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| plein air sketch |
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| Platte River enters into Lake Michigan just past this spot |
"Over the last year and a half, our family has gone through some big changes… Moving up to northern Michigan and sadly, my mother’s illness and death were the two biggest things to adjust to. 2009 was a real challenge, and we are transitioning our way through and away from it.
The Collage paintings….
The collage florals are the result of me immersing myself in happy, joyful colors and shapes. The challenge is simplifying the intricate and delicate forms of the flowers. After I get the shapes down, I can have some fun cutting, ripping and pasting; kind of like Kindergarten. Collage also reminds me of the process of quilting. (My mom was a terrific quilter.) I love the feel of the surface of these paintings…tactile. I love smoothing the paper down with my goopy fingers…messy. I love finding just the right piece of paper to add without having to adjust it with paint...finding treasure.
Gouache Ink Resist paintings….
The gouache ink resist pieces are similar to the collage pieces in that it’s about simplifying things, but to an even greater degree. Gouache Ink Resist paintings remind me of linoleum or wood block prints, but without the cut fingers. :) As the title suggests, the gouache (pronounced gwash) is painted on, then covered with india ink. After that’s dry, you hold the paper under running water, to wash away the gouache, revealing the painting. The process takes some planning, and it’s sort of unforgiving, but when it works…. Wow… magic trick at the sink. :)
Both of these types of paintings have helped heal me…I can immerse myself in the effort of creating. For me, it’s all about the joy of the process of artmaking.
