Circle Suite

Posted on February 14, 2023 by cecelia

I like to work in layers. That’s the beauty of combining printmaking with collage. Throw in some embossing and you have the perfect trifecta. Circle Suite is a new group of three sets of related color monotypes with collage for a total of nine.

This group of collages began with creating textured monotypes and laying tangles of string on top before the monotype was printed. The paper remained white where the string had been pressed (embossed) into the paper. Boy, did I have fun deciding where the tangles of string should fall on the surface of the print. They may look random but are not. O.K. maybe a little. They did seem to have a mind of their own but ultimately it was my decision.

Each monotype with lines was then ready for the “circle” treatment. I floated circles from painted paper, my old prints and photos and ephemera across the surface adding some other cut out shapes. Look closely and you can see the interplay of circles and lines.

Large cut out circles are the anchors moving the eye from place to place and exerting some control over what may appear to be utter chaos but is not.

Here are three collages showing the monotype with embossed lines before adding the circles.

#1403 Leave Well Enough Alone monotype, embossing, collage 22×30″ 2022

#1406 Et Cetera, Et Cetera monotype, embossing, collage 22×30″ 2022

#1409 How Goes It monotype, embossing, collage 22×30″ 2023

Here are the same pieces finished.

#1403 Leave Well Enough Alone monotype, embossing, collage 22×30″ 2022

#1406 Et Cetera, Et Cetera monotype, embossing, collage 2022

#1409 How Goes It monotype, embossing, collage 22×30″ 2023

Here are the other six completed colleges.

#1404 They Went That a Way monotype, embossing, collage 2022

#1405 Tingle Tangle monotype, embossing, collage 22×30″ 2022

#1407 Cascade monotype, embossing, collage 22×30 2023

#1408 Lickity Split monotype, embossing, collage 22×30 2023

#1410 Euphoria monotype, embossing, collage 22×30 2023

#1411 Bring It On monotype, embossing, collage 22×30 2023

And a quote from author Dean Koontz. “…at the end of each day I regret having to stop. I’ve got to know what happens next.”

Piece By Piece

Posted on January 19, 2022 by cecelia

Piece by piece and layer by layer. Bye, bye suminagashi marbling (for now), hello acrylic painting on paper. This will be the base layer on top of which I will construct a new collage. It will go from simple to complex. As you scroll through the images, slowly and thoughtfully (I hope), here are some questions to ponder. You might find them simplistic but here they are, anyway.

What are the similarities? Differences?
Do you see relationships of color, line, shape, texture?
Is there one focal point or several? What connections are there from one area to another?
What difference does the change in orientation of the central collage make?

And now, the collages!

Here is the “process” sequence.

First, acrylic painting on paper.

Process #1391- acrylic

Next layer, monotype added.

Process #1391- monotype

After that, collage of sun prints + photos.

Process #1391-monotype w. sun print, photo

A few more collage elements and voila! The completed collage.

#1391 Breaking Loose

The same sequence occurs in #1392 and #1393.

#1392 Grab Bag

#1393 Sort Of

Here is another group with the same layering sequence except that the orientation of the central collage of sun prints and photos is vertical instead of horizontal.

#1387 Hold On It’s Gonna Be A Rough Ride monotype, sun print, photo collage 25.5×19.5 2021

#1387 detail

#1388 Nice Work If You Can Get It monotype, sun print, photo collage 25.5×19.5 2021

#1388 Detail

#1389 Bending The Rules monotype, sun print, photo collage 25.5×19.5 2021

#1390 The One That Got Away monotype, sun print, photo collage 25.5×19.5 2021

Now, leave all the dissecting and analyzing behind. Go back, look at the completed collages and have FUN! Think “joyfull”, “playfull.” Have a romp! I did!

“Wait for the right horse and you will walk.” (anonymous)

Prints, Prints, Prints

Posted on September 11, 2019 by cecelia

My newest group of prints is like a trifecta. In horse racing terms a trifecta is a bet placed for first, second and third place. While I’m not a betting person (generally) I thought about the word as I was assembling these prints.

Here’s how it went.

I printed the top monotype first with some additional monotype elements scattered about. Next, I printed the solar plate etching(s) at the bottom. The space in between was saved for a sun print. That was my first, second and third place print assembly. Finally, I added a few more collage elements. The paper size is 30″x22.”

The monotype is a single print from a plate (plexiglass or metal), in this case, metal. The solar plate etching is made using the sun or a light box as a light source to “etch” the image drawn or painted on a coated plate, thus eliminating the use of toxic chemicals. The sun print is also “solar.” Materials are placed on a light sensitive paper, which is exposed to the sun and rinsed off. The image looks like a cyanotype, but no chemicals are used to print the image.

Here are a few prints from this series.

First, the sun print from #1355 “Take Nothing For Granted.”

#1355 Take Nothing For Granted

Next, the entire print, monotype on top, sun print in the middle, solar plate etching on the bottom, plus some collage.

#1355 Take Nothing For Granted

Here is #1357 “Resonance.” There are two solar plate etchings combined in this print.

#1357 Resonance

And, the sun print from “Resonance.”

#1357 Resonance

This is #1358 “Life In The Fast Lane” followed by its sun print.

#1358 Life In The Fast Lane

And, a detail of “Life In The Fast Lane.”

#1358 Life In The Fast Lane

There you have it! My print trifecta!

The entire series will be up on my website www.studio7310.com soon. Stay tuned!

Sneak A Peek

Posted on April 20, 2015 by cecelia

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.

Showtime at Ilume Gallerie

Posted on November 6, 2014 by cecelia

This body of work consists of collages on paper and mixed media acrylic paintings. I recycle parts of my monotype and collagraph original prints and photographs with found paper from various sources. The collages and paintings are non-objective; the emphasis is on the relationship of line, color, shape and texture.

Working in one medium, i.e. monotype prints, usually leads me down another path because I’m always asking myself “what if?” What if I limit my color palette, what if I work in a more minimal way or, on the other hand, how about excessive exuberance? Large or small? Paint or paper? Or both. Anything can spark an idea – something seen, heard, imagined. There are always new avenues to explore.

Looking down can be rewarding. My “Underfoot” series of photos started when I had my head down and noticed the interesting abstract pattern of street and sidewalk marks made by construction workers. We seldom pay attention to such marks but they resonated with me and I began to photograph them wherever I traveled.

Combining my prints (re-purposed etchings, monotypes, collagraphs) with found paper to create collages took my work in a different direction. Cutting up and adding the “Underfoot” photos seemed like a logical next step. Their abstract quality echoes that of the other elements in the collage.

Sometimes I assemble the collage on painted paper. The acrylic painting weaves its way in and around the collage. Negative space and positive space play games with one another. The group of collages in this exhibit called “Springtime Suite” is colorful and energetic and was inspired by a visit to the Dallas Arboretum when it was ablaze with color.

Here are the “Springtime Suite” collages in this exhibit.

#1259 Springtime Suite 1, acrylic painting on paper with collage, 22x30"

#1259 Springtime Suite 1, acrylic painting on paper with collage, 22×30″

#1260 Springtime Suite 2, acrylic painting on paper with collage, 22x30"

#1260 Springtime Suite 2, acrylic painting on paper with collage, 22×30″

#1263 Springtime Suite 5, acrylic painting on paper with collage, 30x22"

#1263 Springtime Suite 5, acrylic painting on paper with collage, 30×22″

I love to travel and have a large collection of paper maps. Remember those? I decided to use them in my collages. Instead of cutting them up I photographed them, enlarged segments in the computer and printed them out. I cut them up and they became part of the collage series “Have Map Will Travel.”

Here are some in the exhibit.

#1272 Have Map Will Travel 4, collage, 30x22"

#1272 Have Map Will Travel 4, collage, 30×22″

#1273 Have Map Will Travel 5, collage, 30x22"

#1273 Have Map Will Travel 5, collage, 30×22″

The mixed media paintings are whirlwinds of line, color and texture.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The show runs through November 29 at Ilume Gallerie, Dallas, Texas.

Catch it if you can!

Ring In The New

Posted on January 3, 2013 by cecelia

#1135 Untitled acrylic, collage on panel, 13x13" 2006

Another year has sped by and here I am again trying to capture those moments, all of which have added up to make 2012 a memorable year. Big moments, like celebrating my 70^th birthday in San Francisco with my family, small ones like finishing the Neef’s baby blanket before baby Kate was born. Most of the moments are modest in size but added together they speak to my life, active, inquisitive and hopefully creative.

I’ve always believed the journey is more important than the end, for what is there when the “end” is reached? As I enter the next decade of my life I hope I will continue to explore and try new things, possibly (probably) failing here and there, but always moving forward. I have no doubt that some of the books on my shelves will go unread (I’m good about putting only one at a time on my iPad), there will be canvas left unpainted and my yarn stash will be diminished only to be replenished. I’ll hope for patience in these and other matters. The tragedies that abound in this world makes us realize how little is in our control. We must experience joy in the things we do and with the people we love right now, as we may not get second chances.

This was the year I started my ArtEveryday blog. I have a tendency to drag my feet when it comes to new technology (just ask my man), but with encouragement (pushing?) and help, eventually come around to embracing the new “new.” Sharing my passion for making art and my love of all things artistic with a wider audience has been fun and rewarding. Once a month seems to work out well. More to come in 2013. Stay tuned and keep re-tweeting!

My family’s blogs have helped me keep up with the world of healthcare, fashion, business, technology, travel, food, books and education. Dan, our non-blogger, has kept me supplied with pictures and videos of granddaughter Sabrina’s activities, which makes the time between visits bearable.

We’ve traveled a lot this year, here and abroad. I would dearly love to finish working on January 2012’s Chile/Argentina pictures before our trip to Iceland in June. Keep your fingers crossed.

I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions (too much guilt associated with not keeping them) but I recently saw the following list (author unknown) and thought it expressed my desires for the New Year beautifully. I’ll call it my list of good intentions. Maybe it will be your list, too.

Dream more

Complain less

Listen more

Talk less

Love more

Argue less

Hope more

Fear less

Relax more

Worry less

Believe more

Doubt less

Play more

Work less

For all of you I hope that 2013 will be a year of great expectations, successes large and small, and many joyous moments.

I’ll begin the New Year with this poem with words of wisdom by Shel Silverstein.

HOW MANY, HOW MUCH

How many slams in an old screen door?

Depends how loud you shut it.

How many slices in a bread?

Depends how thin you cut it?

How much good inside a day?

Depends how good you live ‘em.

How much love inside a friend?

Depends how much you give ‘em.

From me, remember to make your life a work of art.

This Must Be Your Lucky Day collagraph collage, 8x11" on 15x22" paper, 2009

Cecelia’s Art Pick of the Month-December 2012

Posted on November 27, 2012 by cecelia

By the time I went to graduate school at the University of North Texas I considered myself a true Texan. Not really. I had only been in Dallas for three years, but I hauled up to Denton for my MFA (Master of Fine Arts) concentrating in painting, drawing and printmaking. For more than ten years after graduating I painted, painted, painted. Then, in 1990, I saw the light and dove into printmaking. After that, painting and printmaking (monotypes, collagraphs and solar plate etchings, alone, or in various combinations) have existed side by side, each medium informing the other.

This month’s Art Pick is an early monotype, one that I consider an “oldie, but goodie.”

Why not select it for that special someone’s Holiday Gift? Black Friday’s gone, but my discount is good all month. Free shipping, too!

#410 Feather Duster, monotype, 30x22, 1991

Price: $800 less 30% = $560. Free shipping.

Contact me to purchase: cecelia@feld.com

Cecelia’s Art Pick of the Month – November 2012

Posted on October 30, 2012 by cecelia

I have been featuring a piece of my art each month which goes out to my email contacts. Now, it is time to have it make an appearance on this blog. Each month I choose a work of art from my inventory, sometimes an early piece, sometimes a recent one and discount the retail price by 30% and offer free shipping. The price is good for the entire month.

Consider doing your holiday shopping early and select this special piece of art for that special someone. Maybe that special someone is you!

Here is the November Art Pick

#602 Untitled monotype w. collaged vintage photo, 22x30, 1995

Price $800.00 less 30% = $560.00. Free shipping.

Contact me to purchase: cecelia@feld.com

Do You Dream In Color?

Posted on July 5, 2012 by cecelia

Most people, except psychologists, don’t think a lot about color, except that they come to believe they “look best” in certain colors, some colors go together well and others clash. Today’s clashing colors are tomorrows hot new ones. Emotions and tastes (as in the mouth) are color driven. Ask any advertiser or product developer.

I think about color all the time. Over the course of my life in and with art, much of my decision making about color has become intuitive so it’s a little disingenuous to say I think about color all the time. But color is often the driving force in my work. It happens. It makes other things happen.

I recently completed a group of prints, each of which is divided into three parts like this one.

#1245 Strip Show 1, monotype:etching 11 3:4 x 6 3:4" 2011

The top section is a monotype. It is a rectangle of color, almost pure color with just a hint of bleached out marks. The bottom is a small etching, busy and energetic. A thin strip of a monotype or collagraph print separates the two. Here is another one.

#1246 Strip Show 2, monotype:etching 11 3:4 x 6 3:4" 2011

The strip is needed to separate the top and bottom, yet hold onto the connection.

#1247 Strip Show 3, monotype:etching 11 3:4 x 6 3:4" 2011

The small etchings are re-purposed prints from my stash, ready to be used in new and different ways. Their colors determined the color of the larger rectangle. Of all the color choices available, why did I choose these? Intuition? Would you believe me if I said a certain color “felt right?” That I “saw” it before I mixed the printing ink?

#1248 Strip Show 4 monotype:etching 11 3:4 x 6 3:4" 2011

Why did I add the bleached out streaks and spots in the upper rectangle? The color would be too flat looking without them. Boring. It had to contrast with the etching but also have a connection to it.

#1249 Strip Show 5, monotype:etching 11 3:4 x 6 3:4" 2011

Color is an important tool in my toolbox, although not the only one. Here are a few more pieces in the series for you to consider.

#1250 Strip Show 6, monotype:etching 11 3:4 x 6 3:4" 2011

#1251 Strip Show 7, monotype:etching 11 3:4 x 6 3:4" 2011

#1252 Strip Show 8, monotype:etching 11 3:4 x 6 3:4" 2011

How do you respond to color? Think about it.

Unwrapped

Posted on May 14, 2012 by cecelia

Some of my recent work is currently in the exhibit “Collected Memories” which just opened at Mary Tomas Studio Gallery, Dallas.

Ready to go.

The operative word for this group of work is “re-purpose.” Same as “re-cycle.” Your choice. I have selected parts of my earlier collagraph and monotype prints, cut them up (yes!) and combined them to make a collage.

collagraph – a permanent collage of materials, inked and printed. Original.

monotype – a one-of-a-kind print from an image drawn or painted on a plate such as plexiglass or metal. Original.

These collages incorporate parts of my digital photographs from the ongoing “Underfoot” series. The photos capture street markings from many different cities. I like their abstract quality.

This is one such photograph.

Underfoot #3775

Here is the combined photo + collage

#1232 Untitled, photo+collage, 24x20", 2010

Another photo.

Underfoot #7286

As part of the collage.

#1239 Untitled, photo+collage, 41.5 x 29.5", 2011

Here are a few more pieces in the show.

#1233 Untitled, photo+collage, 24x20", 2010

#1241 Untitled, photo+collage, 22x30", 2011

The lines, textures, shapes and colors of the “Underfoot” photos play off against the same qualities found in the collaged segments of prints.

Relationships – that’s what it’s about. And, serendipity. And, not getting hit when I stand in the street taking pictures.

The exhibit runs through June 9. Catch it if you can.