Panning for Gold

On Friday morning an excellent area photographer, Dan Neuberger, came and took professional shots of the "Notations" installation. These will be helpful in applying for other solo exhibition opportunities. Then yesterday morning -- how quickly the time passed-- we took the "Notations" works down. In every way it was a wonderful experience and I'm looking forward to more!

But then it was back to the current process of sifting and sorting. Where does the "finding gold" part finally arrive in this panning process? I've spent a fair amount of time now testing and sampling ideas and variations. It takes patience and self-discipline at this stage and I get tired of cutting, trying to visualize what one block will look like repeated, what ways I might vary the process and components for the next piece. There's nothing wrong with most of the ideas I've tried -- but they're more like the tiny flakes of gold that panners accumulate rather than a good-sized nugget . I keep panning and sifting though, reaching for that one piece of gold that can excite my imagination and engage my attention.

I need to keep practicing these free form drawn letterforms. Some of them work together and some of them are less visually pleasing. Part of my practice in developing future invented letter forms will be to create marks that have more unity, much like any alphabet does. Another benefit from creating this piece of fabric is that it also helped me realize that I prefer language marks that flow across the surface like writing instead of drawn inside premeasured spaces.

I did cut all these letterforms apart yesterday, though, to experiment with them. First I kept the large center rectangles intact and surrounded them with darkest values to accent the light centers and create a bit of depth. I did cut off portions of the letter forms, where possible, so not all of them stay neatly within the borders.


Then I wondered what would happen if I combined my tiny rectangle pieces with fabrics cut into strips...or moved from rectangles to strips of fabric oriented both vertically and horizontally on the surface. This idea has the potential to be one of the "nuggets" I've been waiting for!

So here's a piece that's been cut apart vertically and surrounded with small, dark rectangles to frame and separate the letter forms from each other. The rectangles around each piece will form a very dominant element when combined. This decreases the importance of the individual letter forms in the openings, or so I think at the moment.
But adding any separation between the letter forms seems to help. When I combine the same strips with rectangles of similar value to the ground, the gestural marks dominate.


Since my goal in this series of Pages pieces is to begin to sequentially break down the strong grid, this idea of cutting strips of fabric rather than rectangles could just be that nugget I've been working towards. Cutting these vertical strips and staggering them as I lay them out could create patterns that rise and fall rather than go straight across the surface. Horizontal strips hold a host of possibilities as well, as does the idea of combining strips and rectangles without them forming any sort of repeating geometric shapes at all.

Red Dot-- Sold!

It's official, my Pages #3 piece has been purchased by the University of Rochester and will become part of the Gleason Library collection. This is my first piece in a public collection so I am touched, thrilled, appreciative, proud and even more motivated to get back to making new work. What could be sweeter than making a piece that will be viewed and enjoyed by hundreds, maybe thousands of students over the years and maybe even inspire some of them to work with textiles as an artistic medium? What a satisfying new home for this piece!

The day started on a less exciting note. I've researched and gathered so much information about letterforms, typefaces and calligraphy and suddenly started feeling confused and unsettled. I wondered whether I needed to embark on a whole new learning curve to become proficient in both eastern and western calligraphy traditions as a skill-set to inform my own marks. In considering this, I recognized that to become really skilled at either would take years of study and practice. Having already spent the past 14 years developing expertise as a surface designer, the idea seemed discouraging. Luckily I called a wise and helpful friend rather than sign up for a weeklong workshop at a bookmaking center. Talking my concerns over with her helped me realize I don't need expertise in traditional calligraphy, I just need to keep developing my own original marks and "language" forms.

So I went back to my studio and returned to fleshing out the new fabrics and combinations of techniques and tools that I want to develop next. I completed this new piece at my studio yesterday. To try out the idea of containing the gestural letter forms within the size of the rectangle, I marked the outer edges of these large scale "pages". I'll know if I like this once I cut these and lay them out with varied values of smaller size pieces around them. I will also do a piece where I fill the whole surface with gestural "writing" and then cut those apart and compare.

As soon as I finish writing this, we're heading off for the weekend to our cottage on Panther Lake, north of Syracuse, NY. Two new kayaks will go with us and I'm looking forward to learning how to use mine.

Casting Out Lines, Hoping for a Bite

I opted to stay home rather than go to my studio yesterday; I felt drawn to explore ideas for new Pages pieces and I've learned to respect those inner nudges. In a matter of minutes, I was grabbing and cutting whatever fabrics still remained from previous dyeing and printing sessions, fully absorbed. While the choices in the remaining fabrics are more limited, there are enough for experimentation.

There's such a strong visual aspect to my process that even though I plan and visualize ideas in my mind and often record them, I can't really respond or evaluate how they're working until I actually see the pieces in front of me. The results are usually very different from the images in my head and somehow that always fascinates me, no matter how many times it happens. The new ideas all seem so perfectly planned, but the implementation never fails to deliver twists and turns. But that's exactly what makes art making so engaging, because it IS so unpredictable.

The first idea in my head had to do with combining different scale rectangles together, so I cut some 2.5" x 3.5" pieces to interplay with the 1" x 1.5" pieces.
I considered ways of combining the larger rectangles with the smaller ones. I tried multiple combinations of values and patterns, but the silkscreened fabric here with diary excerpts screened over it in white has a photographic quality that appealed to me more than any of the other fabrics I tried with it. Of course there's not enough of this to do an entire piece, but now I know what specific yardage I need to create to continue with this idea.

Next I added the horizontal rows of black lines between rows of large and small blocks. It provided contrast and suggested a lined piece of paper. I grabbed some reject cut out letter forms to approximate what it might look like to arrange letter forms on the horizontal lines. I will return to this idea when I have new letter forms cut out. I question whether the horizontal lines of letter forms will appear too static. I may just edit out the black lines totally. Then the allover ground behind the letter forms will be very subtle and the large text elements can be placed more rhythmically over the surface -- and possibly include more color.

Another idea followed; this one based on the abstract calligraphy I've been exploring. This sample came together more easily and I like its potential. Tomorrow I'll paint more abstract calligraphy on subtly silkscreened fabric and then cut that apart into rectangles like this one. Smaller size rectangles will be composed around these according to value -- this would allow me to use up many odds and ends of fabrics and also create more random movement because of the value shifts. The eye pushes some back and others move forward, giving it more of a feeling of light and shadow. Plus, if I keep the original arrangement of the larger rectangles once the fabric is cut, the shapes and lines may appear more continuous, perhaps as if they are going behind the surrounding rectangles and then reappearing. More to find out with this.

Another idea that I tested the waters with yesterday was the idea of cutting through cloth and creating negative spaces in the shapes of invented letters. Please ignore the shapes below and fabric combinations and just focus on the idea, I just grabbed several patterns that were closest (laying on the floor actually!) and started cutting. The white against black is a bit too much contrast for my eye, but trying this out led me to an idea that I hope to get time to try out today with undyed organza. I promise I'll select more aesthetically pleasing shapes for that one! Once I cut out the black piece, I wondered if positive shapes could be combined and laid over the surface. All I had were some leftover reds to test this out. There's just way too much contrast here, but the next sample won't be as rough. I think this idea does have promise, will continue to work on it.

Work on this small painted and stitched piece is nearing an end. These small works allow me to indulge my love of color when I need a break from the grayscale pieces.

Any other additions will be minimal. I cut this one down and ordered 9" x 12" stretched canvases and frames to mount both this piece and the next one, which is complimentary but different so may try some different colored threads and stitching on it. In my mind's eye this looks like a reflection at water's edge.

Once mounted, these will both be for sale. Ill post the completed versions in their frames with prices and if anyone is interested in purchasing one or both of them, just let me know.

Organizing and Prioritizing

It's hot hot HOT in upstate New York; about a week ago we still had the furnace on at night and suddenly the days are climbing into the 90's along with high humidity. That rapid temperature shift has left my too-thick blood and body sluggish. I feel the heat, even with the air conditioning on inside. I'll adjust to it but until I do, it takes a toll on my energy and level of cheerfulness. Even my poor car is in the shop after some weekend issues with the temperature gauge climbing when the air conditioning is on and returning back to normal when I shut it off. I just DON'T think this is the week to not have the air conditioning working properly in my car.

It's a good day, therefore, to organize my to-do list and start tackling the items. First, I'm finally working on finishing a book review of Terry Barrett's Interpreting Art for the College Art Association. I've got a solid first draft, a wireless network and a lap top computer, so after I exercise this morning and grab some veggies to grill with chicken for dinner, I'll find the coolest spot inside-- unfortunately my home office is always the hottest room in the house in the summer and the coldest in the winter -- and revise it. Since I've never written a 2,000 word scholarly book review, it's definitely a challenge. I almost turned down the offer because I didn't feel qualified to do it, but the author assured me that he thinks I can. I'm well aware of the tremendous learning strides that take place when we tackle something that we've never tried before and I've always been a fan of "the little train that could" approach to life, so I'll do my best! It's due at the end of the month. At the very least it's an excuse to sit quietly and still feel productive!

Next on my list is dyeing and printing new cloth for both new Parables pieces and Pages pieces. I'm think if I do a number of grounds simultaneously they'll have more continuity than doing one piece at a time. With the new ideas for marks I'll be implementing, I'll expand my array of fabrics for grounds AND cutting up for Pages pieces and letter forms. I actually am making specific lists of processes, color and value combinations and pattern scales to create so I will know exactly what I want to accomplish during my studio days. It really helps me save time and be more productive to start this way, then be open to modifying plans as I work.

I've gotten two excellent reference books to work from as I continue my mark making experimentation. A lot of these marks will become silkscreens or patterns for cut letter forms as well as practice for direct painting. The first book I got was expensive enough that I almost didn't buy it, but it has proven to be a great reference -- Experiments with Letterform and Calligraphy by Andre Gurtler. Another gem is Codici 1 by Thomas Ingmire.

Both these authors have expressed the very ideas about writing as drawings and writing as musical patterns as my own explorations have led me to develop. It's exciting to tap into my own inspirations and then build on them with research done by others who have developed their ideas more completely. Slow reading but thoroughly informs my work and process. More praises to the power of the Internet and these amazing search engines!

Tomorrow I'll hopefully have my car back so I can drive to to my studio and start mixing dyes for the new marks I want to paint and print on the cloth. Lots to accomplish over these next few weeks.

Revealed and Concealed

I'm continuing to investigate and consider various types of imagery before embarking again on new work. Gathering and reflecting on ideas and building an idea pile may seem overwhelming at first, but inevitably one stands out from the rest and commands attention. Suddenly an inner shot is fired, the gates swing open and the adrenalin pumps -- I can almost hear the announcer's words "And they're off!" -- and feel the rush of energy that comes with a new beginning.

Voyaging out in the community to photograph graffiti is part of building that idea pile. It allows me to see text and language in novel and interesting contexts. Some artists choose to conceal the meaning of their lettering. Even though I can't "read" the writing below, the fact that it is repeated almost identically line after line leads me to believe that the artist is indeed concealing a "message." The last line may contain a signature -- the exclamation points are interesting as well. The commercial signs below with their terse communications are a fascinating contrast to the sprawling, space-consuming letter forms above that fill the glass window.

Contrast that type of graffiti writing with this one, where the artist definitely wants the viewer to read the message and is less concerned with the artistic merit of how the message is created.

One of the questions I'm posing to myself as I pursue my exploration of language imagery is whether writing the language in a way that it can be read is important to the meaning of the work or whether it is the shapes and arrangement of letter forms that most intrigue me. I don't mean this to be an either or question -- there's a continuum between abstraction and readability that I want to travel, but for me, the most fascinating calligraphy and texts are those which are partial, incomplete or abstracted in a way that I can't decipher the full meaning.

Even this building, with its worn away sign, hints at advertising something but certainly doesn't explain what. Doesn't it intrigue your imagination even more to read just a portion of the original sign? Doesn't it seem to have more to say about its culture and surroundings because it is worn away, neglected and its original message indecipherable? The partial message suggests the passage of time and cultural change, subjects which could also inform my own work, since I often wonder what the next evolution will be in language, particularly with the new "text message" language that is evolving.

Priming the Pump

The territory's new and at the same time oh-so-familiar. What-to-work-on-next. I've weeded gardens and planted annuals and washed all the windows and rested and now it's time to return to work and start a new piece. I've tried out two ideas already that seemed pretty exciting UNTIL I actually created samples. Neither idea worked.

To prime the pump, I've been reading and visiting web sites. A book on the alphabet that I recently purchased-- Letter by Letter by Laurent Pflughaupt -- had an exciting calligraphic illustration that I oohed and aahed over as soon as I saw it. The caption read, "Gestural calligraphy, David Lozach."

The words "gestural calligraphy" appeal to me. So does another term I found, "expressionist calligraphy." I hadn't thought to string these words together, but realized how fitting they both are to the language imagery that most appeals to me.

Here's an image I found showing Stefan Arteni, a French gestural calligrapher, beginning a new work with a huge sumi brush. Note the design references at the bottom right of the image. I love the possibilities of working with a large brush. A year ago in Dorothy Caldwell's class at QSDS, we tied brushes to sticks or dowels and then stood over a paper just like this and made marks and lines on it with black India ink.

After my Internet research and inspirations, I decided to buy large pads of white sketch paper, 18" x 24," and experiment with different sized brushes and types of inks and paints. I want to spend time just exploring variations of calligraphic marks. Yesterday I barely stuck my toe into the water but felt good about taking some first steps. On this piece, I used a very wide, flat bristle brush and a very thick paint.

The next paint I tried was undiluted Setacolor, using a narrower but still flat brush. These inexpensive brushes have long handles and are made from goat hair.

The last variation I tried was a sumi ink monoprint scratched with a straw. I like the flow of this ink the best of the three that I tried. Of course I also can used thin or thickened dyes and work on fabric, but for now I'm working with paper, feeling the movement of the brushes and working with pressing or lifting the brush from the surface, noting the difference between the heavier marks and the finer, more suggested ones. Each one has its own pronounced feeling and energy.

Sharing

I spent this weekend giving a private class to nga on painting and layering fabrics and hand stitching the surfaces. Meeting people from other cultures, whose life experiences have been very different from mine, has always fascinated me. Nga, Vietnamese and very petite -- she is barely 100 pounds and just about comes up to my shoulder -- is an amazing woman. She lives near Washington, DC and discovered her interest in art about five years ago. She collects and loves instructional books and has been taking many diverse classes in fiber, jewelry, drawing and painting.

On Saturday we experimented with different painting techniques on a variety of fabrics. Nga loved painting the fusible web and composed the results into a small landscape. She also enjoyed monoprinting and when she started (all on her own, no prompting from me, I swear!) to draw a Chinese character on the plastic so she could print it, I grabbed my camera and recorded the mark.

She quickly realized that she should have drawn the character in reverse to have it print correctly to the fabric, but I loved the mark and the way she used the brush to make it. How we use tools and apply marks so individually is another fascination of mine; one of the rewards of being a teacher is how much I learn from observing other people create.

On Sunday nga wanted to spend the day stitching instead of painting. She selected a painted piece of silk net, stretched and tacked it to a layer of white cotton, then began embroidering straight running stitches to suggest flowing rivers and french knots to represent tiny villages. She hummed as she worked and said she usually feels nervous about painting and working with color, but with these materials she felt very at ease. I felt equally comfortable with her doing exactly what she wanted to do at her own pace -- some people come to my studio and work with cyclone speed, intent on producing as much as possible in the shortest span of time, but nga seemed to find it stimulating and enjoyable to contemplate that one small surface and focus on developing it with stitched lines and marks and color combinations.

I even had time to explore some stitching myself as we sat together quietly or talked and contemplated the little worlds that were evolving with our stitching choices. This small painted piece is about 10" x 12" and I'm looking forward to completing it; it reminds me of our talks.

The two of us had great conversations about Buddhism, reincarnation, ghosts and childhood memories as well as about books and artists. Nga loves to collect books as well as travel to take private classes with different teachers. Spending time with her made me realize that I would love to travel more -- not ten cities in ten days travel -- but finding residencies and artist exchange programs that would allow me to immerse myself in different cultures and work and learn from other artists and students there.

So nga left very happy with the techniques she had learned and talked about returning to work in my studio again. The experience taught me yet again that I receive as much, and usually more, than I give when I share what I love doing.

When I turned the page to June in my Zen wall calendar this morning, it flipped back a few months and I found a lovely quote:

You are all Buddhas.
There is nothing that you need to achieve.

Just open your eyes.

--The Buddha