Evolving Art – Harmony

Evolving Art is a new series documenting the evolution of my mixed media paintings from beginning to end. I'm so happy to share this with you.

HARMONY – a woman sits quietly, her thoughts alive bursting with emotion, remembering, feeling uncertain. But on the surface she appears calm. Sadness mixes with peacefulness.  She is not alone.

[ Harmony – 2013 ]

[ My inspiration board/ collection for this piece ]

[ Typography papers I created from my bio, to be ripped and cut and used in the painting ]

[ Laying down my first layers of paper and fabric with gel medium, on a cradled wood panel – a range of business papers, typography and patterned papers I made, a sewing pattern, some handmade cotton paper, a scrap from a soap package, and fabric from a discard bin ]

[ Adding paint with a brayer and fingers ] 

[ Standing back, deciding which sketch to use ]

[ My choice: this sketch I did last fall ]

[ Transferring my sketch onto my cradled wood panel. I used art transfer paper for this. It can be easier than freehand drawing on rough surfaces ]

 [ Ready to paint ]

[ Painting with acrylics, first layer ]

[ Filling in her hair with a black pitt pen - these are a recent discovery for me and I love them ]

[ Adding another layer of paint to her face and body. Giving her nice rosy cheeks. And using my pitt pen to enhance her eyes and add dramatic hair — which is a metaphor for her swirling thoughts ]

[ Using grey pitt pens to layer more into her hair, smudging with my fingers to create texture. Using white rollerball pens to add doodles and scratches. And using green and blue shades to fill in her loyal perched friend ]

[ Final enhancement of features with black pitt pen ]

[ My finished piece displayed along with two others painted at the same time. Left to Right: harmony, winter, surfacing ]

Harmony
18" x 24"
Mixed media on cradled wood panel
© Ginger Deverell 2013

It's wonderful to share with you. Prints and greeting card sets are available in my little shop.

In Flow

Happy New Year friends. I'm a believer in documenting our journeys. Over the holidays my creative journey was in full swing – I was in flow. You know that magical amazing state of focus and fluidity. I'm sharing some shots...

 

xo

Solo Retreat

[ harmony, winter, surfacing — solo retreat 2013 ]

I've been doubting who I am lately. Feeling stuck in fear, and holding back. After a challenging stretch I decided to embark on a 3 day intensive solo retreat (thank you generous husband for making the space for me to do this). I didn't find all the answers, but I (re) learned that everything I need is within me. I journaled, read, and spent most of my time in the studio. I practiced following my art curiosities to see where they would take me, and worked on letting go of the rules and dialogues that keep me working only in the safe zone.

Here is some of the creativity that tumbled and bumped and poured out of me. I'm fragile, but my heart is open.

[ birds & harmony — solo retreat 2013 ] 

[ pair of birds — solo retreat 2013 ] 

[ winter – solo retreat 2013 ] 

[ surfacing - solo retreat 2013 ]

[ treasure boxes, crackle paint experiment — solo retreat 2013 ]

[ typpography paper experiment, using words from my bio ]

[ geli print-making experiment, using only found materials from around the house and my own hand-carved stamps to create textures ]

[ considering sketches from throughout the year, and pairing with backgrounds already in progress or making new backgrounds ]

[ using up my in-progress backgrounds – making room for fresh starts! ]

[ this is the card I drew on the first eve of my solo retreat. the universe answered my call ]

Fixated on the need to have something to show for our labors, we often deny our curiosities. Every time we do this, we are blocked.
—Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way

with love,

p.s. New series Evolving Art starting soon – I'll share pictures of the evolution of paintings from beginning to end. These new pieces will be the first ones shown. I hope you'll come back to see.