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| BUT IS IT ART? Digital Collage |
“I have never been able to understand the artist whose
image never changes”
-Lee Krasner, Abstract Expressionist Painter
When I feel adrift, I return to Art History. There I find
comfort and direction. Reading Lee Krasner’s quote started me thinking about
the evolution of our work.
Do you ever review your body of work? Do you find you can
re-experience a particular time in your life just by looking at your colour
selection, composition and the materials you chose? Art journaling clearly
gives us a sense of time and place. And
I feel work beyond journaling can take you on a similar voyage.
Usually when I begin to work I have an inkling of where
my journey will take me. But this time I really didn’t have a finished piece of
work in mind, so I decided to let my supplies influence my direction. Building
on my last Artistcellar piece I wanted to continue exploring the use of Rubber
Cement as a resist. Last time I chose a heavy watercolour paper. I now went to
the extreme…my cherished smooth and silky Mineral Paper. I was excited to see
if the new substrate would enhance the resist.
Using the Artistcellar Seafoam stencil I once again applied
Rubber Cement. But this time instead of using my fingers for a mottled finish,
I brushed the cement in an even layer through the stencil and allowed it to dry
overnight. Removing the stencil was easy, the clean-up quick, leaving it in
pristine condition.
Punchinella, circular and hand cut stencils at the ready,
I covered the Mineral Paper. I used both a dry brush and wash technique of
various watercolours. When dried I added the metallic acrylics. I varied the
density and disregarded the placement of the rubber cement.
The final step was the removal of the resist. The Mineral Paper
held the cement in place which made it a little difficult to remove.
What simply peeled off the watercolour paper held fast this time. But
with a little perseverance, all cement was removed and I was left with
an interesting array of colour and form. As with past projects, the
Mineral Paper held up beautifully. No tearing or buckling. The paper is
just fantastic and a MUST for any artist.
The final pattern reminded me of the post-War Abstract Expressionism
movement…and I knew what I need to add to complete the image. Some time
ago I purchased a fashion photo of a woman in a lovely flower print
dress and hat. From her pose she could easily be gazing at an
interesting piece of art. Could she be wondering…Is it Art? What do you
suppose her answer would be?
When you view your work can you see a shift in perception? Do innovative
and interesting influences appear over time? What images are
constant…giving you a secure base to allow you to dream and experiment.
And do you ever wonder, looking at the world around you…Is it Art?
MATERIALS USED
MINERAL PAPER
ARTISTCELLAR SEAFOAM STENCIL
ELMER’S RUBBER CEMENT
RUBBER CEMENT ERASER
ROYAL LANGNICKEL WATERCOLOURS
PLAID FOLK ART METALLIC ACRYLICS
ROYAL GOLD
AQUAMARINE
AMETHYST
PLUM
ROSE
CHAMPAGNE
DIGITAL IMAGES
