Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Reef of Norman's Woe


As previously mentioned, one of the things I got from the cruise was the desire to get back to doing something creative. I say get back to because I have at various times devoted myself, in a haphazard way, to writing and painting. And I do have a writing project, but it's not fun and I want to do something creative and enjoyable. I decided to try mixed-media--which I think suits me. Over the past week I've worked on three pieces. I've found the process absorbing, and yes, enjoyable. In fact I think I could really get into this. Here are my beginner pieces. (See how I trust you?)



This one is on 12' x 16" canvas board. I used watercolors, old prints, a postcard written in 1909, a page from a very old and tattered gardening book, a couple of floral prints, a paint color strip, assorted bits of paper and washi tape. You can click on the pictures for a closer look.


The next two are very simple.


This one is on a 5" x 7" canvas. I used watercolors, acrylics, and part of a poem by Lord Byron called Solitude.



This one is on canvas board. First I painted it with acrylics. Then I affixed an old postcard with washi tape. I like the contrast of the burgundy tape with all the blues and greens, but I'm not satisfied with how it looks. I need to find a better way to frame the postcard. Edited to add: In the Comments section Anne had the brilliant idea of using paper corners from photo albums to attach the postcard to the canvas. I am going to try that, and I've also decided that this piece isn't finished. I'm going to continue working on it.


The postcard has the most poetic caption: Reef of Norman's Woe, Gloucester Mass. Gloucester is a fishing town--the boats in A Perfect Storm left from there. The Reef of Norman's Woe evokes tragedy. Who was Norman? And isn't woe a wonderful word?

Jen

4 comments:

  1. beautiful colors and I love the mixed medias
    KAT

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Jen:
    We remember from Latin classes at school the expression Vae mihi [woe is me] and agree with you entirely that there is something rather wonderful about the mournful word 'woe'!

    However, there is absolutely nothing woeful about your most exciting and interesting collages which, as you suggest, do repay enlarging. You have used some very attractive paint colour mixes which, combined with other, different materials, have produced works which appear exceedingly tactile and which, taken individually, weave a multitude of tales. Thank you so much for allowing sight of your work. We very much hope that we shall see more in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love mixed media! The first one you've showed is esp interesting. I was thinking it could look cool to fasten the old postcard with those corner holders that you see in old photo albums...

    ReplyDelete