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Friday, August 16, 2013

Branching Out

My main medium to work in right now is fabric.  But as an artist, I don't think we should be limited by or to our medium.  Alexander Calder may be best known for his sculptures and mobiles.  But did you know he also did paintings, drawings, prints, jewelry and set design?

Over the years I have tried different media and, more recently, I am really enjoying all the printmaking workshops I have been taking at Wingtip press.  Wingtip press is located in the Creative Access Art Center building downtown that also houses Idaho Parents Unlimited.

CAAC will be holding a special fundraising art event in October.  They are asking artists to submit artwork on a 12" x 12" wooden panel (provided by them) for an auction.  I was trying to decide if I wanted to participate or not.  But I just couldn't resist the smooth wooden panel just waiting to be made into art.

After getting the board, I thought the easiest thing to do would be to attach one of my 12" x 12" fabric pieces that I already had made.  But that would cover up the panel.  Then, I thought I would do a painting on it (haven't done painting in a long time but it has been on my mind lately).

But instead I "branched" out and did something different instead.

A Nod to AG
birch bark and branches on wood panel
12" x 12"
©2013 Lisa Flowers Ross
Will be available at the CAAC Art for Art: A Night on the Boardwalk event

Since a nasty virus has been slowing me down the last week and a half, I have been taking some time during the day to rest.  One of those days, I was looking at one of my art books on Andy Goldsworthy, an artist who works with nature.

Later, I went outside and picked up some of the pieces of bark that our birch trees shed, along with some branches.  Back inside I started playing and this is what I came up with - a very minimal piece.  It is all coated and sealed with matte medium.

I like the colors and the lines in the bark.  There is one little line on the wood panel in the lower left corner that echoes the lines in the bark.  I didn't see it until after I was done.

I think I need to make another one because this would look great in my kitchen.

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