What was on the wall wednesday.

I have begun making sets of panel drawings that can be paired in different ways. This is the start. We'll see just how many I make and how many of them feel successful enough to add to a multipanel presentation.

My process allows each to be independent and I'm open to that always being the case. But the joining of many pieces that have a common criteria but are not made to BE together will make for an interesting result.

Looking forward to continue the drawing and see what develops.

Yesterday while I was making room to do some drawing on the wall I had to manage some framed work. I have some little niches ouside my studio where we gather and chat so I hung two there. These are from my measurement series on watercolor paper. Stop by and see them.

I really like them by the red chairs.

I just think I need to hang them a tad lower.

Working on these two new panels. Working dark earth. The image isn't the best.

Both drawings following the same rules as the twins before. Two 12 x 12 inch panels one drawing is made on a primed wood surface and the other on mounted watercolor paper. The panels have two tonal profiles. One is a wash the other a sold rich dense hue. The long lines have some very subtle moments due to my value choice. The shorts use a pearlescent ink which makes the texture directional.

These two pieces are hanging on the wall in my studio. Tomorrow I'll see what is next if anything.

Today I worked on this card to determine hue for the ink in my most recent drawings. I use this often when I work with new pigments and materials. I keep the cards sometimes with annotations for reference.

I look at the marks now and again just for the joy of it.

I've had to fight for time in the studio lately.

The good news is I'm getting there and I'm making drawings. I have a series of colored squares I have been working on. They can stand alone, work in tandem, or be arranged in groups in multiples of two. These are in a subset series of measurement drawings that are long and short.

This is what was on the wall last wednesday. I've drawn on a third square but I'm not sure that it is finished. I have a feeling that it is done but waiting is good for clarity. I have a studio day on Saturday so I'll be able to reassess. 

The short lines have begun.

In this group of drawings the short lines are made on watercolor paper mounted to a board. This is the first in the pair. The green feels like spring. Looking forward to what transpires as the marks continue.

Already the drawing appears differently based on the angle from which it is viewed.

The earth is so dark right now. Still moist from our most recent melted snow. Applying my dark earth color awakened the smell of the forest floor to me. Dark, covered with pine needles compressed by my boots.

This image shows the application of the dark earth.

One of the essential parts of making art is getting ready to make art. The rituals of opening new materials, sanding surfaces, applying sealers and grounds are all necessary to get in the art making state of mind.

I'm prepping two new panels for drawings. As with my previous drawings in this series one drawing will be made directly on the wood surface and the other will be made on watercolor paper mounted to the panel surface. To protect the paper from the wood surface it needs a gesso layer and a protective bonding agent.

A pair of my walnut missives will be included in Arbitrary Relevance a group show in our building's new gallery Ground Floor. The inaugural exhibition will present a tidy pile of small works by artists who work in 1241 Carpenter.

Excited about the new opportunities in the new exhibition space. I've included the names of the other confirmed participants. I hope you'll join me for the reception or during the gallery hours listed below.

More about my walnut missives >

Two drawings. It took me much longer than usual to make this pair.

They began as a pair from the very begining. I purchased the two panels at the same time. I unpacked them at the same time. I applied a drawing surface to them both at the same time.