potomac Fiber Arts Guild. A well established organization of fiber artists, I had thought that their focus was weaving. I now know that it encompasses all facets of textiles...structure to surface design.

I joined a dye workshop which is a collective who meets in the fabulous studio of Ann Graham. Lucky for me that it is located nearby.

In one recent meeting we created soy wax resist patterns on silk screens and then used fiber reactive dyes. I printed my pattern on to some linen and silk that I had previously dyed with plant materials. They were very dull and had no leaf prints. They accepted the dye without my having to soak them in any chemicals. I let the dyes dry and then steamed them. The metallic colors were stamped with different carved erasers and also some old lino prints. I also embellished areas with stitchery.


I decided to add buttons from my collection to not only embellish the pages but also serve as a good place for them.

I have collected buttons since childhood and have a lot of small treasures.

Now they have a place to go. I think that I will continue this project for a while as there is a lot of fabric to put into good work and odd stamps and inks unused...also the beautiful eco-printed fabrics as well.

What Makes Us Smile?

2011-03-05T16:52:00.001-05:00

David drove me to the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore to see their exhibit, "What Makes Us Smile?". We had thought to come earlier this winter but our plans had been spoiled by snowfall.

Still feeling bereft with the recent loss of our dog, I am sad to say that I was not cheered up by the artworks. Behind the museum is Federal Hill Park, the site of an important battle against the British in 1812. Flags remind me of funerals and this one is huge.

We made our way over to the Cross Street Market. Baltimore has a number of large markets selling meats, veggies, but mostly they contain food vendors serving regional and popular fare. After pursuing the block long structure we settled on a place that specialized in breakfast and barbecue. These gentlemen are at work at the butcher's counter next to our little table. David had breakfast and I opted for bbq and collard greens. My sandwich arrived with a large bowl of dark greens chopped fine with thin stands of pork and a rich liquor of spices. These were the best greens that I had ever eaten. I started to smile. The waitress and the head cook were happy that I was happy. The tattooed man eating lunch there was curious about these wonderful greens. I smiled.

linen, cotton, silk and synthetics, with natural dyes This is a new work of stitchery inspired by the tale, Rapunzel.

K.I.S.S.

2011-02-18T23:24:00.000-05:00

My most recent birthday was a big one. It was a snowy icy day and our power went out so by my figuring it just didn't happen. The only thing that was delivered to our house were floral arrangements. This gladdened my heart, but then as more came over the week I was wondering if they thought I had died of the shock of it....age...oh well.

Just a few of the bouquets. Click the link above to see more.

It just didn't feel right consigning the remains to the compost bin and since I had recently purchased five yards of raw silk for a very small sum from a local artisan clearing out her studio I didn't think too hard about what I would do.

Using techniques learned from India Flint, I bundled all of the flowers into tightly wrapped packages. Bound by string, they were then dropped into a cauldron of hot water. They bubbled a while on the stove top as it was still a little too chilly to work out of doors.

Always the anxious undisciplined one, I fished this bundle out prior to going to the community college where I teach design. I am so glad that I did.

Here it is unwrapped with petals still stuck to the surface. I left all of the other bundles to soak for another 8 hours or so and unwrapped them that evening when I got home. I was in shock because the yellow chrysanthemums evidently released a lot of hue...so much that it permeated the other bundles. Those with purple or deep reddish hues took on a decidedly murky look. Whenever you mix those hues you are just going to cancel all the saturated color effects out.

Some draped damp strips.

I've decided to sew the strips together edged with the striped silk on the right to use as a bedspread in the guest room. I am not a quilt maker and am not certain that I want to work through all of the process involved in making anything that ambitious. I do, however, wish to remember the beautiful bounty flowers and all of the love that they represent. This certainly made the aging process so much more endearing.

Drawn and Quartered

2011-02-03T12:45:00.000-05:00


"Call and Response", 2011. Plant dyes, batik, applique, stitch, linen, wool, silk, 23" x 23"

For me, these stitched assemblages are about drawing.

Working in other people's studios

2011-01-09T22:58:00.001-05:00

It is fun to visit artist friends out of town and it is a treat to have the opportunity to work in their studios. Pinned on the office wall is a monoprint/drawing that I once gave to my friend, potter, Janice Arone.

Here is my latest "off-spring". A few years ago we began a collaborative project. I would form animal shapes from slabs of clay and she then glazes them and processes them through all the necessary firings. Her studio is a wing off of her house in Charlottesville, Virginia. She also has a large gas kiln on site.

The shelves are loaded down ready for a firing.

You can see through to a little terrace and also into the next room of the studio complex. You cannot see, however, its soaring ceiling and comfy seating. I love having the opportunity to work in this wonderfully space with its natural light.

What is not to like about small mammals?

2011-01-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

In my husband's long career at the zoo he has worked with all manner of critter. Our wedding gifts included golden eyed tree frogs that changed colors whenever the barometric pressure changed! For the past 25 years at least he has worked with small mammals. I like to sew during road trips and thank goodness he likes to drive. Some of the eco-dyed alpaca pieces that are now starting to stack up looked like fur to me so I tried my hand at creating a creature. As we were cruising through farmlands in northern Maryland recently he looked over at the "dog" I was struggling to shape and said, "It's a tamandua!" And now it is.

Our only child slept in a bed with more animals than was natural. Eventually we placed a hammock nearby so that he could get fit in under the covers. This tamandua is bound for his roost in northern California. I think that it still qualifies as a holiday gift, although at 25 he probably has outgrown his love of softies.

When Ben was born I quit my museum career to stay with him. I eventually started a small business painting children's cotton clothing and furniture. The focus was always animals and the company was called zoo keeper design. A friend from art college was aghast when he learned about what I was doing, but the option to work night and day at the National Museum of Women in the Arts towards their opening, or staying with the child was not even a toss up.

Yesterday I painted this infant onesie for one of the zoo's vets who is having her first child. These cute creatures are two different types of elephant shrew. I haven't done this sort of thing for a very long time but then zoo folks are special as are small mammals.

Deconstructing a flower

2011-01-03T23:08:00.000-05:00

At this time of year orchids are blooming madly in the southern hemisphere. I took some snapshots in a greenhouse on the grounds of the Frick in Pittsburgh two years ago.

The highly saturated colors of the photographs worked well in a monoprint that I did later. Take any digitally printed photograph and run it through a press on damp printing paper and you will transfer the image. I then continued to print and produced a few "ghost" prints. These faint images barely convey the shapes. I think that I gave the original prints away but I came across the "specters" the other day and decided to fill use water color to fill in the shapes.

I liked the shapes so well that I decided to try them out in a much larger format. This time I did the same composition twice in watercolor at 16" x 22". Of course I should be working on those thank you notes and taking apart the holiday decorations but this has been far more entertaining.

Economy

2010-12-18T14:10:00.000-05:00

I tend to think of my self as a two-dimensional artist but I love 3-dimensional forms. If I have another few decades left I might just spend them creating sculpture. Animal and vegetable are of great aesthetic interest to me. Often these domesticated lifeforms have been "engineered" through breeding to contain a variety of "qualities". Taste, ease of growing, etc., etc. But ultimately I am a sucker for beauty of the form itself. This gorgeous creature came back with me from Pennsylvania in September and I have yet to put it into a soup pot. I would not even let it be sacrificed to the Halloween traditions.

I drew it in charcoal and used the sketch for my first aquatint plate. If anything could go wrong, it did go wrong with this endeavor. I was unhappy with the outcome. A little more experience with the process will help me achieve a knowledge and skill set to move forward...


I did not want to waste the test prints which were even more washed out. The cost of beautiful printing papers is quite high.

Now that exams are over and the gifts are in the mail I can indulge in a little creative time. I broke out watercolors last night and started to play with these prints.

This print received the most saturated colors. Now I really must do something with this lovely vegetable if for no other reason to save the seeds for the coming year. Your recipe suggestions are most welcome!

By Hand

2010-12-12T23:26:00.000-05:00

"Penelope", soft-ground intaglio print


It is beginning to look like Christmas and some people will receive hand-made gifts.	Wear chintz? In small doses especially if the neckline is a necklace.

This sweet tote is made with odds and ends as well.

A mosaic dish of odds and ends but mostly bits of the beautiful Haviland china cup accidentally broken at Thanksgiving.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2010-12-07T10:31:00.000-05:00

Whenever you can put a coat on a dog you know that it is chilly. In our area we have four distinct seasons, but they have been blurred for a while. It is normal to have cold during this time of the year, but somehow freezing temperatures seem extreme. Especially when accompanied by wind.


The end of the semester is hard on us and that means that break is on the way. Here are textiles arranged but not sewn. The textures, weights and process are diverse as are their origins. The Faculty and Staff Show at Montgomery College Silver Spring/Takoma Park opens on Thursday, December 9, from 5 - 7:30 pm. It is a fun occasion and open to all. I will, however, only make it to the first hour as I am teaching a class.

Faculty Show and Tell

2010-11-19T22:21:00.000-05:00

Hero and Leander, Ecoprint on wool backed with linen.

A closeup shot of the top section printed on gabardine.

The second section is wool crepe.


The first quilt is now done and includes not only silk, but wool, felt and paper...in the form of an accordion book with leaf imprint. We will see what the jury decides concerning the final choices for the exhibition. It is always a little nerve wracking when one changes horses.

This week

2010-11-02T22:17:00.000-04:00


After lunch with a friend, I took leaves from her trees and shrubs and bundled this wool jacket. They were tossed into rain water with a handful of pennies.

This old silk shirt also worked well with the same bath. Here is the front.

I love the back. At the bottom is an oak leaf hydrangea. The blue areas are red Japanese maple, and the chartreuse are from nine bark.

This little piebald pony is my first hard ground etching ...hot off the presses.

Stitch by Stitch

2010-10-18T23:15:00.001-04:00

Slowly but surely I am putting together some of the fabrics dyed with plant materials into my first quilt.

I feel as though I am "tarting" it up a bit with odd bits and pieces such as the bit of old fishing net and the gold trim that I ripped off a shibouri -dyed silk shirt. The sleeves were too long anyway.

I still have a long way to go and though it took a while for me to stop feeling inhibited, I am now enjoying using a wide range of threads in visible running stitch on the surface. Last week I gave a talk to a local quilting group comprised of very highly skilled artisans. After the hour long talk on elements and principles of design, we had a workshop for composition. I don't think that I my work passes muster either for craftsmanship or design but I am enjoying myself with this new art form.

Drawing with friends

2010-10-04T16:44:00.000-04:00


Captured through the shuttered glass doors to the conservatory at Brookside Gardens today. It is rainy and fall has come. Three of us agreed to get together to draw. We are ancient and we need to keep our brains active, our eyes acute and our fingers nimble. Everyone says that they want to be a part of our "crew" but we three made time, despite it all. We will have more "art outings" in the future.

Art as task

2010-09-29T23:28:00.000-04:00

Enrolled in a class of intaglio printing techniques this semester and this is my first dry point etching. The subject is dear to my heart, our 15-year old, Penny. I feel perfectly safe using sentimental subject matter at long last!

Snapshots of old friends

2010-09-17T02:00:00.000-04:00


Clearing out a box of photographs I found "records" of earlier works.

These drawings and paintings were based mostly on photographs that I had taken at various ranches, farms, farm parks and agricultural fairs.

Some images are quite small and others are large.

The media ranges from watercolor and gouache, to pastel, and oil paint.

These images are all "hoofed stock". I also love drawing poultry.

Sometimes I would work from photographs sent to me by friends. David's cousin fought off black flies in Maine in order to capture images of these Belted Galloways.

I was interested in recording various types of livestock that are considered rare or even endangered. One of the best exhibitions of this work was held in a an art gallery located in a culinary college.

Willoughby Spit, Redux

2010-08-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

A yellow-spotted lop-eared ceramic rabbit for Rita Marlier's 80th birthday.

A watercolor of a dominique chicken given to her years ago. So glad to see it again.

Willoughby Spit, Va along the Chesapeake Bay

When I moved to Norfolk in the early 1980's to work in the education office of The Chrysler Museum I moved across the street from Rita into a 100 year old wooden house right on the water. When the wind would blow the house would shake. When nor'easters came in the streets would flood.

Summer Camp

2010-07-03T22:38:00.000-04:00

Sometimes even the teacher needs to go to camp for down time and enrichment.
If the arts are of interest to you than you might consider attending one of the offerings at Shakerag in Suwanee, Tennessee. For two weeks the lovely people at St. Andrew's-Suwanee School transform their campus into a paradise for creative people from around the globe. Each week a new group of artists arrive to teach for five days to equally talented students.

My class was the first section with Australian artist, India Flint, who has developed a strategy of dying termed Eco Colour, a practice of using plant dyes involving sustainability and most importantly, minus the use of toxic substances. Using windfall from the campus and forest we wrapped fabrics and papers around plant materials and immersed them into pots of boiling water sometimes with the addition of found metal bits.

It was an experience I won't soon forget. The practice of mindful response to the world around us and the ability to commune with others in a studio setting was a such a reward. I also met others involved in the studios including workshops in ceramics, book arts, sculpture with willow, digital multimedia, and embroidery.

Everyone there was an amazing and generous resource. So much creativity and ability in a tiny beautiful world on the highlands of Tennessee.

My class project, a little fabric book

Last but not least

2010-03-30T23:43:00.000-04:00

I am not certain how this watercolor of peppers and pears was left out of the portfolio of vegetables and fruit that I posted a while back. Again, we were in the midst of the snow storms and I was grabbing whatever wasn't frozen in my kitchen to paint while I was in residence at our friends' house.

High Wire Act

2010-03-20T23:16:00.000-04:00

We had tickets to the Schubert, Schubert, Schubert Festival at Georgetown University tonight and arrived early. I realized that David had never seen a project that I had done many years ago in the Athletic Hall of Fame. For what seemed like months, I worked on scaffolding to produce the two trompe l'oeil and gold leafed banners that embellish the central section of the hall.

"Two Latin inscriptions adorn the walls of the Hall. On the north wall is the sage advice of the Roman writer, Juvenal who urged "mens sana in corpore sano." Translated, it reads, "a sound mind in a sound body," a phrase that has become one of the hallmarks of Jesuit education. On the opposite wall is written the motto of the modern Olympic Games, "citius, altius, fortius," faster, higher, stronger."

Vegetative State

2010-02-13T12:38:00.000-05:00

Not able to get around this week due to extreme weather, I continued my pursuit of still life compositions
with fruit and vegetables. I had recently found a cache of lovely print making papers and these drawings are on quarter-sized sheets of a pale blue heavy weight paper. Mostly rendered in watercolor, some have the addition of colored pencil and even a touch of gouache if necessary.

These were done when we were in residence at our neighbors, the Smiths.
Our power went out with the blizzard and they took us in. Happily I could just paint all day and help a little with clean up in the kitchen. It was like an artist in residency.

The pineapple in the second picture arrived the one day that we had mail delivery last week. Our wonderful Aunt Rose had sent it to us via Harry and David as part of a year round gift of marvelous produce.

I thought that I would bind the pages together into one large "sketch book", and I will do this when I finish up two more works and make some corrections on the limes and sweet potatoes.

Quick As...

2010-01-18T18:51:00.000-05:00

Imaginary Fox on an Imaginary Hill, Watercolor, Ink, and Collage

I have a new neighbor, or at least, I hope that I do. The fox has been seen on at least two afternoons at the same time moving along the hillside next to our house and yesterday, David saw it exploring the perimeter of our yard. It is a healthy red fox but we do not know if it is a dog fox or a vixen. I am hoping for a female. I heard it barking last night.

Letting It Flow

2010-01-18T17:48:00.000-05:00

I have decided not to self edit but to let images go with the flow.
This is "Pyre" and it is watercolor and collage.

Hats and Memory

2009-12-29T22:29:00.000-05:00

Everyone wore hats when I was young. My father had his hats custom made because his head was larger than most. Women wore hats with their elaborate hairstyles when they dressed up. Because females were required to cover their heads, we wore them to church. Easter was the hat occasion of the year when I was a child.

When I met my husband it did not seem strange that he had an extensive hat collection. Felt and embroidered fezzes, beaver skin top hats, metal fire department helmets, pith helmet, and on and on, even a wooden hat block formed his eccentric collection. So many hats, so many photographs of family members wearing delicious creations, and so, how is it that one single hat could burn so deeply into the recesses of my memory?

When we were on our final visit to the family house in Montana, we took a last walk around looking into sheds and outbuildings. Over the years everything had been tidied up and most things had been removed. Not expecting to find anything, I opened a chest and within it I spied the fawn colored felt hat. This was my grandfather's hat, at least the one that I remember him wearing the most during the 50's and 60's. David with his predilection for hats immediately pounced. I asked my aunt for permission to take it. He wears it now.
Like Rosebud it releases a flood of emotions.

Conte crayon, 12" x 18", 2009

Building a snowman with my grandfather on April 14, 1952

Threads

2009-12-27T13:02:00.009-05:00

Holidays are wonderful times but they require a lot of time. Last night there were no commitments, no cooking for me to do, and everything that was needed to be done for Christmas week had been completed.
I still have a few last minute grades to get in, but other than that I could indulge myself in reading a novel (I am immersed in the EF Benson series of Mapp and Lucia), and then a large Conte crayon and pastel drawing of the jacket. To the right is the second version with the addition of tempera paint over the chalks. It is still not done.

This thread worn article of clothing was found by my husband in a closet during his college days and it was busted up then. Lo these many years later it was adopted by our son. With his long hair tied into a pony tail and this tattered jacket trailing threads from cuff and waistband, he wends his way into the city with sartorial splendor.

Seasonal Gifts

2009-12-19T22:53:00.001-05:00

Sometimes creativity is a gift to share with others.

It is a way of making things special.

Our blizzard this weekend makes it seem especially seasonal. I hope that you, too, are feeling jolly and bright!

Wax Works

2009-12-10T10:19:00.001-05:00

Our sweet dog, Penny in encaustic.

Working with hot wax mixtures and pigment is a quite a sensation. Applying molten substances to a surface, heating them with high intensity heat source, and then applying a strong buffing is like alchemy.

Buff Orpington, egg tempera with encaustic.

Fjord ponies, one of my first experiences working with encaustic

Adolescence Continued...

2009-12-09T10:06:00.000-05:00

Here is another view of adolescence, this time a small egg tempera panel done when our son was much younger. Thankfully he is not as addicted to the computer as he once was, at least I hope not. He comes home this weekend for a prolonged visit from New Mexico.

Giuditta's Sister

2009-12-06T13:10:00.001-05:00

The Biblical story of Judith and Holofernes was a favorite subject matter for Renaissance artists. Donatello, Mantegna, Elisabetta Sirani, Titian, Lucas Cranach, Botticelli, Caravaggio, and Artemisia Gentileschi to name but a few. They found a sumptuous visual narrative in the stealthy victory of a brave noblewoman. Judith with her maid, Bethuliah, managed to defeat the Assyrian forces by first luring the general, Holofernes, and beheading him when he thought that he was going to seduce her. Each artist illustrated the story in their own style. For me the interpretations of Gentileschi resonate. It is thought by some that the experience of being raped by the Tuscan painter, Agostino Tassi, and the ignominy of a seven-month-long trial, provided her with an emotional edge. Her women are strong and determined foes as they triumph over the powerful general.

In this image we contrast Giordani's Giuditta (Judith) standing with her leg and thigh bared and her foot upon the head. The night has been banished and a bucolic and marine scene fill the background. Her mien is gentle and subdued. She stares down upon the becalmed face of her foe betraying no horror or glory. Her weapon, a sword is held with grace at her side. No blood is in evidence. There is no Bethuliah. It reminds me of photos taken by game hunters and fishermen displaying their catch after the fact, clutching their weapons or fishing rods.

I chose this composition by Giordani as the basis of my collage (see previous entry for more information about the collage series). This woman holds her sword aloft. At her feet are a series of decapitated
women's heads and faces. Her red gown could be thought of as a torrent of blood. She is not Judith and she has not killed the general of the invading army. She is a woman who is mutilating herself. She changes her own visage with the flick of a blade. The used faces are like masks at her feet. Her own face is featureless.

How do I manage to come up with these sorts of images!

Recycling the Past

2009-11-19T11:11:00.001-05:00

When I taught high school art I enjoyed having students study the history of collage. Our art project was based on the ideas of Romare Bearden, whose work was exhibited a few years ago in a major retrospective at the National Gallery of Art. One series of collages that he constructed was to interpret classical compositions about epic tales through an Afrocentric lens. The resulting works are lively and beautiful, as are all of his body of work.

The assignment for my students was to select a painting that they liked and to create a collage using the basic composition, keeping the proportions relatively intact. They were to interpret the work in their own way. The results were stunning.
The two portraits above are recent works of my own in which I sought to revisit Renaissance portraiture while recycling a pile of printed matter. This exercise has helped me get to a new page...which I will discuss soon.

In Virginia

2009-11-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

Just in from a long weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia at Janice Arone's lovely house, studio, and shop. Ostensibly there to deliver the round mosaic table mentioned earlier to the client, it gave me a chance to do some work and see wonderful crafts. Oh, yeah, and go to vineyards, eat oysters, attend a wonderful concert with Jesse Winchester, and dine out at great eateries.

This critter made from an entire sack of stoneware was my first attempt of making a calf. If all goes well and it fires out, Janice will apply her lovely glazes, probably in a white and black palette. If an interested client cannot be found, it will make its way to the Barn Swallow, her shop between Ivy and Crozet.

Her studio is perfect and it gives me the room to tackle large projects while she works away on her wheel.
This weekend was the studio tour of artisans for that central region of Virginia. I drove through hillside and dale to see gorgeous works in incredible studios. These artists have made their worlds to suit themselves and they could not find a better place to be.

I drove home via Skyline Drive through my beloved Blue Ridge Mountains.

Taking It Down a Notch

2009-11-06T09:38:00.001-05:00

Last semester I enrolled in Nancy McNamara's Monoprint Workshop at MC. The class was small and full of older students save for a few brilliant "youngsters". It was so much fun. Most people already knew their way around a printmaking studio so with Nancy's laid back curriculum we were able to advance our knowledge and skill sets but also work out our own ideas.

Over the top

2009-11-05T11:20:00.000-05:00

For many years I focused my energy on producing painted furniture, murals, textiles and tiles for shops, designers and private clients. This is the sort of garish work that I did to attract customers to booths at garden and gift shows.

Never Say, "Never!"

2009-11-04T16:24:00.000-05:00

I know that I said that I would not be involved with the decorative arts trade, but, teaching part-time is not particularly income generating either. When Janice Arone of the Barn Swallow in C'ville asked me to take a commission for a client, I could not refuse. The problem handed over to me was contained in a small cardboard box...shards from Dresden vessels. These smashed remains were from treasured hand-painted porcelain destroyed by heavy handed movers. Later I received in the mail a string of graduated coral beads and a small damaged gold monogrammed locket.

My solution was to purchase a small round table in a consignment store. The top had a slight indentation which was perfect for a mosaic. Then the puzzle making skills came in handy...finding the best way to unite various pieces of several cups into a ring of prettily painted scenes. Miraculously there were just enough bits to create the circle and barely enough to fill in the center, hence the design is not very structure there. I added a toss of coral beads randomly on the surface.

Ingenuity came into play with this decorated and gilded stem that was still intact. In a kitchen drawer I found an ancient crystal bottle stopper from Germany. I managed to combine the various pieces with a necklace of coral beads. Another layer of "gold" leaf was added to the top rim, center, and foot of the table. Now all I have to do is create a sort of chatelaine for the locket.

From Direct Observation

2009-10-25T02:58:00.001-04:00

I don't often draw from direct observation but I enjoy making drawings of fall fruits and vegetables.
The pastel-in-progress above is an attempt to capture a pale pumpkin, a hubbard squash, two quinces and a pear.

These two color pencil drawings were done a fall or two ago, again with a pumpkin and a quince (above)
and a pomegranate below.

About this time last year we were at a friend's country house. I captured this row of apples on a window sill with their reflections in the glass one evening with water color.

Rivers and Triangles: a book of images

2009-10-06T23:20:00.000-04:00

This is a new book that I delivered today to represent "student work" this past summer in my printmaking independent study. While I had made several books, two of which are included in the current show at BookArt@ArtSpace in Richmond, Virginia, this one is newly bound.

I chose a Coptic style of binding so that I could use these samples of architectural acrylic panel as "boards". The little emblem on the cover is a piece that I had made years ago in a workshop of alternative jewelry techniques given at MICA in Baltimore. The book seemed to be the right surface and subject matter for this little decoration of pressed wire, mesh and beads. Also, it now indicates not only what end is up, but also, the beginning...as if it really matters.

The concept for the monoprints came about as a result of my interest in rivers, specifically the Minho or Mino River which is born in the Galatia region of Spain, travels south and serves as a border between Spain and Portugal and finally empties out into the Atlantic after passing through Portugal. Both Minho and Mino come from the Latin, Minium, which means red lead. This coloring agent has long been used by artists as well as in industry. I wanted to think about color in a different way.

This is an image based on a section of the Green River, a great western waterway that empties into the Colorado River.

So why triangles? I love this shape because I think that they add a sense of movement to the work.

I created a few problems for myself when I accidentally placed the stab marks for the pages in the wrong place. Rather then situating them on the end of the fold, I placed them where the cover binding holes were placed which made it impossible to bind. I then had to reposition the holes but, of course, could not erase the first piercings. Instead I added collaged elements from some natural materials...birch bark and sphagnum moss from the island home of friends in Maine, and some lovely bits of adhesive copper.

Synchronicity

2009-09-08T00:41:00.000-04:00

Multiverse, September 2009, ink, gouache, & colored pencil

I do not know if you have someone that you live with who shares "constructive criticism" with you as you are working. My husband has bravely offered up his opinion from time to time and often his thoughts are of interest. The other night as I was obsessively layering color, pattern and rendering textures, he commented that it resembled the multiverse in a graphic novel that he was reading.

I think that I might try this on canvas...different colorways and textures...sometimes I just like to let myself work freely with art media without a preconceived idea.

Books for Show

2009-09-06T00:32:00.000-04:00

These two books will be exhibited later this month in an exhibition in Richmond, Virginia, BookArts@ArtSpace. The pages for both books were done using Suminagashi, a Japanese marbling technique using ink. Check this posting on my blog Reform School Art to find out more about this technique.

Cover includes manipulated photo transfer, embroidery and lino print

cover includes monoprint and collage

The flag book form was originally developed by Hedi Kyle. When I worked at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, she was working in the restoration studio of the library. I studied with her at the Center for Book Arts. At that time I had thought that I would like to be a paper conservator, however I did not have the necessary background in chemistry.

Please click here to view a posting about the flag book form on Reform School Art.

Three-Dimensional Monoprints

2009-08-27T22:47:00.001-04:00

This past summer I signed up for an independent project in printmaking at the Montgomery College where I teach . The printmaking studio is well equipped and is a joy to work in.

One idea that I wanted to explore was a three-dimensional form that I had learned in a workshop with book artist, Daniel E. Kelm. Please click here to see a website for an exhibition of his work at Smith College, Poetic Science.

There are ten video links and you need to see his kinetic works in action. His work is executed with amazing precision and his ideas are influenced by everything from experimental chemistry to alchemy. My forms are about broken color and do not include any imagery. I like the idea of the geometric forms.

The final measurements for the large print are approximately 17" x 7 " (43 cm x 18 cm) and the small print is 5.5" x 2.2" (14 cm x 6.5 cm).The smaller form is more versatile and can be manipulated easily into various iterations. The larger is more static due to the weight of the paper.

The actual size of the printed papers for each prior to folding is 36" x 17.5" (92 cm x 44.5 cm) for the large print and 11" x 6" (28 cm x 15 cm) for the small print.

Daniel Kelm was instrumental in establishing GAS, The Garage Annex School for Book Arts in Easthampton, Mass. The offer a wide range of workshops. I was able to take a one-day workshop at our local Pyramid Atlantic Art Center here in Silver Spring.

Ceramic Animals

2009-08-19T16:15:00.000-04:00

Raku sheep

We love animals in this family. My husband has worked at the National Zoo for over 30 years and he does not think it strange that I would travel for hours to gaze upon some rare breed horse, pig or herd of cattle.

Sometimes I collaborate with potter, Janice Arone. We have been friends since meeting in undergraduate school at VCU in Richmond lo those many years ago. Not only does she have a fabulous studio but she also makes rich glazes, and she has a huge gas kiln.

Last year she was commissioned by a client to make a goat as a surprise for a friend. I went to Charlottesville over a weekend and produced the form of the creature. Janice then fired and glazed and then re-fired the stoneware goat.

I traveled down to Ivy, Virginia last spring to meet the party for whom the goat was created. We hid it in the garden outside the Barnswallow (a store that Janice is a part owner of which is housed in a gorgeous 19th century barn). The goat was happily discovered and taken to its new farm/home.

End of the Game

2009-08-19T10:13:00.000-04:00

From roughly 1986 until 2004 when this commission was completed, I worked intermittently as a custom painter of furniture, murals, and other decorative arts. I also produced a line of clothing called Zoo Keeper Design.

The challenge: The table is extremely ornate with its original brown finish. It belongs to clients with a large collection of colorful craft work made by artisans from Mexico, America, and Haiti. The scale of the rooms are large with high ceilings and brightly painted walls filled with natural light. Artworks appear on every surface and wall, and even the chandeliers and furnishings are decoratively painted.

The solution: The table is located in the entryway near the vestibule of the the front door. Visitors to the house must pass it and are greeted by the large ornate sculptures. The table had to "stand up" to the artworks it in order to "blend in" with its surroundings.

In any other set of circumstances this design would not work! It is garish alone but within its surroundings the table seems "natural". I cleaned and primed it and then proceeded to hand paint a mosaic design onto the various surfaces. Gold foil, copper and silver leaf were also added to give it even more punch. The only surface with actual mosaic added are the heart shapes on the bottom. I applied shards of copper glass in order to make these shapes stand out.

In the end the clients had a party to celebrate the completion of the work but I was happy to say that this was the final piece. I was going to direct more of my time to teaching art.

Drawings from 2008

2009-08-19T02:31:00.000-04:00

Oeufs a la Neige

For this posting I have included three "drawings" that I made in 2008.
Each was done with water media using a variety of tools including hand made brushes, pens and feathers. I enjoy working in a spontaneous fashion and I love color.

Celestial Navigation

This drawing was executed on paper with black walnut ink that I distilled.