Friday, May 21, 2010

"La Nouvelle Orleans", Continued..... (and Welcomes!)

So, how do you sort leaves and keep them in place? The ubiquitous foam plate with double stick tape on it! I had certain ones that needed to stay sorted from the rest that I had on the table, there was a fair amount of fitting to see what worked and I carefully stuck them to the underside of the plate, which proved to be a great way to manage them! (because even if it got knocked off the table....not that THAT would happen in this clean studio.....haha.....)


I had found an old engraving in one of my numerous files of all things New Orleans, and printed it out in sepia onto tracing paper. Actually, I printed a couple until I had one that fit precisely and allowed some of the unique characteristics of the gesso to show through. I did not change the size of the printed pieces much, but there was a world of difference when placed atop the circle.
Originally, I had planned for an image that was perfectly centered, but St. Louis Cathedral was off center in this piece, and it meant I was going to have to consider some shifts from my original vision.
I did color the piece with prisma color pencils and part was on the back, and highlights on the front.


This is a close up of the paperclay Fleurs after the paint, gilding and crackle coat had dried. Still, it was brighter than I felt they should be, sooooo.......


I coated them with a very thin layer of the soft black paint and immediately rubbed it off. Now they appeared aged, as the rest of the piece would be as it moved forward. I apologize for the quality of this photo; for whatever reason the auto-focus did not like the crackle finish.....go figure......


And here I have laid out the paperclay elements (to get an idea of how much more color the background would require) and I have also torn the edges of the tracing paper print, laid it where I wanted it and it is ready to be applied with heavy gel medium. Using the heavy with tracing paper allows for less wrinkling of the paper due to the smaller amount of liquid in the medium itself. Using a soft gel would have produced many wrinkles.


The background color has been intensified, as with the color in the circle. The image is now adhered, has a few paint highlights here and there, and I mixed some budgie grit with heavy medium for the texture in the corners, which also holds the paperclay pieces firmly in place. Normally I would use Golden's Pumice medium for this, but what I had left had dried, and being the impatient sort, I figured budgie grit would work as well.....and it DID. (and it saves me from having to purchase another product!)


This gives a better idea of the rough texture in the corners, and you can also see the depth of subtle colorwashes on the background. I assure you, there are many layers on there. I like bringing the color up slowly until it is *just right*.
Also, it is easy to see how the torn edges of the paper blend gently into the blue background.
The next installment will show the medium in the corners dried and painted.....
It's just like a soap opera...you don't get it all at once! I have to drag it out some! (so I can get the work done and the photos taken! LOL!!!)
And though this is at the bottom of the post, there are new WELCOMES on the followers list and I am delighted to have you here! Good golly, I am getting sooo close to 100 people....
I never would have dreamed.
Thanks to you all for reading and keeping me writing.
I bid you.....

Pax.

36 comments:

Silke Powers said...

Oh, I am fascinated and inspired by your process of creating this gorgeous piece of art! I already love and can't wait to see what else you will do!! Happy Friday!!! Love, Silke

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Thanks Silke!

I was working on this post so late last evening I wondered if anything would make sense! And as I joked, Blogger did not self-publish it! LOL!!! (it must have heard me....)
Hoping to get some studio time today; yesterday was toast.

XXOO!!
Anne

yoborobo said...

Anne - you are the Texture Queen. You need a crown. Textured, of course. This is beautiful! And I love the corners, with the crackle and the grit, and then all the lovely layers of colors. :) As for Blogger, last night it wouldn't let me put pictures in my post, well, at least it said it couldn't, but then it DID! lol! You just never know with old B. Have a great weekend! xoxox

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Pam you're right. I DO need a crown! I had thought of making one but kept putting it off. It would say "Queen of Procrastination"!!!! LOL!!!
I was tinkering with Live Writer and when I sent the pics over to blogger, they were all in the wrong place, so I then REDID the whole mess in Blogger.
I can not win.

XXOO!!
Anne

marianne said...

yay! love it! i am getting so excited to go to no next feb! one question on the tracing paper- do you spray with some sort of varnish? i experimented with it but the medium makes the ink runny- even from the trusty epson..... maybe it's the cheao tracing paper.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Marianne, make sure and ise workable fixative on both sides of the paper. I use the CHEAPEST tracing paper. I found it is better than what I ordered that is more expensive. You just have to seal both sides, as the paper is thin.

XXOO!!
Anne

angela recada said...

It's wonderful to see your process. This piece is going to be absolutely beautiful! I recently used bits of tracing paper in an acrylic painting, too, and absolutely loved the way it looked. Working in mixed media is so much fun!

I hope you have a lovely weekend!
Hugs and love,
xoxoxo
Angela

audrey said...

WOW!! This is looking GOOD, Anne!! It is going to be fabulous, just like all your art! I am thoroughly enjoying the process come to life!
♥ audrey

Anonymous said...

Well Anne I am reading with jaw hanging down to my chest. You are so amazing. I know there are things like this out there but to have someone demonstrate and show step by step is wonderful. thanks so much for sharing your amazing talent.
QMM

studio lolo said...

Wonerful progress!
I learn something new here every day :)

And I'm happy to be one of the new followers.♥

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Angela,

Isn't tracing paper amazing??? And the cheap stuff seems to work the best, which is the first time I have lucked out that way!
I love mixed media; I wish I had more hours in the day to work on it---I could stay in the studio FOR EVER.

XXOO!!
Anne

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi Audrey,

Glad you're emjoying it. I am soooo anxious to get it done but know I need to SLOW DOWN and THINK. Or I will have a less than delightful result. LOL!!!

XXOO!!
Anne

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi QMM,

You know, my way of doing this is only ONE way. It seems every mixed media artist has their own little methods and tips; some are so totally different than mine that I can't quite grasp them.
I just try and focus on what I am doing so that my work *looks* like me. a particular style.
And I hope people can get something out of a post that helps them.

XXOO!!
Anne

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Lolo,

Glad to have you here!!! :)
Wait till the leaves go on....

XXOO!!
Anne

kj said...

well, i know (and love) two of those new followers! and i expect after falling in love with and then falling to the floor with hilarity from your emily poems, there will be others! :0)

anne, holy moley batman. (or is it holy toledo?). this process is very interesting. for me, thank you for explaining your process so well. i'm thrilled that i can follow it. you build excitement to see the final result.

so do you want to be crowned? arrangements can be made. prudie1 and prudie2 have collaboration written all over them.

love love anne
kj

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Well good lord, KJ, of COURSE I want to be crowned! LOL!!
I'm shy and demure and have loads of humility.
Because I have never used any of it. AH-HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! :D

XXOO!!
Anne

chickory said...

i absolutely love process posts. thank you for sharing. have you ever tried making a transfer with golden medium gel? you have to do it with a print by laser...you obviously flip your image in photoshop so that when it prints it is correct,,,but you coat the printed image with the gel and put it onto the surface and rub it on. when it dries, you seal it. I love the Golden line of stuff: pumice, tar gel and crackle paste are KILLER. i love where you are with this piece, look forward to seeing more. happy weekend!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi Chickory,

My ability to do an image transfer is somewhere in the *challenged* range! I have had one turn out in my life. And then I don't stick with it long enough to learn, but it is *on my list*.
Golden just SO ROCKS. Their products are amazing. Really, a person could have little skill or training and still make interesting art with their plethora of gels, etc.
LOVE them all!

XXOO!!
Anne

Jan said...

Anne, thanks for sharing so generously your process. It is like standing over your shoulder, watching. Except in fast motion, of course. I realize all these things take days to accomplish, what with all the impatient patience required for drying time. It is all worth it, this is coming along fantastic!!

Jan said...

P.S. congratulations on your new followers. Wow, you will be at 100 in no time!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Jan, you know what my level of patience is, so it makes it all the funnier for me to have to wait!
It is still humid, even with the A/C and dehumidifier going, and makes it all seem slooooooooower!
LOL!!!!

XXOO!!
Anne

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Oh....actually I *FEEL* like I am 100 right now....oy!
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

XXOO!!
Anne

Tristan Robin said...

this is stunning.

I want it

LOL

you're really the technique queen!!!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Oooooooo Tristan!
"Techni-Queen".....even better! I like that! LOL!!!
Wait till you see the next few steps, which realistically, may not get on here till Monday.
I have to do some more work and get some more pics! :)

XXOO!!
Anne

*Ulrike* said...

I knew that would be perfect for a photo! That is going to be gorgeous!! Stop on by if you get a chance as I am having a giveaway!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi Ulrike,

On my way over NOW!!!! :)

XXOO!!
Anne

Unknown said...

holy smokes Anne!!! this is gorgeous!!! wow!!!!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Thanks Diana,

Been trying to get to your blog--I seem to have trouble with some blog pages loading....gonna give it another try today!

XXOO!!
Anne

Alexandra MacVean said...

You always amaze me with your texture and mixed media ideas. I wish I were as creative as you!! :)

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Sophia, the one thing I have learned, ad let me say this has been over MANY YEARS (haha!) is that creativity is an outlook. It is looking at the common and saying *What if...?*. It is a learned view. You ARE creative, but you will find you develop your own style. And that is good because it lets us all have more options and visual stimulus.
I firmly believe everyone has a certain amount of creativity born in them, waiting to be nourished and coaxed into full bloom. I do think some of the schools do a poor job of it, and certain pockets of America seem to diminish the innate value of creativity.
Do not ever underestimate yourself!!! :)

XXOO!!
Anne

Vicki~TheMiddleSister said...

Such an interesting process. Budgie grit...love it!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Vicki,

You don't think I would actually use the Budgie Grit for the BIRDS, now, do you???? LOL!!!

XXOO!!
Anne

Marie S said...

Wow wow wow!! This just keeps getting better and better.
I like the fleurs even more now too!
Good job you!!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

It is always fun to see the pieces change and begin to properly fit together like a good puzzle!
And, Marie, it's always a little fun to shock the viewers, who don't suspect what the HECK I am doing next! LOL!!

XXOO!!
Anne

Serena Lewis said...

I am thoroughly enjoying the process of this piece, Anne. The image fits perfectly! :)

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi Serena,

Thanks! I continue to find it amazing, for as long as I have done this, how much difference a tiny bit of sizing makes in the finished work.
Am excited to get it all done! :)

XXOO!!
Anne

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