Interesting Results

Once again, I feel like I'm making real progress in the studio this week. I've been using some fairly cheap, 9"x14" wooden panels as practice panels, combining different techniques and mediums while keeping with the same theme. I think I'm having some success, and the process, while detailed and time-consuming, is proving to be a lot of fun.

I start, as always, with Stacked Journaling, this time in the form of heavy, thick paint squeezed onto a panel using of a bottle with a narrow tip. I then apply layers of pastels, paints, and mediums until I'm satisfied with the panel.

(9"x12" wood panel, acrylic paint, pastels)

 (detail)

I like the way the pigments, sometimes bushed on, sometimes burnished, sometimes sponged, settle into the negative spaces of my hand writing. The pigments show their layers, like small excavations into their own past, and blend with and resist one another in serendipitous ways. 

I want to capitalize on those moments, so I use highly contrasting colors laid on top of one another in a rough fashion and rarely go back in to correct "flaws".

I like the grunge aspect of these pieces, and push myself to go back over layers with unexpected color combinations, treating none of the layers as precious. 

With some of the panels, like the two above, I start with full coverage of Journaling across the whole substrate and then play with the resulting negative space. With others, I use the Journaling sparingly across the panel, giving me even more negative space to emphasize. 

In the panel below, I also used a tiny bit of metallic gold to emphasize the positive aspect of the Journaling.

 (detail)

In the panel below, I experimented with layering pigments and then selectively removing them nearly back to the original white of the panel + Stacked Journaling. This had the interesting effect of making the clusters of text almost glow in comparison to their surroundings.

Finally, and just for fun, a little collage of painted papers I put together. 

(8.5"x17", acrylic on paper, collage)

I find collaging rewarding and relaxing, and when my eyes are tired, or my brain too full of SJ, I dig through my stash of torn and cut up papers and start slapping them together. It's an easy, risk-free activity that I highly recommend (and who among us doesn't have stacks and stacks and stacks of painted, stamped, gelli'd, splattered papers?)
 
Until next time, collage with fun!