Learning Curves

My life as a visual artist has been relatively short when compared to my chronological age. As a result of starting later in life, I always have this feeling that I don't have a lot of time to waste. When confronted with new learning, I tend to really dive in the deep end. First I read obsessively, then I order the materials (too many), and then comes the long process of experimentation. That's where I am now with encaustic. I'll remember October as the wax month.

I've certainly run through a lot of encaustic medium and I've learned quite a bit from my experiences. I try not to worry about the end product in the beginning stages because needing a product makes me work more cautiously, and that is not what you want before you've found your stride. I've been working on small boards mostly and trying all kinds of things, some successful and some not. I've found out that I like using wax for its transparency, and when I use colour is is applied in glazes rather than full strength. It is the delicacy that appeals to me most. Last week I completed a piece that I am satisfied with so it's time to share. Today I drop off this work and four others for a group show at The Leyton Gallery which opens on November 13.

Moments (10 x 24in.) encaustic with photo transfer & paper on board
(Only my photography is skewed )

I like the fact that I am finding my voice in encaustic. Even though this is a new medium for me, the result is still recognizable as my work, but it seems to be more delicate and ephemeral than my acrylic work. These are photo transfers from shots I took during my stay at Birr Castle Demesne. It is so much easier to do a transfer from a photocopy directly onto the wax. It give such a floating effect and I think that is why my work is looking more delicate.

Below is one of my mixed media acrylic paintings from my Reading a Garden series that is really saying the same thing, but it has a very different look. I even used one of the images in both works.

Ephemeral (2009) 10 x 24 in.

photo transfer, paper , acrylic mediums and paint on board

Claimed

Claimed (2009) 10 x 24

mixed media (photo transfer, acrylic mediums and paint on board)

to demand
to ask for
to take as one's own
to state to be true
to assert or maintain
__________________
claim

I'm nearing the end of my show and tell of "Reading a Garden" which was the work I exhibited at Cube Gallery in Ottawa. This is one of my favourite pieces. For several months I felt it would never reach completion. It was the classic case of "what next?" You get so far and then you have no idea how to resolve the work. I later decided the difficulty arose from now having a firm idea about what I was trying to say in this work. Once I wrapped my head around that , I was fast forward.

As you might expect Birr Castle is a very prominent aspect of Birr Castle Demesne and can be seen from many vantage points . It sits on the edge of a small valley and my favourite orientation was looking up at it. I wanted to highlight its physical presence in this work while at the same time mark the long history of the Parsons family in the Birr area and my own presence on the property. Because I know Sherwood (fellow renter of the Bothy cottage in Birr Castle Demense) will have a comment on this work I'm posting the inspiration pictures. You will understand all from these and realize I take lots of liberties when composing.

One of the prominent features of the Millennium Gardens are elegant white benches situated near the Barvarian Urns. I loved the flourish of the intertwined Rs, designed to commemorate Anne's (the present Earl's mother) marriage to Michael Rosse, the sixth earl in 1935. There are two designs but I preferred the more angular one. Can you see how I used it in the painting?


The family motto - "Pro Deo et Patria ad Astra": For God and Country to the Stars- is inscribed on the main gates to the Demesne. We made many trips through them to reach The Bothy cottage. I have to admit I never once felt "right" about going through these gates. They admitted me to a property that was a far cry from what I knew growing up. In my own way I have claimed this property and at the same time I recognize the long history of the Parson's family .

I

Continuum

Continuum (2009) 10 x 24 in.
mixed media ( photo transfer, acrylic mediums &paint) paper) on board

There is inspiration in the simplest things. How many times do people walk by aspects of nature intent on their own inner world and completely miss what is happening around them? At times I feel I have the opposite problem - a continuous bombardment of stimuli that must be filtered out or it becomes overwhelming to process. This rose shrub is a good example of my usual " nature experience". I was strolling along in the Millennium Garden, Birr Castle Demense, and was beckoned by both the buzzing of bees and a glorious smell. Drawing nearer, I could see that some rose blooms were still in tact serving as landing pads for bees busy playing out their role in nature. The thing that really interested me as I looked more carefully was the presence of every stage of blossom development in a rose. It was like the passage of time caught in action and I was there to experience it. Two days later and all the blooms would possibly have disappeared, an hour before the bees might have been busy with other concerns.

This was a difficult painting to execute. It lay around my studio for six months in various stages and configurations of elements. There were so many elements to include that I could not get the composition to work. I used a great deal more paper than in the other paintings in this series. The evidence of the original photo transfers is almost totally obscured by the inclusion of additional information from my memory. The work grew to be much more sense bound and less about the actual rose bush itself. With the addition of each element, I felt I was building my own understanding of the the passage of time.

Same but different

Time flies and I'm not even having fun! I'm late posting this link to the group exhibition I am part of at Cube Gallery in Ottawa (my work is the first panel on the left.) Thanks to a travel grant from the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, I was able to travel to the opening. It was an honour to see my work among that of five other artists who were all using photography in some way to inform their work.

This show is about a merging of aspects of modernity (photography) and tradition (painting) which is one of the cutting edge genres in contemporary art today. The artists' use of both media asks the viewer to consider what is original and what is representational, what is real and what is not, what is tradition and what is modern.

One of the things that is limiting about living on an island is exposure to different types of art and artists. After awhile you get to know what many artists are creating and it all becomes too predictable. It was interesting to see five artists who, on paper, were working in a similar way to me, and then to discover that we were all quite different in how we were using photography. There was certainly a continuum of how obvious the use of photography in the works was. My photo transfers were very integrated into the composition and you had to spend a great deal of time looking to see what aspects were photo transfer and what was painting.

I discuss this in my artist statement...

My work begins with image transfers from photocopies of my photographs. I consider this "the real", knowing full well the limitations of photographs. Through a series of manipulations using paint, mediums, papers and sometimes ephemera, the image transfers are altered in varying degrees or totally subsumed to reflect my memory of the event. These memories are diminished in specific details in favor of complex meanings associated with sensory experiences that evolve during the process.

As time passes what I actually remember from my two weeks at Birr Castle Demesne is fading. With each new work completed there are less and less of the actual photo transfers evident. I am synthesizing my impressions and often adding new information that feels like it should be there. In summary, my process of creating these works mimics the actual process of remembering (and forgetting) over time.

If you would like to explore the work of the artists in more detail check out their websites: Katherine Jeans, Jennifer Lawton, Amanta Scott, Karina Kraenzle and D.H. Monet who is the owner of Cube Gallery.

Postcard Series - New work

I've been busy finishing several of my 4 x 6 inch postcard works. For these two I returned to Birr Castle Demesne for inspiration. I'm looking down again to see what's beneath my feet. There are whole little worlds for you to view when you look closely. I'm not working on my
Reading a Garden Series this week partly because my mind is all over the place. We leave for our vacation on Saturday and will be gone for a month. That's a long time without blogging!

Heralding spring

Nature/nurture (2008) 20 x 24 mixed media on canvas

Yes, I know it's been spring forever in other places but I can say with certainty that we are finally having spring in Newfoundland. In 2008 I created this piece for a juried exhibition called Spring at the Craft Council of Newfoundland. I saw beautiful yellow tulips yesterday and was reminded of it.

The background is photo transfers of various pages from gardening books that were then torn and collaged . The thought that we have to have instructions to help nature along is somewhat pathetic. I used the split canvas to represent the nature nurture debate.

This is a very busy weekend for me because CARFAC, a national arts advocacy board, I am a member of is holding its Annual General Meeting in St. John's. There will be much excitement in addition to the meetings.

Another meadow painting

This is another meadow painting created using the same process described in the last post. This was my first work in the Garden Series and it is actually my favourite of the ten completed works to date. I particularly like the way the imagery moves from highly realistic to very abstract. There are all kinds of surprises within it when you take a closer look. I really wanted to take a common scene that many people just pass by without a second look, and create something that reveals the energy and life tucked away in the tall grass evident to those who take a closer look. Both this painting and the one from the previous post are the same meadow.







While the sky is overcast, there is a defiant energy and brightness in the flowers and grasses that is always there even in the rain. Do you have a favourite between the two? I'd love to hear from you.

Working process

The process I am using to create the work in my Reading a Garden series physically reflects the erosion of memory we all experience with the passage of time.

I begin each piece with photo transfers of a particular place in the garden. I consider this "the real". Then through a series of manipulations using paint and papers, I combine and alter the photo transfers into a blended "summary impression" of a place, feeling or event experienced in the garden. While the work still looks highly realistic when completed it has strayed greatly from the initial transfers and morphed into a composite of photo images and remnants of frayed memory. As more time passes and the details in my memory are less distinct, the nature of the work is also changing subtly. There transfers are less visible and the invented sections are taking over.

I began with the wildflower meadow because I've had an intimate relationship with meadows since my childhood. The wildflower meadow at Birr Castle Demesne had a wildness and simplicity when compared to the more controlled and cultivated Millennium Garden where I always felt slightly out of my element. The meadow was nature left wild and wanton; I felt free there.

When I start a mixed media work I never know how it will look when it is finished. The process of adding things moves the work along in its own direction. It is as if it is leading me and not the other way around. The end result is always a surprise for me. I would love to say I have it all figured out beforehand, sketched, with a tonal study completed etc. While I am very organized in most aspects of my life, I cannot imagine working in that manner. I love surprise of what my conscious and unconscious mind produces!

In this piece, I began with roughly 30 image transfers from photos I took in the meadow. Different sections of the meadow had different wildflowers and different feelings. Some photos were close up, others more distant. I laid out all available transfers and begin to sort and resort them until I had ones that I felt worked together. They produce more of a hybrid of the meadow area than an actual representation of it. I then use medium to attach some of them to the board.

In the next step I connected the transfers with a dark background that gave me a working surface with lots of contrast to fill in or connect the disparate sections using papers and paint. These areas represents my" sense" or memory of the meadow and could be considered invented when compared to the photo transfers.

I work back and forth without too much thought and the painting slowly emerges. I like to combine abstract elements with the realistic imagery. The small circles are reminiscent of seeds and also infinity. I've played around with certain letter representations in Morse Code that are created using dots. They allow me to insert messages in the painting without using text.

New work -Poggio S. Cecilia Tuscany

Poggio S. Cecilia (2009)acrylic and paper on board, 10 x 8 in.

This is a small painting completed as a gift for friends who shared a holiday with us in 2006. I always find the greens in nature a challenge and there is so much green in Tuscany. I'm still looking at this painting with a critical eye because I find the greens somewhat boring. For the life of me I don't know what to do with it. I would appreciate any suggestions. I've paper as a base and the foreground poppy section began with a photo transfer of a field that has been much integrated into the body of the painting by applying paper and over painting. It's my favourite section of the work because it is lively and organic looking. Perhaps that is why the rest seems boring to me.

I have no concerns about the topic because the place carries fond memories for me. The wild poppies are everywhere in this region of Italy. On the distant hill you can see the outline of Poggio S. Cecilia near the town of Rapolano Terme in the Siena section of Tuscany. This village was founded in 1200 by the Buoninsegna family. Over the years the little village saw several defeats in battle and in 1600 it was rebuilt. It was abandoned in 1960. Today you can find Trattoria Dal Vecchio Prof. operating there. The food is fabulous and the walk down the mountain in the dark is an adventure in itself (more sensible people drive up). We have very fond memories of our evening there and voted the pasta wit truffles the best we ever had in our lives.

To the right of the scene depicted here is the beautiful Agriturismo Villa Buoninsegna where we stayed for a week in Apartment Podere Goito. It was reasonably priced, comfortable and beautiful. The working vineyard was a plus for the wine drinkers in the group. We were a group of ten so there was always lots to say, see and do.

Anatomy of a painting - Part 2

This is the photo that ended my previous post. It could be considered complete and for awhile I thought so too. Then I began to think back to the experience of finding this wrapper behind a statue in the gardens. I think it was the only piece of trash I saw in my two week stay on the grounds of Birr Castle. I couldn't help viewing it as proud of its ability to defy the normal cycle that the natural world was engaged in. The bright colours seemed to add to this defiance. I knew I had to reconsider the scale of the wrapper.









A new photo transfer was prepared and inserted over the previous one. Then the job of integrating the image into the background began.
When an image is inserted into an almost completed work it sticks out like a sore thumb, and it takes much patience and subtle applications of paint and paper to make it look like it belongs. This usually means additions to the whole piece to draw it together.











Here's the end result. I've also readjusted the colours away from the obvious green and set it on a path of decay. My trusty Tri Art Transparent Brown always saves the day when you want to age an image.

These highly textured, dark pieces are very difficult to photograph. I build up using gloss gel because it creates a better sense of depth, but the added shine is a problem when you photograph the stages of development of a work.

As this work is part of a series, I will wait and varnish it with all the other pieces. Then the satin varnish is more receptive to my limited photography skills.

Anatomy of a painting- Part 1

This week I'm putting the finishing touches on another painting from the Garden Series. I've photographed the work during development to give an idea of how I build things up.

This work is on cradled panel (10 x 24 in.). I seal the masonite with acrylic gesso and then add a layer of Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish to decrease the absorbency of the gesso for the application of papers that I use as a base.

The next step is to apply the acrylic skin transfer to the board using matt medium. This is a black and white image transfer from a photo I took in the gardens. Once the acrylic skin was applied to the board, I then over painted the bar wrapper. I wanted to keep just enough information to recognize it as a candybar wrapper.

Following this, a paper with bits of bark and leaves was applied to create basic texture and colour to build on. I'm sorry I don't have the proper name for the paper. I obviously need to create an archive of all my papers with a sample and name.

I also began to physically build up the ground and leaves under the wrapper by simplifying the information in the image transfer and adding new information of my own. As you will see later this was all for naught because I changed the scale and orientation of the wrapper .










Additional papers were added to strengthen the composition. The black lace paper so obvious in this shot created problems because it created too much contrast with the other choices. This necessitated much layering to cover it up. So much for great ideas.













Things are looking up here. I'm managing to cover up all the black and the various textured papers are integrating well to produce that decaying look I was after.

Lessons learned - acrylic skin image transfers

A comment from Leslie Avon Miller to the previous post, prompted me to recall some of the pitfalls of creating and storing acrylic skin transfers. I would like to save everyone from these difficult learning experiences. These are the "do nots" of acrylic skin transfers. I've found all of this out the hard way.

Do not...

• leave a wet acrylic skin transfer on your countertop- as it dries, it adheres very well. Then you have to be extremely creative getting it off. Alas, a visit to my kitchen will let you see that removal is not perfect! I used a sponge pad with a slightly abrasive side (too abrasive) that left scratches on my counter. I still have three drops of gel there that dried and I can't get it off. The lesson I learned from all this- get a piece of laminate and a plastic pan and and make your transfers in your studio.
  

• lay one acrylic skin on top of another when wet. Even a wet skin overlapping itself is difficult to separate. Part to the problem is that I like very delicate skins (4 layers of medium) for my collage work. If you create skins with 7 or 8 layers of medium, this would not be such a problem. They are difficult to get apart when wet, but if they dry while together they bond beautifully! Perhaps there is something creative you can do with this new couple, but I haven't found it yet.

• lay one acrylic skin on top of another even when dry. Over time they get sticky (especially if it is hot) and bond together in parts. I have managed to use some of the parts I've separated, but never the whole image. I use deli paper (you can get it by the box) to keep each acrylic skin separate. You can store several on one sheet. These deli papers can be reused many times. With a 1000 in a box, look for an artist friend to share with- cost per box is about $20.00. When I've stacked my set of left- overs, I store the pile in large zip lock bag and label it by project name .
  

• lay an acrylic skin on top of work that has layers of gel (even dry) on it. If it is warm, the transfer skin will stick on and something will get ruined.

• dry a wet transfer on regular paper. When the skin dries it is often difficult to separate. While it can be done it is not worth the effort. Wax paper works better (but I've had some disasters with it), but refrigerator paper works best of all. It can be torn off in large sheets and taped on the two ends and then reused again and again. I like the fact I can roll it up again for storage.

I would love to hear any other advice on this topic.

Acrylic skin image transfers

While there are many ways to transfer an image from a photograph into a painting, I use only acrylic skin transfers in my work because I like the texture of the "skin" when I'm building up layers. Over the last three years, after making more than a thousand transfers for the Remnants series, I think I've ironed out most of the bugs in the process. As my method of working evolved it became important to use personal imagery rather than images appropriated from other places. Here's how I do it.

Copy
Use a laser printer or a photocopier to take a copy of the photograph you are interested in using in your work. You do not have to reverse text when using this technique.

Coat with medium
Coat the copy with gloss acrylic medium. I prefer Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish. I've tried other mediums, but they pale in comparison to the success I have with this product. When the first coat is applied let it dry to the touch, apply a second coat in the opposite direction. Continue to build up coats three and four in the same way. I've tried to get a good transfer in three coats and it is possible, but the skin is very fragile, and tearing is a problem when you try to remove the paper from the back. Five coats makes a sturdy gel skin which I recommend for your first try. I now have it down to four.

Dry the medium
I let the four (or five) layers cure overnight for best results. Have I been in a hurry and not waited? Yes! I have a small portable heater that I use to dry between each coat.


Water Bath
Place the treated copies in a bath of warm water for at least 10 minutes, but not over 20. I sometimes add a little fabric softener to the water; it helps break down the paper that has to be removed. Don't be concerned if the surface of the medium looks milky in water, it changes again when dry.

Remove Paper Backing
Remove the soaked copy from the water and place it face down on a waterproof surface. I do mine on my kitchen counter top or a piece of white laminate in my studio. Plexiglass or glass also works well.

Use the pads of your fingers in a circular motion starting in the centre of the copy and working outward to release the paper from the back of the gel skin. This is the part that requires patience. If you hurry or get heavy handed you will tear the gel skin. If this does happen, don't despair, when you use medium to adhere the skin to the surface of your work the tear is almost invisible.


If the paper starts to dry out, a spray water bottle will help keep it moist and workable. If it's really dry you may want to put it back in the water bath. The work is most fragile on the edges so slow down there.



Most of the paper comes off easily, but there is often a thin veil of paper left over the image. When this happens, I wet a facecloth or a sponge and rub gently to remove the last layer of paper. I have also used a soft nail brush or a scouring pad made for cleaning glass cooktops; it depends on how resistant the last layer is.



Dry the skin
Lay the gel skin, good side down, on a plastic shower curtain or plastic table cloth to dry. Some sites suggest wax paper, but I've had bad experiences with it and it can't be recycled. The plastic can be re-used many times, and it allows me to pick up the lot and transport them easily to the studio when they are dry. Wait for the transfers to dry thoroughly because it is easier to tear and apply them.


Once dry, they are ready to adhere to any surface you are working with. Check each to make sure there are not bits of paper left because they will create bumps in your application. Use a bristle paint brush to clear the surface of any nubs of paper left.

Apply
Choose the best medium for the task
I use matt gel, matt fluid medium or gloss gel or gloss fluid medium to adhere the image to my work. My choice depends on what I want to do next. If I'm choosing to apply glazes of paint in many layers or I'm overpainting all the applied images, matt medium works best for accepting paint. If I want to have vibrant colour and I am using little paint, I use gloss medium because many layers of matt medium really dulls the colour.

Getting a smooth finish
I use a bristle brush to smooth out the transfer onto the surface of the work. I've tried spoons, rollers but a good stiff brush has been best because you can wash it out after. Rollers get messed up with gel and then they get sticky.

Troubleshooting bubbles
If I get a bubble when dry, I stick a pin in it to release the air and apply a coat of medium to the top of it. Sometimes if I get a huge bubble in a large transfer, I've used a utility knife to make a small slit to release the air and apply a brush full of medium over the top.

Applications
These gel skins can be: torn and collaged throughout your work, layered over each other; sanded away in parts; or applied, dried and pulled off leaving the "ink" image on the board. If you want a particular part of the transfer to stand out (e.g., a face) coat that part with white paint on the underside and let dry then apply. You can get great ghostly images when you layer one on top of the other. You have to experiment to get the look you want. Many of the techniques I use came about through happy accidents.

Attachments II

I just looked at Lisa Dahl's work on Dear Ada (and left a comment) and that got me thinking about the whole idea of house and home which is a theme I am very interested in. There are so many images that bring me back to my roots and the environment in which I spent my formative years. Objects have the ability to transport us to another time. When I'm not exploring the many themes inherent in gardens and flowers, I seem to explore the same themes through objects and place.

This work explores family attachments and place. This is what's left of a structure on my family's land that has special meaning for me. While bolts served to attach the posts of this house, as objects they cause me to think about other attachments I've had in my life.

The bolts are wax castings of the actual objects painted with oils. The image is a photo transfer into encaustic over fiberous paper.



Wallpaper and textiles have power as memory prompts. If you respond to this work with familiarity you are definitely a certain age. While I consider this colour scheme very garish now, it was the one that was in the first home we purchased and began our family. How I lived with it then I can't understand. My leanings now are toward more serene environments.

This wallpaper sampler was created as part of my Remnants series in 2008. The technique is photo transfer collage, built up wholly of photo transfers into gel skins and torn to create a composition that is then enhanced with acrylic paint. The shots were taken in a house in a community where I spent many of my summer holidays. We now have a summer home there. Connections abound in our lives.

Favorite Acrylic Medium

I've tried many acrylic mediums and they all work. I have developed a fondness for Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish. It is top notch if you want to made image transfers into gel skins which is my preferred image transfer method for my work. From my research and practice I've discovered you can also use it :

• to thin acrylic colours and boost their transparency and sheen
• to improve paint adhesion (when mixed with paint)
  
• as a non-removable varnish to protect painting surfaces - as a varnish it is clear drying and works well on flexible surfaces
• with Liquitex Matt Medium to make a semi - gloss medium
• as a fluid glue with collage techniques
• to create acrylic glazes
• to mix with any other Liquitex medium
• as a fixative over pastel, graphite, chalk etc. to increase shine . Mix 1 part Gloss Medium and Varnish with 1 part distilled water. Spray with an atomizer or airbrush.
• as a transparent ground for acrylic paint instead of gesso when you want the substrate to be seen

One stop shopping at its best!

Tips for using:

Collage
If you are applying absorbent papers to collage work, it is a good idea to coat the papers first with gloss medium and let dry. Then re-apply a second coat to adhere the paper. If the medium is drying too quickly, keep environmental conditions cool and humid. Before applying a second layer using gloss medium ensure that the first layer is dry. This can take anywhere from 1-4 hours. A small heater with a fan can speed up drying time.

As a varnish:
Dilute up to 20% with water for ease of brushing and better leveling. Acrylic paintings must be dried for at least 48 hours before varnishing. Apply 1-3 thin coats rather than one thick one. Thick applications can also cause cloudiness.

Progression

Over the years I've painted poppies many times and in many different formats. Alas! I did not see any poppies while I stayed in the gardens at Birr Castle; it was the wrong time of year so there won't be any in this new body of work.

I've taken time away from painting in the last two weeks to review many of my photographs and paintings. I'm looking for something, but I don't know what. I'm hoping this process will help me come to terms with whatever it is I'm supposed to discover about my work. Following is a sequence of work from 2007 back to when I first started painting seriously. If anyone has any words of wisdom in what they see, I'd appreciate hearing them.

Progression #2 (2007) 10 x 34 , paper, photo transfer, acrylic paint, mediums on canvas

Poppies are one of my favourite flowers. I love their tallness, fragility of petals and boldness of colour. I love them at every stage, before bursting into bloom and spent. The seed pods have sculptural qualities that always make me want to paint them in a very stark style. The seeds themselves are prolific which account for the tenacity and spreading quality of poppies. Wild poppies, fragile and supple, create such delicate dots in the vastness of country fields.

Connections (2006) 16 x 16in. photo transfer, paper, acrylic paint, acrylic mediums on canvas

Connections is my favourite painting of this subject matter. Unfortunately it graces someone else's wall now, not mine. There are times I'm sorry I've put a work for sale. This is one of my biggest regrets.

Emerging (2005) 18 x 24, paper, acrylic paint and mediums on canvas

Big, bold and beautiful. What's left to say?

Cycle (2004) 12 x 12 in. acrylic on canvas

This was one of my first paintings executed long before my current interest in creating complex surfaces using many layers and different materials. Some of the same ideas are expressed in Connections, but in a totally different way. What a difference two years can make.

Displaced (2003) 7 X 12 in., acrylic paint and gel on canvas

I always feel a little sad to see a flower removed from its natural environment, but I selfishly continue to let my desire for their beauty overcome this reluctance. This following text is written vertically on the right.

Plucked from nurturing soil and forced to rethink the notion of home.

Capturing time

This image from my 2008 Remnants series was created almost completely using gel transfers. I began the process by taking hundreds of photographs of the walls of old houses that were undergoing renovations. I then sorted the photographs into groups and created the transfers. The layering of the transfers was very effective in creating a similar texture to that found on the original walls. Once the composition was created, acrylic paint was used to enhance it. This series was a departure for me because it was created almost exclusively by layering transfers.


My new Reading a Garden series that I am currently working on is utilizing some photo transfers that are then being changed by painting to mimic the erosion that occurs in our memory. As time passes we forget many details and revamp the original image based on what is memorable or important to us. We remember interpretations not facts.


So I have revealed one full painting from my new series.