Klimt-Inspired Veneer...a Step Along the Learning Curve ...

I think I'm nearing the end of the road on this veneer, and learned a simple technique for finishing the sides better, using a hair's breadth layer underneath, then burnishing to round the edges.  No great secret but I have rarely worked right up to the finish line without curing the clay before, and certain "refinements" are more difficult after the fact.   I didn't use the technique on the outer perimeter of the pendant because I had already veneered it, and didn't want to sacrifice it.  

COOL HINT:  I don't know why it never occurred to me before because I use them all the time for all sorts of things, but 3 hole page protectors are a fabulous place to store veneers!  I found this hint on a post from 2011 yesterday, and even then "everyone" knew about it.  

Klimt Veneer Continued ... Day 3

Still uncured, going as far as feels comfortable, and finally making notes, something I fail to do, much to my chagrin a year or five later ...Pendants and earrings here ... a trinket box is about to be cured, but not yet photographed. The heart will have a pendant/brooch finding.

Undisclipined Me

I keep meaning to be more regular in my posting, but  so many things, many totally useless, keep getting in the way. So I will start where I am, and bounce around in time as necessary until I'm back In the NOW.

I've been working on leaf and ink techniques lately, inspired by a technique described by Page McNall.  I only went about halfway with her process, but got all involved with the needle carving/drawing and then of course "painting" either with paint or alcohol ink or both. 

She's on Flickr

I've done several, but the most current, now in progress, are these, destined to be earrings, done on copper leaf.  All are still in progress, so will no doubt be tweaked before I'm done.

                                                      

Sophie Got the Blues and Gave Them to Me ....

I started this little 6x6 painting this morning thinking I would celebrate our daytrip up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Galax and Floyd to see the beginning of The Fall, but "suddenly" everything began to turn to shades of blue and transparent swirls appeared. 
At first I thought I was doing some under painting, but then realized the cat in question had taken over and that it had to be our Sophie who has been a bit odd lately and has begun to worry us a bit. 

Sophie is blue, so so am I.

I Hate Georgia O'Keeffe (sometimes)

Other than skulls and roses, I frankly did not discover Georgia O'Keeffe until 1987, about a year after her death.  Someone told me my flowers and general point of view reminded them of her and showed me her "100 Flowers" book.  I was floored.  A couple of years later I was in New York and started working on some cityscapes.  At MOMA saw her NY book.  WTH?  More like hers than I could explain.  Talking point of view here.  
Then just a couple of weeks ago I was in her country and fell in love with what I called dancing trees.  Cottonwood stands in winter.  We went to a new exhibit at G O'K Museum in Santa Fe.  YEP.    OK mine won't look like hers, but DAMN!  
So here, from Ghost Ranch where she lived is my newest-to-be. .  I know she never painted an embracing cat/raven at moonrise.   
When I'm feeling woo-woo I think a bit of her spirit  found me after her death ....    
That or she was as absurdly far-sighted and maybe amblyopic as I am.  

Desert Cat -- prepping for Shiprock

The first scribble I did was this ... I am sure the desert-y look relates to our upcoming adventure West.  Those huge ears no doubt relate to the squirrel a Facebook friend has been sharing; the rest of the cat now looks to being on the way to being something of a sand cat, which of course, doesn't live in Four Corners region, but this is my art and I get to decide everything.... 



I'm guessing about 60% complete, possibly a wee bit more.  Acrylic on canvas 8x8.    If you'd like to scribble, you can Google "scribbler too".  Enjoy!

Getting Back Into the Saddle ...

At least I hope so ...   Today I worked on a 6x6 bird piece  ,, 2d session* .. and when it was time to stop for the day, had enough paint on my palette to rough in Chuck.  I knew he was going to be next, but rarely have more than one at a time going.   A former art instructor, way back in time, was fierce about waste, so as much as possible, I try not to.  Not always easy with acrylics, particularly when working small scale. 
I'm hopeful here that these will both make the grade.   

 

*sessions particularly in winter are usually only a couple of hours...fingers & shoulder object too much otherwise most days.

Discussing the Best Place for Lunch on the Blue Ridge

Wild blackberries added (liberties taken) ... one more layer  to go (I think) plus some tweaking here and there.  This was never meant to be so "complicated" a piece but ...

Winter Birds (working title)

Sketch done last night ..  I was thinking crows/ravens but as often happens they may not end up as such.  I've sketched onto 12 x 10 canvas and have painted in shapes ... roughly here at this point

Right now I prefer the sketch.   It is more lively right now -- hopefully the canvas will catch up.     I'm thinking of working with roughly the same palette as the yellow bird but in winter mode.  We'll see. 

On the Worktable from Monday . . ...

When I started making my color stacks last Sunday, I was inspired by the colors outside; brilliant Carolina Blue skies, autumn leaves and shades in between. This was my greenest stack, comprised of gold, bronze, two blues, two greens, two yellows and a dash of alizarin and pom reds.
I'm especially pleased with two things: The surprise of learning how to make a herringbone or modified bargello design due to an unintended cutting of the stack, and the wonderful way the odd bits, when cut into tiny circles made that delicious focal bead into a complex and rich mosaic.
Some finishing yet to be done...a fragment of the stack is visible; also can be seen, I think, on the larger picture posted earlier.

This Week on the Worktable

For myself more than anything, I have started to take a few snaps of the week...on days when I feel as though I'm accomplishing nothing, maybe this will encourage me.
Sunday I made a bunch of stacks, some, not yet cut into, shown. Each day since (3 so far) I've taken a stack and done something...
A couple of the stacks are really ugly but marbelized into yummy burgundy and port pieces ....
Will have to see where the rest goes.
Am eyeing the bits lower right that might go with vintage Italian millefiore glass beads.
One bunch, not shown here coordinates gorgeously with unakite.