design
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Wednesday, September 29th, 2021
Blackberries, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. Framed size 27H x 33W inches, white wood frame, crackle finish. With gardening and travel being summer distractions, this has been on my drawing board for many weeks. I’m actually looking forward to cooler weather so that drawing will again be a priority.
Forest Chic
Friday, May 7th, 2021
Forest Chic, 18H x 24W inches unframed size, soft pastels on 90 lb. watercolor paper. Framed size 27H x 33W”.
The forest interior presents gorgeous layers of texture created by Ponderosa Pine needles hanging from mossy branches year-round in Oregon. This is inspired by my favorite trails in Tualatin Hills Nature Park in Beaverton.
Golden Hawaiian Bamboo
Tuesday, September 8th, 2020
Golden Hawaiian Bamboo, Foster Botanical Garden, Honolulu, Hawaii – 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper
Thunderbird Park Totems
Wednesday, August 19th, 2020
Thunderbird Park Totems, Victoria BC, Canada – 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper, framed size 27H x 33W”.
Fern Song
Tuesday, February 4th, 2020
Fern Song, 12 x 12 inches acrylics on canvas
Honorable Mention, In Full Bloom online exhibition February 7 – March 7, 2020, J. Mane Gallery
Turn tomato cages into festive trees
Saturday, December 7th, 2019
Use tomato cages to create festive trees. Turn upside down – 2 together make a stronger structure. Wrap with lights.
Decorative vine balls
Monday, July 30th, 2018
Tidying up the garden mid-season, the periwinkle benefit from an aggressive cut-back, so these decorative balls were made with the vines that would otherwise end up in the yard waste bin. These vine balls can be created any size and the larger ones don’t require much more effort than the small. Tomato cages prop up larger balls perfectly if you don’t have hooks. Inexpensive solar lights were removed from the stakes and snuggled into the top of each woven ball where they emit a peaceful glow at night.
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How to create: use fresh periwinkle vines stripped of leaves. Dried vines are difficult to work with, and even soaking does not reconstitute them satisfactorily, so plan to make balls the same day vines are harvested.
Make a loose wreath, wire-wrapped at opposite ends. Pull out 1/4 of the vines from the main section to each side, wrapping centers with wire. You will then have 2 wreaths interlocked. Continue adding and weaving in extra groups of vines in a symmetrical fashion. Keep pulling smaller groups of vines together until the ball is compact, constantly judging and defining the shape.
Like anything made by hand, the first stages are most difficult and may seem like a chaotic mess, but stick with it and you’ll be happy you did.
Tips: 1) 24 gauge florist wire is most finger-friendly 2) the solar lights don’t sufficiently recharge if dropped inside so are placed on top where they still show off shapes nicely in the dark. 3) Virginia Creeper is excellent for this except it irritates the skin, so check into that if experimenting with other materials. 4) don’t use blackberry vines.
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Diamond Lake – night study
Wednesday, March 15th, 2017
Diamond Lake Oregon – moonlight study – 14H x 20W inches watercolor on 140 lb cold pressed premium. 20H x26W inches approximate size framed.
Progress on the Shiva and Moche Earplug Replica Chairs
Tuesday, May 24th, 2016
The extra time working on each the Shiva, Lord of the Dance and Moche Earplug replica chairs means 1) increasing familiarity with the authentic originals, and 2) layers of color and contrast add patchy timeworn impressions which might not have otherwise occurred.
The Shiva statue design is so complex, in retrospect it might have been enough to paint it on a flat surface, like the Mayan Bowl replica chair. Certainly it would have been easier and might be finished by now, but in artwork, I am not always necessarily seeking the easiest way through. Ease is usually the result of something already learned. The point is to discover how to do something, learn how to resolve issues that are presented and/or self-imposed, and the energy is driven by those challenges.
While staying true to the original concepts, I also applied artistic licence since the chairs are unique interpretations in their own right, so some of the designs are improvised slightly, like the ring of fire around Shiva, and the faux turquoise inlay design on the back of the Moche Muscovy Duck chair.
Some issues I’ve encountered: The water-based metallic gold paint reflects off every bump, dries and clumps quickly, and does not spread evenly compared to other acrylics colors even with additives, and the effects of build-up require extra sanding to keep the surface smooth. The overall sculpted effects of carving didn’t seem to make a difference aesthetically so I finally abandoned the idea last week. A lot has been filled in, but some carving is left to keep the hand-worked appeal.
Chrysanthemums Chair finished
Thursday, January 14th, 2016
Chrysanthemums Chair, finished front and thumbnails of underneath/back details, 29H x 29W x 29D inches one-of-a-kind refurbished vintage chair as a base, woven canvas strips, layers of plaster cured, sanded and carved. Painted with acrylics, finished with varnish and waxed to enhance colors. Durable, functional.
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