Loose Ends, Closets and Floors

After a wonderful Mother's Day weekend where I got to hear from BOTH my children, talk to my mother and go hiking with my wonderful husband it's time to tie up loose ends, and do some cleaning and organizing!  I've been avoiding all those little details we have in life in lieu of working on paintings, collage, and paper casts...It was a beautiful time, but I've gotta finish the backs, paint and stain, vacuum closets and decide what materials I can do without to make room for more of the media I work in more often...WHEW...this may take a couple of days!!

So, no new painting today...but a few fun pics of our hike in the foothills yesterday.  We live not far from the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater near Morrison Colorado...and although we didn't hike in that area there were a few red rocks here and there which always amaze me as they look like they just got squeezed upwards...but only made it to the slant...Interesting!

The hills and foothills from our hike were so interesting...more pinion pines than the ones near our house...which always remind me of the landscapes of Grant Woods. And, yes...we did run in to some evidence of animals...mountain lion tracks (though not a big one)...and a ton of bear fur!  I guess he just came down and rolled around on the ground to get rid of his winter coat??  I don't know, but it was a bit creepy!

I'm investing in a table saw so I can make my own cradles for my MDF panel collages and paintings...So that is on the list for pick up today as well...I made a cradle  (well, my husband did the sawing) by hand yesterday for the Aspen Lights and Shadows collage and it turned out beautifully, but took way too long and I couldn't saw the wood by hand myself...thus the need for the electric version of my hubby!  He is always so good to make what I need, but I feel bad for him knowing the number of cradles I will be making this summer...so off to Home Depot for me! FUN...a new tool!!

Here's hoping you all have a great day of CREATING!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY ALL!

To all the mother's out there...I wanted to share my mother's day flowers with you...we work hard, and we love fiercely, and we deserve a HAPPY DAY...

"Aspen Lights and Shadows" original acrylic and paper collage COMPLETED © Saundra Lane Galloway

 "Aspen Lights and Shadows"

12x25" acrylic and paper collage on gesso'd MDF panel

Click to enlarge

Here is the finished version of "Aspen Lights and Shadows".  From yesterday you can see that I added detail and light and shadow to the aspen that were included last.  I tried the keep the most information near the focal area without eliminating the need for a bit in the other areas.  The words were a secondary focus...I didn't want them to be OBVIOUS...but if someone were interested enough to step closer and concentrate they could read them...For a larger version you can click on the photograph.

These detail pics are just to show the amount of work and different factors involved in creating a piece like this.  I LOVE working this way...it just unleashes all sorts of ideas as I'm working...

This will be available on my website in a few weeks, but for now it will serve as another example for my upcoming collage workshop in June  for the Mountainside Art Guild.  I've taught workshops on collage before, but with each class I like to bring new ideas and possibilities before my students as a way to inspire them whether they lean toward the abstract or enjoy a more realistic style...

FUN NEWS...I've just decided to participate in Conifer's Art and Music Festival in Conifer Colorado which will take place on August 7...FUN stuff to be stepping into the world of outdoor art festivals...I haven't done them before, so lots to learn, and lots to acquire so I'll be ready...and...of course lots to create!

HAPPY CREATING!

"Aspen Lights and Shadows" in process acrylic collage © Saundra Lane Galloway

Today was fun as I began to add to what I created yesterday...The first pic shows what I did with the nice horizontal strip that flows from one side to the next...adding a phrase with letter stamps...there, but yet, not dominant...

This second photo is the beginning  of adding trees that will have more detail and contrast...still trying to maintain the phrase, but again, not wanting it to me dominant...just there...I'm excited to see how I pull it all together...hopefully tomorrow!

HAPPY CREATING!

TREE COLLAGE IN PROCESS

 11 3/4" X 24 3/4"

gesso MDF panel

Remembering this blog is about process as well as the finished product I am going to be stepping along through this next piece as I prepare for my workshop in collage next month.

I absolutely LOVE collage, and I absolutely LOVE teaching workshops...and as I did when I taught public school I like to bring fresh things to each "lesson" or workshop.  I think I would go crazy if I taught each class the same way as the last...so...off I go on a journey to bring fresh to what I've taught before!

The top pic is STEP 1...I take a panel (in this case) and gesso it, and then take color that is left over on my pallet and cover it up.  At this stage it really doesn't matter the colors that much...I kinda know what is in nature (as this will be a tree piece)...and I just slap it on to cover all that WHITE!

STEP 2 is where I begin to add papers...I kinda know that I want some sky up top...and I begin to lay in the vertical papers for the background trees...

STEP 3...becomes about deciding where I want my "focal" area to be...When I am doing a stand of trees...more abstractly than some of my more realistic pieces I STILL think about an area that will bring the eye...a little more contrast...can you tell where the focal area is going to be?..

STEP 4 was about adding many more verticals and then playing with the idea of a good horizontal to break up the monotony a little (some pieces I want all vertical...but this one may have words in the form of stamps or some such thing...and I need a path...The focal area should be a little more obvious at this point...:)

I get really excited when I see a piece like this starting to take shape...starting to make a little more sense to me for what my intent was...which, by the way...sort of appeared after I'd worked at it a little bit...I knew it would be another tree piece...I knew the general way I wanted to go...but as I added the different papers and found some fun ones to sort of focus on that was FUN!!  

The thing I always tell my students when I am teaching a workshop is not to get married to a particular area at this stage as it can often change drastically before the end...If you marry too early I feel it stilts the creative process that should be flowing freely throughout!!  At least that is the way I think...:)  Til tomorrow...

HAPPY CREATING!!