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Wednesday 31 August 2011

Emerging Fragments

Emerging Fragments

I like to work with bits and pieces and look for relationships as I go. Here is the story of the ups and downs of this piece. My background started on cotton with stamped black gridwork over fern leaves with a minimum amount of rusty red. Image transfers onto cotton and rice papers were added in layers with organza, pink tuile, and also some special textured rice paper. Thinned layers of wash were then added. A crisis ensued when too much colour was absorbed in the wrong places by the texture, clouding sublte image detail and completely changing the focal point!!!!! Some white watersoluble crayon (that I had seen Heather use in these circumstances) helped to alter the composition ( square in a square), rebalance the light and dark areas letting the eye travel around to different areas of interest . Then







graphite pencil and some small gold metallic stitches were used to help regain some detail and recover a focal point. A final darker rectangle of purple gave the eye somewher to start off.







I like the colour unity in the end and that it has many little secretive textural areas , that do not tell everything at once. A kind of mysterious message. Things to work on are range of values and leaving a few more simple lighter areas in the top half. Perhaps some more range in shape sizes (small medium large) and for next time I would like to retain a variety of repetition from the photgraphic subject matter. Materials used were: hand stamping on cotton, image transfers to rice and tissue paper, decorative rice paper, black and white painted tissue paper, organza, tuile, watersoluble crayon, graphite pencil, gold metallic thread Krylon"Preserve It" fixative spray with matt finish.

8 comments:

  1. I love the way you and Heather achieve depth in your pieces by building up layers. The more you look, the more you see. Big brave step to create the square in a square - but it is so successful. It somehow gives more importance to the actual piece.

    I wish...

    Hilary

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  2. Lots of mystery here, Michele, created by the transparencies. So many textures too, all held together by the analogous colour scheme and the repeating shapes.

    Just a note to the viewer: the image shows Michele's 12"-square piece as it is mounted on a white 18"-square canvas, with black frame.

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  3. Great use of layering and techniques. The depth and mystery has been captured beautifully.

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  4. Thanks for the heads-up, Heather. I thought the white area measured 12" square - no reason why not...

    Hilary

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  5. Nice recovery. Lots of detail to look at and the elements move my eye around in a nice circle.

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  6. Love the depth of this piece and the hints of what might be hidden below. I'd so like to work in layers like this but my brain doesn't seem to be able to!

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  7. Thank you for describing your techniques and journey. WOW!! I really enjoyed the close up look and all of the fragments of color and technique that gives your finished piece cohesiveness and interest.

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  8. So many techniques and materials and it comes together so beautifully.

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