The Shadow Boxes THE I&O GLASS WORKS

In the few years prior to our move to Paducah, I began creating shadow box constructions, an understandable extension of my interest in model railroading.  I ended up making 12  boxes over a period of 4-5 years. As expected, several were based on railroad themes, and many of them were whimsical in nature.  Today I am posting the first of a series  devoted to celebrating the American entrepreneurial spirit.

 I & O Glass works 

The Insufferable and Obnoxious Glass Works is one of my favorites, and to fully appreciate it you have to read the signage.  It measures approximately 20x26x4", has an open front, and has a light behind the valance.

ONE SUBJECT - THREE PAINTINGS

It was so much fun I did it again...and again.

#1  Pastel and ink

#2 Mixed media

#3 Pastel

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

What began as an attempt to create some storage space for recent paintings soon turned into a major task of re-organizing not one shelf, but the entire storage unit.  In the process I uncovered several paintings that had "slipped from my mind" over the years. (that sounds so much better than "forgot".)

Intensely Orange  Oil pastel on clay print 14x30"

Storm Clouds  pastel  13x25"

Brilliant Trees  mixed media  13x25"

All 3 of these paintings are available - price on request.

 

The daily dose of art MORE FAVORITES -MIXED MEDIA

I don't know whether to call this piece a construction or collage.  It was my first effort, and I think my best, at creating something using various scraps of wood, plastic, and metal, as well as acrylic paints and pastels.  I was an avid model railroader before moving to Paducah and had an abundant supply of scale lumber and sheets of scale metal siding and roofing at my disposal.  I used everything in this piece.

One More Time  Mixed media  24x36"  Framed and under glass

Price in request

The daily dose of art MIXED MEDIA

Autumn trees #1 and 2 

A combination of encaustic and pastel on clay mono types.

The daily dose of art WASTE NOT

When working with the clay it is easy to quickly accumulate dozens of prints in a matter of one or two days, many of which do not deserve to be made public.  Over time I have learned to use them as background support for small drawings and paintings, usually done with pastel, ink, or acrylic.  Most of these are small, usually less than 12x12".  Here is a sampling of these "enhanced clay prints":

Autumn Barn  6x4

Purple and Green  6x4

Tuscany on clay  6x12

The daily dose of art WITHOUT RHYME OR REASON

Today's theme is "Scattered".

PENCIL DRAWING

ACRYLIC LANDSCAPE

MIXED MEDIA DRAWING

WATERCOLOR

The daily dose of architecture A FEED MILL IN ELMER NJ

This has to be one of the most fascinating commercial structures I've encountered.  Even in its curren abandoned state the marvelous texture, asymetry, and clutter is obvious.  Each side of this building is completely different from the others.  It has been the focus of my paintings on several occasions.

Pastel - ink

Mixed media

  

Pastel

The daily dose of art SUNDAY STRANGENESS

Among all of the landscapes, barns, and urban architecture are a series of rather strange pieces of art that I must take responsibility for.  They can be found tucked away, out of sight, in various hidden corners in my studio.  Although I cannot "explain" them, and have serious doubts about their validity, I can't bring myself to toss them out.  Instead I keep them around as a reminder for I don't know what.

The daily dose of art ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS

I have no idea what prompted me to create these mixed media drawings on clay prints.  What ever it was resulted in several dozen of these drawings that I have elected to call "architectural drawings".
The lines and "do-dads" were created with ink, markers, and pastel pencils.  Except for the large framed drawing shown below, they have never been exhibited, and have spent their entire life in one of my file drawers in the gallery.

Drawing #9  15x12

Drawing #11   9x15

Tic Toc  42x24

They were fun to do and I never tire of looking at them.  I really should do more and even think about getting them out of the file drawer.

The daily dose of art CONSTRUCTIONS OR COLLAGE?

When we moved to Paducah I had to dismantle a rather extensive model RR layout that I spent years creating.  It came down in a day.  After packing up all the trains I was left with assorted tools and supplies, including a lot of scale lumber and other building materials.which I quickly put to use creating a series of architectural collages or constructions.  I'm not sure which is the more apt name to give them.  They are fun to create, using a variety of mediums in the process: acrylics, pastel, ink, and of course the scale lumber and metal siding.

pCopper Landscape  approximately 14x16"

Over the Top   18x12"

Waiting  25x26"

THE DAILY INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPE #10 ELMER NJ

Elmer New Jersey is one of the many small farming communities scattered through the state's "deep south".  This village, which I always found difficult to take seriously because of its name, is 15 miles from my home town, and for years I drove through the town on my way to Wilmington, Philadelphia, or anywhere west of our farm.

It took 40 years for me to discover, to my utter amazement and delight, Elmer's incredible architectural gem, a worn out and fading grain elevator located only blocks from its small main street, and towering over everything else in the vicinity.  It did not take long before it showed up on my drawing table, not just once, but three times.

the first time - pastel and ink

second time - construction

third time - pastel

THE DAILY INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPE #3

About 15 years ago I created a series of Shadow Box industrial landscapes with a painted background  - acrylic, pastel, clay mono type, alone or combined.  The foregrounds were composed of leftover model railroad cars and other paraphenalia.  (Model railroaders are notorious for hoarding all sorts of "stuff" that might be used in the miniature worlds they create.)

Yes, they are a lot of fun to make, and yes, they leave a mess in the studio because you end up using every tool and every art supply imaginable.  But they are worth the effort and the mess.

THE DAILY URBAN LANDSCAPE #38 The delightful towns of Italy

It was bound to happen.  There is no way I could post just two paintings from Italy, and move on to other places.  I'm hooked, which means the Daily Urban Landscapes will now be coming to you from the "old country".  Most of the paintings are mixed media drawings - pen, ink, markers, and acrylic - on clay mono types printed on assorted fabrics and paper.

 Dinning out in Castellini in Chianti in Tuscany

Via Garibaldi in Parma

THE DAILY URBAN LANDSCAPE #23 PARMA ITALY

Today's UL will take us all the way to Parma Italy, and the lovely Via Garibaldi. 

Via Garibaldi

Mixed media

20x30"

Price on request

ON THE EASEL

The once grand and elegant Irving Cobb Hotel (now apartments) on Paducah's Broadway, is now sitting on my easel.

Rendered primarily in watercolor, with s bit of ink and acrylic, it measures 30x22".

FAVORITES #2 Grain Elevator or Feed Mill?

This structure sits one block from the main street in the small town of Elmer, in southern New Jersey, surrounded by small crop farms and dairy farms.  I am fascinated by its clutter, texture, and seemingly totally incoherent architecture and it has been the subject of several pastel paintings.  Every side of the building is totally different from the others.  My favorite rendering, one that I include in this series of "my favorite works", is this construction done in 2004.

The list of materials used includes acrylic, pastel, ink, scale model building supplies, and miscellaneous gadgets and gizmos lying around the studio.

I'm often asked what my favorite medium is, and I say "the one I'm working with".  But for pure fun, nothing comes close to working on these constructions.

Here are 2 other renderings of the subject:

Pastel and ink - 30x20

Pastel - 30x20

THE DAILY DEAL #2

Today's deal is an 8x10 mixed media - an enhanced clay monotype on paper mounted on a cradled panel.

Clay landscape #21 with 3 Trees

mixed media on 8x10 panel

$60.00 plus $10 S&H

Payment options:

1.     Personal check to Gallery 5 at 803 Madison St. Paducah KY 42001

2.     Call me at 270-366-2837 with credit card info

3.     I will email you an invoice via Paypal

4.     Pay at the gallery if you are in Paducah

Pastels and the clay mono type - the process

 

The clay mono-type is a variation of the traditional mono-type techniqu

A slab of stoneware clay 3/4 to 1 inch thick is pressed into a firm framed base mounted on a solid support table or bench.  The surface is smoothed and leveled with the edges of the frame and is allowed to dry overnight to a “leather hard” consistency.  There is no “correct” size: it can be small and portable or permanently situated in the studio.  This clay base will act as the “plate” in the creation of the monotype.  My current clay plate is 30x40” and was created in 2002.  By keeping it covered with wet paper and plastic drapes it will last indefinitely.

Mixing water and kaolin powder in a blender to a light pancake batter consistency produces liquid clay known as slip; several coats are then brushed onto the clay slab.  This slip also becomes the “paint” by the addition of pure pigments, dry or liquid, and is used to create the image by its application to the clay slab.  The final result is a flat slab of clay in which the image is imbedded. 

clay plate with completed image

A moistened support, fabric or paper, is placed on top of the clay and pressure is applied using a roller or brayer.  The support becomes impregnated with a thin layer of the clay resulting in a transfer of the image.

The clay print

The resulting one of kind images have characteristics unlike those produced by any other method.  The variety of techniques that can be used in this process is limited only by the imagination and curiosity of the artist.

All the materials used in this process are archival and the pigments share the same light fastness as other tradition pigments.  The finished print can be framed under glass, or given a protective coat of varnish and stretched over a canvas stretcher.

Because this process does not allow me to obtain the detail and the control I need for my architectural subjects I began adding pastels to the process.  At first they were used to enhance and refine the image, but later assumed a more primary role, with the clay print serving more as an under-painting or background.  When using pastels I create the print on a fabric ground, usually an industrial fabric called Reemay, or on Pellon interfacing, available at fabric stores. 

Tuscan landscape - pastel on clay mono type  12x32

 I also use the clay print as a background for mixed media drawings with ink, markers, and acrylic, as well as pastel. 

Greve in Tuscany - mixed media drawing on clay mono type

BARN OF THE DAY 42

 

Autumn Barn

Mixed Media24x24"

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