There was another piece that was stalled so I decided to cut it into squares, finish each small square individually, and reassemble it. Here it is cut into 16 squares. You can see some of the gray acrylic wash that I began with, when I expected the finished work would be black and white (and gray).
I added color to all the small squares. It was different from doing ATCs because on some there were large parts that needed to be left white. Here are all the little pieces with color. So far so good.
Then I reassembled the pieces. At this point I discovered a few places I had forgotten. I tangled those, added white ink in a few places, darkened some areas, and added shading in colored pencil.
It wasn't thrilling me. Maybe I had already done too much black and gray before I cut it in pieces. Maybe I should have stuck with black and white. Maybe the gray wash was too much right from the beginning. Maybe I had, in the back of my mind, the idea that it would get put together again. In any case, I wasn't pleased.
Sooo, to the rescue: Artist Trading Cards! I found some sections I did like and cut them to ATC size. I had eight and mounted them on backing paper because they were rather floppy. Then I tangled the white parts and fine-tuned things. These I'm quite pleased with.
wb.jpg "Margaret Bremner (c)2014; enthusiasticartist.blogspot.com")
I like the finished squares. The color breathed around the squares. Your ATC cards are beautiful too I feel they both worked ... Of course the squares are no longer but they had a lightness to them I liked.Either way your use of color is breathtaking!
ReplyDeleteI like it. Wouldn't a quilt look beautiful like this? I have ATC cards stuck back too so maybe I will play with them also.
ReplyDeleteI like the ATC cards and I think it works because ot the tangled borders. And the rectangular shape and the different places of the circles put some energy to it.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think the circles being off centre adds some energy and interest. I often tend to do work that is very balanced and therefore tranquil, sometimes too much so!
DeleteThese are beautiful. The gray washes that you started out with have given me an idea - before I read that you had used a wash, I thought you had drawn over photos of urban construction sites - using the basic shapes as the string. Need to play with both of these ideas!
ReplyDeleteLaura, you might be interested in a very new book, "Real Life Strings". It's a book of simplified photos on good paper so you can tangle over the photos. I don't have one yet. See here: http://www.reallifestrings.com/
DeleteI do like the larger ones but maybe since there is so much in each square putting them together in an ensemble is overpowering. Having them as ATC cards breaks them up a little.
ReplyDeleteGood observation. I actually rather like(d) the small squares, but not when I put them all together again.
DeleteMargaret, it's always a treat to see what fabulous creativity you come up with, I think it looks great anyway you place them!!
ReplyDeleteWow, love how your mind works, your perseverance totally paid off in the end because I really like how those ATC's turned out!
ReplyDeleteThat was quite a process.....with lovely results.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like, in the final composition (ATC's mounted on black), the colors are more muted than colors in previous steps. Was that part of your 'fine tuning'?
To address your question: final composition works as ATC's randomly assembled because of the balance of symmetry and asymmetry. Orb shapes uniform, but more random when cut into ATC; stark white borders detracted from attempted cohesion of reassembled pattern; re-tangled borders in B & W calmed the composition, allowing patterns to gently meld; sharpness of uniform orb shapes diminished when allowed to freely bounce around in the final composition.
And I really do think that the muted tones of the final piece gives it an overall eye-soothing quality.
I love it!
Tricia, I didn't even notice the difference in color tones until you mentioned it! I think it may be my phone camera versus my scanner. And I agree, I think the random placement of the circles makes it more lively.
Delete......oh, yes, the black 'grout lines' do help the eye to relax and breathe as it travels from pattern to pattern.
ReplyDelete