My tool for color designing.

Thirty three pieces are ready to hang up May Day tomorrow. The exhibit is dedicated to all those people who think they can't be an artist.

  “Making  Memories” collage and water media paintings expose my creative play and struggles.  I believe even if you do not make the greatest and the most saleable art, immersion in visual language is a rich learning experience and can be a vital part of every aspect of living.

Follow my art journey.   Painting /collages going back as far as 1966 are hung according to how they relate to my development not in linear time. But a sense of passing time can be seen because they are numbered in order and dated.  Each label has a few words on my reasons for making art her life.

Where:   The Albany Main Library second floor

2450 14^th Avenue SE

Albany, OR 97322

When:    May 1 through June

Monday –Wednesday   10:00 a.m. – to 8:00 p.m.

Thursday –Friday   10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.

Sunday: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Preparing May and June art exhibit at the Albany Public Library

Being sentimental,  I have titled my next exhibit - "Making Happy Memories".  Not all of my paintings are happy to me.  Some are about environmental issues or other politics.  Some are about angry emotions.  These disturbing images are not to be in the library exhibit.

I am taking the labeling of the paintings seriously. On each name tag I make a short artist statement.   Pictures of book covers are included. Some of these memories are realized in the subconscious with belated recognition..  Also I made, while working, conscious inclusions of books which were favorites from years ago.

My careful labeling with dates is motivated by my desire to share the development of ideas and process.. 

Early glass and tile mosaic and today's paper mosaic repeat shapes and colors

 

I had forgotten that in high school I activated the energy movements between figures. After making a series of collages I looked at my 1960 mosaic of dancers. The above picture is a detail of the mosaic.

 

 

" Fisherman's Cove" 12" square painted paper collage started on a"Color Bridges" ceramic tile and transfered to paper.

 

Art for making visual memories

My May and June exhibit for the upstairs of the Albany Public Library main branch is

" Collages and Acrylic Paintings for Making Memories".  

While preparing works for the exhibit I had some moments of discovery. My feelings for visual colors, textures, shapes and calligraphic lines are connected to early memories.  Some of these visual memories were enhanced by experiencing different art materials.  


Looking at my 1980 cloth collage, I  noticed how similar it is to the illustrations in a book I saved from my childhood - The Golden Circus, a fuzzy golden book.  Other creative experiences important to my paintings include almost all my deliberate choices from writing letters to choosing what to wear each day or my presentation of every day meals.




 Applique on painted silk completed around 1980 36" x 30"

 

 

 



"Falconer"  2012,  painted paper collage 18" x 14"





The biggest surprise came after I started making labels for my pieces.   I had a hunch that the new work was like some of my old favorites.  Then when I pulled the old work out, I was stunned. I can't believe how similar the color selection, shapes, textures and calligraphy are to works in my other media and early memories like book illustrations.  



"Fish Eye on the Sky" paper collage

Just a month ago all the collages were begun on a grid tool.  Some of the grids were on felt or a ceramic tile.  The idea was to stimulate nonobjective abstract designs.  Only partly successful, the collages started to take on the character of earlier works that suggest an object.

The next challenge is to find color combinations reflecting the landscape for acrylic paintings. The collage making might carry over to the painting.

Framing collages for an exhibit

Added a border for the framed piece.



Cropped for the finish 



Added cheeks and glued a piece of paper
 to put the clown on an angle.
 



Made a facsimile letter for "Letter Writing Art"



May and June my collages and paintings will be upstairs in the Albany Public Library.

Color Bridge temporary constructions to completed collages

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract Watercolor "Color Bridges" temporary arrangement #4

The box is recycled with my painted papers. Each of the eight sides demonstrate goals for the arrangement of papers on the tile.   Pictured above to the left is a construction showing volume. Right: illustrates a bridge of colors transitioning from green to purple.

Water media layered transparency collage - " Man vs. Nature"

Still working on Man vs. Nature.  My struggle is starting to pay off.

Watercolor Abstract "Color Bridges" temporary #3

Focus on slight color changes transitioning from one hue to another. The making of this table arrangement for the day was very soothing.

Watercolor Abstract "Color Bridges" temporary # 2

Attempting volumetric forms - a coffee table ornament for a day

Abstract Watercolor Collage "Color Bridges" temporary #1

Kiribati, Christmas Island the climate was such that people lived partially exposed to the outdoors with open windows and door ways. There wasn't the kind of interiors where people could keep belongings especial paper. Paper deteriorated quickly. The usual personal art forms like drawing and watercolor painting was impractical. That doesn't mean personal artistic expression did not exist. The housekeeper at the resort rearranged a dry arrangement of rocks and shells on our coffee table every day. The temporary arrangement I did today reminds me of how the islanders satisfied the creative urge.

Table Top Color Bridges Game

A game to play solitare or with 2 to 4 collaborative players

Thread and  paper define area for making volumes

 12" Ceramic tile made at Sure Fire Design, Albany

Layered Transparency Watercolor Collage Changed into two

"Day and Night - a layered transparency #1"

An unresolved layering of transparency




"Falling  - a layered transparency #2"

Truth of Layered Transparency, watercolor collage

Attempted Volumetric Color Collage that just screamed for transparency.

COLOR BRIDGES COLLAGE and volumetric color game varIation

Volumetric Color permanent collage

COLOR BRIDGES  (a board game copy right 2013) My game is an amusing way to increase sensitivity to shapes of color and their placement on various color backgrounds.  Color Bridges can also create bonding between players especially as an interactive introduction for abstract artists to connect with their audiences.

The object of the game: Two to four players take turns placing a layer of color shapes on a felt marked with a grid.  The resulting construction can be displayed on the felt as a temporary painting until the next game time. The temporary painting can be disassembled and combined with other pieces to make a new bridge construction. 

Another possibility is making the picture permanent.  The picture can be transferred to various backgrounds.  When a background is chosen, the construction can be glued down in place as a finished work.

Rules:       From the color palette bag the first player selects a laminated game piece and places it on the felt grid.     The next two players do the same leaving at least one grid space between the palette pieces.  Players take turns picking at least four containers from which they will build the bridges between the palettes.

  The suggested rules for proceeding are flexible as long as each player gets equal turns to build.

  In each turn a player adds to a single square adjacent to another filled square.   In the adjacent squares place painted color pieces of paper. The addition must be a color transition.

As soon as one of the players recognizes that the color palette pieces are bridged without a gap, they can make a formal suggestion on their turn. When they suggest the building is complete, the other players can opt to pass or take one turn to change the picture.

The resolution of the game
    The Color Bridge construction on the felt grid can be viewed as a picture on the wall by sandwiching it between the black matt board and Plexiglas secured tightly with the alligator clips.

  To continue to find color surprises flip the secured sandwiched construction on a table with the matt board on top. Remove the clips and matt board and felt so the back of the construction is exposed on top of the Plexiglas.  Place the Mylar on top and affix with clips the felt, and matt board. Flip again so the right side of the construction is again visible.  Remove the clips.  Use the Mylar sheet to transport the construction to any number of backgrounds.

After transporting the construction, the pieces can be glued to a new surface to make a permanent collage or the pieces can be returned to the containers for use in another game.

VOLUMETRIC COLOR is a variation of the Color Bridges Game in which a selected player chooses a felt silhouette and places it on the grid playing board and felt.  Then three color pieces are played per turn with the goal of constructing the appearance of a three dimensional volume.

 

Watercolor collage generated from Color Bridges # 3

2nd abstract watercolor collage generated by Color Bridges

Three game pieces were placed on the felt  grid then painted papers were added to make transitions. To hang the construction on the wall I sandwiched the paper and felt between a Plexiglass and a black mattboard. 

 To view the color construction on new backgrounds, I had to devise a way to flip the picture and slide in a clear Mylar sheet to support the lay out when transferring it to new backgrounds. When I found a background I liked, I substituted new color pieces for the ones that belong to the game.

First completed abstract generated by my "Color Bridges"

Three laminated squares from "Color Bridges " game from which I built transitions for the final abstract .

without adhesive painted paper collage adaptation for children or for temporary uses

Without glue some of the pieces of paper slipped when the picture was framed under plexiglass. Maybe if all the papers were the same thickness the picture would be more stable under pressure. Maybe some poaster frames at craft stores would be easier to put together?