Beneath the Surface

I have been accepted to a juried invitational exhibit by the Dinner at Eight Artists. They will present Beneath the Surface, a special exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA - July 22-25th at the Long Beach Convention Center.

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Shaking the Tree of Imagination Statement

In the artistic process, I discover more techniques, and inspirations along the way. This leads to more discoveries, an evolution. I make the art and then the art makes me. Each work is individual and a communication between my inner imagination and later, the viewer. This communication is the dream, wish and hope for my artwork.

I am a process person. My process is fed by my love of being outdoors. I’m passionate about coming up with ideas and working out the kinks. It speaks to me. Part of that process is photography. I can see the most exquisite scenes or combinations of patterns and want to share that beauty. My art represents these moments. They are what lie beneath. I bring them back to share, to remember, to remind. These moments become my source, my well. This is when inspiration strikes, allowing thoughts percolate up from the unconscious and become my art, or poetry or prayers.

Layers peeled back reveal the source, the inspiration, and my mad desire to capture thoughts, dreams and the beauty of nature.

Process

I made Shaking the Tree of Imagination for the Beneath the Surface Invitational by the Dinner at Eight Artists. I decided I wanted to explore my current interest in Photographic manipulation. The layering techniques I use in this process seemed suited to the theme.

I layered 3 photographs together to merge as one. The photograph started out as image from a walk taken in my local area’s forest. This is often the first layer to my artwork. The idea becomes reality though the process of my art, the inspiration. That is how the title of the work came to be Shaking the Tree of Imagination.

The other two photographs in this layering process were images of my painted fabric. This provides a rich source of color that can influence and change the final result, the digital layer. The photographs were divided on the computer into sections and printed using an Epson 2400 onto pre-treated inkjet cotton broadcloth. They were assembled on batting, cut apart and physically collaged. This was another layer, the physical. I printed 3 more sections on silk organza and fused those to the piece. Each section was creatively stitched with a spontaneous design. I added metallic paint accents, drawn with a fine nozzle bottle. The final pieces were mounted on a hand painted backing of cotton duck.

The piece was drawn from the imagination, layered digitally, printed, layered physically and then collaged.