Come A Little Closer

It’s time for a straight-forward combination of the elements I often work with, in collage. The geometric shapes are readily apparent but how are there two colors on what seems like one layer of a monotype print? The mystery lies in the use of two “plates” into which coils of string are incised by the weight of the etching press. They are inked with two different colors and printed. Paper circles are placed on the second plate before printing. When they are removed the color of the first plate shows through as circles. Mystery solved!

As I’ve done in the past, I construct the collage on the printed monotype. It’s a step by step, layer by layer process using parts of collagraph (textured) prints and monotype prints.

Here is the first set of three. They are horizontal.

#1394 To Do Or Not To Do monotype w. collage, 15.5×23.5, 2022

#1395 Peripheral Vision monotype w. collage, 15.5×23.5, 2022

#1396 Now You See It monotype w. collage, 15.5×23.5, 2022

If you look the second set of three, which are vertical, can you tell that each collage is assembled on a print from only one plate? Bet you can! That monotype print is the “ghost” image. It is the impression from the image left on the first plate after printing. The vertical collages are constructed in the same way as the horizontal ones step by step, layer by layer.

Here are the three vertical collages.

#1397 Super Duper monotype w. collage, 23.5×15.5, 2022

#1398 What Goes ’round Comes ’round monotype w. collage, 23.5×15.5 2022

#1399 Say When monotype w. collage, 23.5×15.5, 20

Don’t let the “process” get in the way of seeing the whole collage. Enjoy the experience of exploring the relationships of line, shape, color, and texture. Look at the whole, notice the parts, then look at the whole again.

Party on!

It’s A Wrap

The collage series TIME is finished (maybe). The previous blog, “Since I Don’t Write Poetry”, described the how and why of #1366-1369. I posted questions in that blog that I asked you to ponder. The last two collages in the series are #1370 and #1371.

Each element in the collage is a shape that can be named and exists as a ‘thing.” When it becomes part of another thing it becomes something else. Continuing to add elements continues the change even further. The parts lose their identity, as they become the new entity. The end result (the collage) is the sum of its parts.

Here is #1370 “This Time”

#1370 This Time

I thought it might be fun to show a bit of the sequence in assembling the collage. It may take the fun out of guessing how it all comes together but I’m not really giving away any secrets. So, here are some shots showing areas before and after collage elements have been added to #1371 which is at the end.

#1371

#1371

#1371

#1371

#1371

#1371

 

Here is the finished collage #1371 with all of its relationships for you to consider.

#1371 That Time

The idea of mindfulness in meditation is what I apply to my art practice. It is being present and open to the possibilities that arise during the time spent working on a project. I’ve been doing this for a long, long time. I just didn’t know what it was called. I have the following poem tacked to my studio wall. It is a powerful reminder of the need for mindfulness, in art and life, especially now.

WORDS FOR EACH DAY

Daisen-In Temple (Zen), Kyoto, Japan

Each day in life is training.

Training for myself.

Though failure is possible.

Living each moment.

Equal to anything.

Ready for everything.

I am alive.

I am this moment.

My future is here and now.

For if I cannot endure today when and where will I.

 

Be well, my friends, and practice mindfulness.

JOY

I’ve been thinking about the meaning of the word joy and how to find it and embrace it in this off-kilter time, the year 2020.

I have come upon scenes of joy in so many places all around the world. I explored my archives and found images of people and places that caught my attention for their expression of joy. Often, something in a place that made me smile. People, young and old, near and far, anytime, anywhere doing something that makes them happy. Smiles. Joy!

Here is what I found.

Eat Dessert First

CU Boulder

Feld Days Spring Creek E.S.

Vietnam

Japan

Japan

Japan

Japan

Chile

Buenos Aires, Arg.

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

A Must Have, NYC

Music In The Subway, NYC

Boston

Redstone, CO

Music at the Met, NYC

An Unexpected Pleasure, NYC

Ljubljana

So Many To Choose, Ljubljana

Beaver Creek, Co

Cinque Terre, Italy

What a Ride, Cinque Terre, Italy

Travel and photography are experiences that bring me joy. Another, which occupies more of my time, especially during these months of isolation, is working in my studio. It is the joy of discovery working with familiar or unfamiliar materials. The what-ifs, maybes and perhaps. Keep this, change that, see what happens. The road to discovery can be straight-ahead or long and winding. Minutes, hours, days, or weeks. No matter. I sink down into the work at hand and emerge at some point thinking “finished” or “unfinished.” That’s it. Next.

My Studio

Outside my studio is the natural beauty of my farm in North Texas. It exerts its special brand of calmness on me and brings me huge amounts of joy. A special part is the Tally-Ho Trail, named by my granddaughter when she was young. It meanders through the woods, gently rising and falling, twisting and turning, following the creek. It’s not Colorado, but it’s our little piece of heaven in Texas. I’ll be on it as soon as it cools off. Summer does seem to last forever here.

Tally Ho Trail

Joy can be a small thing or a big thing. If we open our hearts to the possibility of giving and receiving JOY who knows what might happen?

Life Is Art

 

 

Art-Fashion-Technology

I recently saw a fabulous exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. “Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion” is magical. This young Dutch designer marries art and science to exquisite effect. Her work made me look long and hard and think a lot about what fashion is all about, what the possibilities are.

Ms. Van Heren is inspired by art, architecture, science and technology. She describes each collection in terms of its influences. Is this “wearable art?” Maybe. The creations cover or encase the body and in fact, are presented in runway fashion shows, although I can’t imagine anyone walking in the shoes shown in the exhibit. A video shows they can! She utilizes traditional handwork (still) but also incorporates materials made with a 3-D printer, materials not associated with garment construction. The results are “other-worldly” and mesmerizing. There is a notable absence of color, which places greater emphasis on structure.

Sometimes she collaborates with other artists such as the architect Daniel Widrig and Jolan van der Wiel (shoes).

The Refinery Smoke collection (2008) utilized thin gauge woven metal to create a giant pouf.

Refinery Smoke collection

The Crystallization collection (2010) incorporated 3-D materials for the first time.

Crystallization collection

Crystallization collection

The Escapism collection (2011) combined handwork and 3-D printing, creating a lace-like garment without needle and thread.

Escapism collection

The Capriole collection (2011) has acrylic sheets wrapping around the body or prominent spikes.

 

Capriole collection

 

Capriole collection

The Chemical Crows collection (2008) was made entirely by hand, including fan-like shapes from umbrella ribs.

Chemical Crows collection

Chemical Crows collection

The Radiation Invasion collection (2009) looked to science and its relation to the body for inspiration.

Radiation Invasion collection

The Synethesia collection (2010) took science as its starting point.

Synethesia collection

The Magnetic Motion collection (2014) was made in collaboration with Philip Beesley and combined 3-D printing with handwork.

Here are the shoes!

 

The exhibit will continue on to Cincinnati, Phoenix and Toronto. Run, do not walk, to this exhibit!

 

Details

To see details is to notice the parts isolated from the whole. Without the context we focus on an object’s lines, shapes, colors or textures.

Here are some architectural details from ancient stone edifices to a new bridge whose details seem like line drawings against the sky.

D's Palace, Sp;it

D’s Palace, Sp;it

Cathedral, Zagreb

Cathedral, Zagreb

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas

Iceland’s Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavek has a mostly clear glass and steel façade. You can see buildings in the distance as well as the structural detail when you get close.

Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik

Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik

The distinctive character of a wall, an unusual door handle and metal grillwork look different up close.

DUMBO, NYC

DUMBO, NYC

Kumrovec

Kumrovec

La Boca, Buenos Aires

La Boca, Buenos Aires

Japan

Japan

What walls are made of or what’s on them provide great visuals.

Japan

Japan

Reykjavik

Reykjavik

Dallas

Dallas

Dallas

Dallas

Dallas

Dallas

Dallas

Dallas

Dallas

Dallas

 

Windows have an added dimension when looking for details. Looking through them adds a bit of color, which enhances the detail.

Dallas

Dallas

Greenville, SC

Greenville, SC

We walk on floors, inside and out. Get low and see their textures, lines and shape.

African American Museum ,Dallas

African American Museum ,Dallas

Lisbon

Lisbon

From bright and shining vintage cars in museums to not so bright and shining, just old, we’re drawn to their colorful details.

Antique Car Museum, Warrenton, TX

Antique Car Museum, Warrenton, TX

Antique Car Museum, Warrenton, TX

Antique Car Museum, Warrenton, TX

Auto Museum, Moncopulli, Chile

Auto Museum, Moncopulli, Chile

Auto Museum, Moncopulli, Chile

Auto Museum, Moncopulli, Chile

Minturn, CO

Minturn, CO

Then, there is ART. When I stand back and look at the entire piece, i.e. a painting, or move around a sculpture I have one kind of experience. When I move closer I can see the parts (details) making up the whole. I can see how light affects the surface. I can see the negative spaces. I can isolate the colors and textures.

Michelle O'Michael "Metamorph"

Michelle O’Michael “Metamorph”

Juan Fontanive

Juan Fontanive

In my paintings and collages there is the “whole”, composed of many parts in dialogue with one another. A closer look reveals the details.

#1271 Cecelia Feld Untitled mixed media acrylic painting on panel, 24x24, 2013

#1271 Cecelia Feld Untitled mixed media acrylic painting on panel, 24×24, 2013

#1271 Untitled- Detail

#1271 Untitled- Detail

#1294 Cecelia Feld Untitled mixed media acrylic painting on panel, 36x36, 2015

#1294 Cecelia Feld Untitled mixed media acrylic painting on panel, 36×36, 2015

#1294 Untitled-Detail

#1294 Untitled-Detail

#1301 Cecelia Feld Remembering The Things You Forgot collage 22x30 2016

#1301 Cecelia Feld Remembering The Things You Forgot collage 22×30 2016

#1301 Remembering The Things You Forgot-Detail

#1301 Remembering The Things You Forgot-Detail

#1303 Cecelia Feld Chasing The Unexpected collage 30x22 2016

#1303 Cecelia Feld Chasing The Unexpected collage 30×22 2016

#1303 Chasing The Unexpected-Detail

#1303 Chasing The Unexpected-Detail

A big thanks to those of you who sent me your shots of DETAILS. Here are some that I selected.

Al Padwa

Al Padwa

Bruce Schlein Home Napkins

Bruce Schlein Home Napkins

Theme #7 is SHADOW PLAY. I hope you will participate.

Send me your photos as email attachments no larger than 1MB by April 3, 2017.

Crazy For Collage

I often construct my collages on acrylic painted paper. For a recent group of collages I layered stencil shapes cut from discarded prints (monotypes, collagraphs, etchings) and other found paper on the painted background. I needed one more element to make the collage POP. I found it by using acrylic “spreads.” Never heard of them? Spreads are made by painting acrylic paint or paint + gel medium on a releasing surface like plastic, letting it dry really well, then scraping it off and gluing it to the collage paper. They’re a little tricky to make, but they’re fun to make and fun to incorporate into the collage. They add texture and a bit of 3-D to the flat surface.

Here are some examples from the “Hidden In Plain Sight” series.

#1296 Hidden In Plain Sight 1, collage, 16x20", 2016

#1296 Hidden In Plain Sight 1, collage, 16×20″, 2016

#1297 Hidden In Plain Sight 2, collage, 16x20", 2016

#1297 Hidden In Plain Sight 2, collage, 16×20″, 2016

#1298 Hidden In Plain Sight 3, collage, 16x20", 2016

#1298 Hidden In Plain Sight 3, collage, 16×20″, 2016

#1300 Hidden In Plain Sight 5, collage, 16x20", 2016

#1300 Hidden In Plain Sight 5, collage, 16×20″, 2016

I continue to use pieces of my photographs, like the underfoot and graffiti images with discarded (you could say re-purposed) prints and found paper. May I say “ephemera?” It sounds so much more sophisticated. The compositions extend in all directions on a white background.

Here are a few recent examples.

#1301 Remembering The Things You Forgot collage 22x30" 2016

#1301 Remembering The Things You Forgot collage 22×30″ 2016

#1302 Internal:External Forces At Work collage 22x30" 2016

#1302 Internal:External Forces At Work collage 22×30″ 2016

#1303 Chasing The Unexpected collage 30x22" 2016

#1303 Chasing The Unexpected collage 30×22″ 2016

 

Sometimes you have to go “small.” Same idea, collage on painted paper. What happens when you try to downsize? What do you pick and choose to take? Ugh, you say. Well, I have to make the same sort of decisions every time I look at the paper. I made a series of “minis” called “Mini-Go-Round.” They are 6×8”, a lot smaller than 16×20”, 22×30” or 29×41”, my usual sizes for collage. How would you design a collage on a small piece of paper?

Here are my “minis.” Remember, they are small.

#1304 Mini Go Round 1, collage 6x8" 2016

#1304 Mini Go Round 1, collage 6×8″ 2016

#1305 Mini Go Round 2, collage 6x8" 2016

#1305 Mini Go Round 2, collage 6×8″ 2016

#1306 Mini Go Round 3, collage 6x8" 2016

#1306 Mini Go Round 3, collage 6×8″ 2016

#1309 Mini Go Round 6, collage 6x8" 2016

#1309 Mini Go Round 6, collage 6×8″ 2016

#1321 Mini Go Round 18, collage 6x8" 2016

#1321 Mini Go Round 18, collage 6×8″ 2016

Have you made collages? What’s your approach?

Reflections

 

Reflections of. Reflections in. Reflections on. How different the world can seem when we notice only a portion of it. Shapes and colors are distorted in strange and wonderful ways depending on the reflecting medium. I like to describe it as shape shifting. The image is somewhat recognizable but somehow different from what we expect.

Some materials are highly reflective like antique cars in a museum, polished to a fare thee well, reflecting people passing by as well as their pricey neighbors.

Antique Car Museum

Antique Car Museum

Antique Car Museum

Antique Car Museum

If the car is outdoors its colorful surroundings are captured on its slick and shiny surface.

Santa Fe

Santa Fe

Sculptures, indoors and out, often have highly reflective surfaces which reflect museum goers, both those studying the sculpture and those photographing it. There is an otherworldly aspect to those reflections.

Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons

Donald Judd, Marfa

Donald Judd, Marfa

Loveland Sculpture Park, CO

Loveland Sculpture Park, CO

Glass has a way of capturing and altering what it reflects. Sometimes it reflects what is in the immediate vicinity. Sometimes it lets us see through it and beyond in multiple layers.

Winspear Opera House, Dallas

Winspear Opera House, Dallas

Broad Museum, LA

Broad Museum, LA

Crystal Bridges Museum, Arkansas

Crystal Bridges Museum, Arkansas

Trammel Crow Building, Dallas

Trammel Crow Building, Dallas

Glassware

Glassware

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Water has its own special way of mesmerizing us with its reflections. This is shape shifting at its best. Wiggly, elusive images which change depending on the time of day and the light.

Venice Canals, CA

Venice Canals, CA

dsc_3756-copy-copy

The Modern, Ft. Worth, TX

The Modern, Ft. Worth, TX

The Modern, Ft. Worth, TX

The Modern, Ft. Worth, TX

Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park, Montana

Inside and out, buildings often present multiple images, reflection upon reflection.

Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland

Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland

Northpark Mall, Dallas

Northpark Mall, Dallas

dscn6942-copy-copy

Look at water and architecture for playful abstract patterns of shape and color.

img_6183

p1010159

dsc_3751

And now, YOUR photos! Thanks for letting us see what you see.

Elizabeth Greene - Libby

Elizabeth Greene – Libby

Marla Shanman - Rome

Marla Shainman – Rome

Moses Hoskins - Isfahan

Moses Hoskins – Isfahan

Stan Feld - Woodcreek Ranch, TX

Stan Feld – Woodcreek Ranch, TX

Phil Goodman

Phil Goodman

Next – Theme #4 is PLACE. It’s a word with many meanings. Literal or figurative. What’s your take on it? Get your photos ready and send them to me as email attachments no larger than 1MB JPG by January 4, 2017.

The Devil Is In The Details

 

Robert Rauschenberg once said, “Sunsets and strawberries never appear the same.” Margaret Drabble wrote, in The Red Queen, “Nothing comes from nowhere.”

#1274 Razzle, Dazzle, collage 19 1:2x25 1:2"

#1274 Razzle, Dazzle, collage 19 1:2×25 1:2″

 

#1275 Hip, Hip, Hooray, collage 19 1:2x25 1:2" 20

#1275 Hip, Hip, Hooray, collage 19 1:2×25 1:2″ 20

When I think about my work (because people ask) I realize it is always about exploring possibilities. Sometimes it’s moving forward, sometimes it’s stepping back. Inspiration can come from anything and anywhere, as complicated as the arc of travel, as simple as the mash up of colors in a bowl of fruit salad. A story, a piece of fabric, architectural details. How do I process all of these sensory experiences? How do I express them?

It’s a balancing act. Assessing, revising, adding, subtracting. The paintings and collages, for instance, are the result of the interplay of line, texture (real or implied), negative and positive space, and color (or lack of). How do the parts relate to the whole?

Where is the harmony? The dissonance? Experience with materials and technique is layered over intuition.

#1276 Going My Way?, collage 19 1:2x25 1:2"

#1276 Going My Way?, collage 19 1:2×25 1:2″

#1277 It Takes Longer Than You Think, collage 19 1:2x25 1:2"

#1277 It Takes Longer Than You Think, collage 19 1:2×25 1:2″

 

One person’s “serious” is another person’s “playful.” What are the connections within a work and to others that form a series? Must it tell a story or can you connect with it on a different level? Do you seek out metaphors as you study it? “… the eye of the beholder” may sound trite but it’s important to note that you, the viewer, bring much to the work to help you understand it.

#1278 Taking The High Road, collage 19 1:2x25 1:2"

#1278 Taking The High Road, collage 19 1:2×25 1:2″

 

#1279 Flights of Fancy, collage 19 1:2x251:2"

#1279 Flights of Fancy, collage 19 1:2×251:2″

 

I have no control over how viewers will interpret or connect with my work. I give up control once I determine it is finished. Then, on to the next.

#1281 Rational Exuberance 2, acrylic painting on paper with collage 22x30"

#1281 Rational Exuberance 2, acrylic painting on paper with collage 22×30″

You can find more collages, plus paintings, prints and photographs on my website www.studio7310.com. Have at it!

P.S. If you subscribe to my blog it will go straight to your inbox.

When Walls Need Painting

 

The house settles a bit. This is Dallas, after all. The soil is slightly unstable. Cracks appear in the walls. They’re easy to ignore for a while. Then the painter has to be called. That painter. The one who can tape, bed, texture and paint.

I had ignored the cracks in my studio walls and ceiling for too long, mainly because I dreaded the task of shifting large canvases and “stuff” to other parts of the studio. It took a bit of thinking to figure out which other parts of the studio could be the recipients. This is my Dallas studio, the second story of the house we built in 1972. I’ve worked here all through the years my kids were growing up, through grad school (University of North Texas – MFA) and a variety of art and non- art related work experiences.

The studio has served me well. It was primarily a painting studio. I was exposed to printmaking in graduate school. I loved it and continued with it later by taking courses at one of the local community colleges. The MacDowell Colony accepted me for printmaking and I spent almost a month there in my own studio with my very own press. I longed to have one but knew the floor upstairs couldn’t handle the weight.

My dream came through in 2000 when we built an art studio at our farm north of Dallas. I designed the studio to accommodate a large Takach etching press. Takach presses are handmade in Albuquerque NM and are beautiful machines. The studio is large and well lit and I can also paint, make collages and use my computer and printer for my photography.

As I moved things around in preparation for the painters I realized how much “stuff” an artist collects. I’m sure I’m not the only one. Not quite hoarders, but close. Cardboard and bubble wrap. Frames, frames and more frames. A roll of canvas so large and heavy I can hardly move it, but hey, it cost less per foot that way, right?

An unexpected delight came from moving the paintings. I saw paintings like this one I had not seen in years.

When Changes Occur acrylic painting, 53x68", 1987

When Changes Occur  acrylic painting, 53×68″, 1987

Those who know me know I have been a lifelong knitter. You knitters know about the ever growing “yarn stash.” I have that, too. I’m announcing my goal to not put back every single item once the painters are finished. Donate or throw away. I hope.

Meanwhile, here a few pictures of the studio as it looks during this transition.

IMG_6220 copy IMG_6221 copy IMG_6219 copy IMG_6222 copy IMG_6223 copy IMG_6224 copy IMG_6229 copy IMG_6227 copy IMG_6228 copyAny volunteers for putting things back?

 

 

Sneak A Peek

I will be exhibiting collages and mixed media paintings as part of an exhibit featuring me, Alsison Jardine and Carol Ordemann at modartists gallery in Dallas.

modartists gallery (Dallas Design District), 2514 Converse, tel:214-728-9000

The exhibit opens on Saturday April 25 with a reception from 5-8pm.

My collages, assembled from collagraphs, monotypes, etchings and found paper, and mixed media acrylic paintings all deal with the nature of abstraction.

My work, whether in printmaking, painting or collage is about exploring relationships. Bits and pieces from my visual experiences bump against each other. There are references in my work to the textures, colors, lines and shapes of things in the real world. The layering or unfolding of shapes, punctuations or expanses of color or character of a line order the picture plane. The resulting abstract images often allude to natural forms.

#1269 Untitled, mixed media acrylic painting on panel, 30x30", 2013

#1269 Untitled, mixed media acrylic painting on panel, 30×30″, 2013

#1270 Untitled mixed media acrylic painting on panel, 30x30", 2013

#1270 Untitled mixed media acrylic painting on panel, 30×30″, 2013

#1271 Untitled mixed media acrylic painting on panel, 30x30", 2013

#1271 Untitled mixed media acrylic painting on panel, 30×30″, 2013

The relationship of visual components in my paintings and collages is similar to what happens in jazz. There are themes and variations, repetitive devices, tensions and releases, riffs, harmony and dissonance. Like a jazz piece, there is a lot of improvisation. At each step in painting or making a print I may ask myself, “what if…?”, or “why not…?”, or “how about…?”

#1280 Rational Exuberance 1, acrylic painting on paper with collage 22x30" 2013

#1280 Rational Exuberance 1, acrylic painting on paper with collage 22×30″ 2013

What if I limit my color palette, what if I work in a more minimal way or, on the other hand, what about excessive exuberance? Large or small? Paint or paper? Or both. Anything can spark an idea – something seen, heard, imagined. The results are often unexpected, and even though I may have some idea of the general direction, like jazz, there can be many twists and turns along the way.

#1282 Rational Exuberance 3, acrylic painting on paper with  collage 22x30" 2014

#1282 Rational Exuberance 3, acrylic painting on paper with collage 22×30″ 2014

 

#1283 Rational Exuberance 4, acrylic painting on paper with  collage, 30x22", 2014

#1283 Rational Exuberance 4, acrylic painting on paper with collage, 30×22″, 2014

Sometimes I assemble the collage on painted paper. The acrylic painting weaves its way in, out, and around the collage. Negative space and positive space play games with one another. There are all kinds of things to discover in this group of collages called “Rational Exuberance.” This is a case of “more is more.”

#1284 Rational Exuberance 5, acrylic painting on paper with  collage, 30x22", 2014

#1284 Rational Exuberance 5, acrylic painting on paper with collage, 30×22″, 2014

Each step, expected, or unexpected, is the impetus to continue the exploration or the journey in this painting or print or the next one. Serendipity is the hallmark of my work. I love the unpredictability of working with paint, paper, ink and plate.