Earlier this year, summer 2020, I was able to attend the MONET Exhibit at the Art Institute Chicago. Having been creating art since I was a young child & having been in the art, design & custom framing business low these 35 years past, I’ve come to understand that art is a lifelong pursuit, passion & learning experience. Currently on my larger more detailed artworks I’ve been doing more layering of color, especially in my mixed media pieces. Having got up close & studying these master works of Monet’s, I observed, that from a distance, like in a photo our eyes averages the image to their beauty, but that viewing just inches from the surface and having done some reading on the subject, discovered they are but layered amounts of pattern and paint done not, for the most part, in one sitting(alla prima), but many outdoor sessions (en plein air)and finishing up in the studio. As with all things, I’ve taken a more unconventional way of achieving my own goals, in observation and in execution, and in this case a more abstract realistic approach in my artwork, thus ‘Stairway to Heaven’ lyric is constantly playing in my head. But alas, here we are .
“If there's a bustle in your hedgerow
Don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
And it makes me wonder”
Zeppelin (Songwriters: Jimmy Page / Robert Plant)
I work from life, photos & my imagination. In this case I took 5 different photos and created the desired composition and dynamic you see here. Each of the photos had different elements I wanted to show and express, from the varied flowers, color & shapes, to the grown over path that runs through the center of the piece. From creating the composition, until its completion took about 3 weeks. It’s all about the layered in mediums and the slow build, in these type works.
In this piece I wanted both the muted undertones, as well as the bright light high key ones. I began, as always with a drip and splatter underpainting, this one in an acrylic prism violet. Then, using a brush, laid in the colors intended, taking my palette knife and blending them together, to a muted coloration, while blocking in shapes, thus creating the preliminary composition to build off of. Once achieved, several palette knives, scratching tools, brushes and tissues were used to move the the paint around to create the image of a natural flower garden. Ebony pencil & 18k gold pen were used to enhance line and give depth. Oil pastel was then used to give more texture, color & pattern, enhancing the broken color and giving the more free design elements of scribble. My trademark of 18k gold leaf was laid in at the top, in the path as light hitting the edge. Taking my palette knife and pure color straight from the tube, I moved about the canvas dropping in bright happy color, thus scratching in my signature, it was complete & posted on social media.
*Me~ Woke up about 1:30am and couldn't get back to sleep, rolled out of bed about 2:30am...had some tea, read some Vonnegut and completed this 48"x24" mixed media piece, but it needs a title, any ideas???
One of the many, many responses was from a collector of my artwork. While I had been reading Vonnegut’s ‘Bluebeard’ ( a tongue in cheek romp through the abstract expressionist movement of the 50s) earlier that morning….Chris’s sentiments reminded of another of K.V.s novels.~
Chris G.
“Visions of Vonnegut. Very cool.”
In 79’-80’ish I read 'Slapstick' it was my first Kurt Vonnegut read. I was immediately hooked. If you haven't read it, it's a futuristic tale in which all the people of the world are assigned middle names, of flowers randomly. Wilbur Daffodil-11 Swain, is the main character. Which ever flower you are, connects you to all the other like flowers, as family, so you are never alone. I'm partial to sunflowers, so that makes me Richard Sunflower-1 Sperry. What’s your flower? Are we family? Here’s where we all gather, mingle and dance, in the sun and a light breeze. After some thought a variation was settled on.
'Vonnegut's Garden' 48"x24" framed (a white traditional frame, as seen or a more contemporary clean line, black frame, its your choice) mixed media on canvas, $2400.oo. (plus a complimentary mini-me 12" square oil of your choice a $350.oo value). Message me with further questions on how this can be acquired. It can be shipped. (free mini-me of your choice with purchase of ‘Vonnegut’s Garden’ expires 12/31/2020)
preliminary underpainting, an abstract
Vonnegut’s Garden/completed
Center detail
framed in a traditional white, though a contemporary clean line black, works well too.
a more contemporary, clean line, black frame