Ocean's Kiss, Sand Marks & Sandy Lines

Encaustic Photographs on

6x6 birch panel

Ocean Kiss

Sandy Markings

Sand Lines 
now for Sale on my UpBlog-
HERE

THREE TIMES

THREE TIMES MY LIFE HAS OPENED

Three times my life has opened.

Once, into darkness and rain.

Once, into what the body carries at all times within it and starts

to remember each time it enters the act of love.

Once, to the fire that holds all.

These three were not different.

You will recognize what I am saying or you will not.

But outside my window all day a maple has stepped from her leaves

like a woman in love with winter, dropping the colored silks.

Neither are we different in what we know.

There is a door. It opens. Then it is closed. But a slip of light 

stays, like a scrap of unreadable paper left on the floor,

or the one red leaf the snow releases in March.

Photo from http://www.nevacoloma.blogspot.com

from THE LIVES OF THE HEART by

JANE HIRSHFIELD

Why

Colors swirl behind

my eyelids and

I seek to meld my thoughts

on canvas.

To print the photographs

I see in my mind.

 to imagine.

Creating Thermal Fax Images using Photoshop Options

This post deals with several options to create the Black and White image you will need to create a Thermal Fax Silkscreen. 

Fiber sculpture by Anda Klancic

The best screens for thermal fax need to be created from photos that are pure black and white photos. 

The original image is first simply converted to a Black and White image. Go to Image>Adjustments >Black and White. I duplicated this image to use so I could retain the original Black and White image to return to to use again if I chose.

For the first option, I used Filters. Filter>Sketch>Stamp. This image resulted which could be used for a negative silkscreen. All the black areas would be burned. This is where the paint will be placed.

I prefer a positive image. To create this, go to Image.Adjustments.Invert. This will invert the colors so the subject in this photo is in black. The result is too thick, not detailed enough for what I had in mind.

As with most everything, there are different ways to do things. For above image, I returned to the original Black and White image and went to Image>Adjustments>Brightness/Contrast. A small window with a slider will pop up. I slid the brightness first to lighten the image, than the contrast to darken the subject. I needed to up contrast several times to get a high contrast or dark subject. I decided this image was too delicate.

For this final image, I again returned to the original Black and White Image. This time I went to Image>Adjustments>Curves. A pop up window will show a scale. I slid the small triangle to the right, while watching my image. When I saw the desired darken image, I went to Adjustments> Brightness/Contrast and upped the contrast to create a dark high contrast image. This highlites all the veins in the leaf that I found so attractive. Perfect! This result has the detail I want and is dark enough to create a great Thermal Fax SilkScreen!
Copy and paste image onto a letter size file with a 1/2" border. Repeat until you have 4 images on a letter size file.

Photography Inspirations

                 

Photo Shop Play

One of the things I like to do to relax is play with my photo's in Photo Shop. Here is the original image.

I overlaid the image with a photo of painted fabric. You can see tints of the color coming though.
Then I went to image> invert.
For this image, I copied and pasted in a new file, using sections of above photos. I did change the hue in the center image. Such fun!Try playing with your images. Just do it. If you're afraid of ruining your images, just make a copy first. Then see what those buttons in photo shop DO!

Trees to Poles

Taking photos has been an interest since I first laid my hands on a camera. I have shared some from time to time. Many influence my art viva composition, pattern and design. While others become the subject of work. They can be the entire piece or added with silkscreen or collage. And now one can take photos into Photoshop and do amazing things. A new way to create in the 21st century! For this work, called Trees To Poles, I used almost all these techniques. I layered these two photos, below, in Photoshop and used them as my Holographic Image insert. I collaged additional photo elements with painted and pieced fabric.  String was embedded in the layers, which was highlighted with paint sticks afterwards. The piece was finished with stitching.

Moon Fog

I just finished mounting a piece, an off spring of my Pages collage series. I really enjoy using my photography in my work viva printing, transfers or silkscreens. This is a really old photo from the 70's that I scanned and printed onto silk organza. It was fused with more dyed organza, painted stabilizer and scrim. I stitched into it and highlighted sections with copper paint stick. I decided black stitching would be too distracting to the dreamy mood. Any comments?

Pages, a new Collage Series

I just finished a new series of surface designed fabric collages. They are fused and stitched, then mounted to 6x6 artist canvas. The backs are covered and fitted with wire- ready for hanging. The stitching motif is a variation on a circle, so when purchased as a group or for display, they present as unified.

I am really seriously happy with the results and will probably continue.

I will place them on my Etsy shop very soon. 

I hope you like them too!

Defining Style

Before I Knew You 2008

I think artists find their style by following their heart or muse. Trying different medias may lead to a style or a style could be a combination of different medias with subject or color schemes as the unifying factor. I use lots of fabric painting and surface design in my pieces, including intuitive stitching.

I Came Singing   2008

 I also enjoy working with imagery in photoshop and printing on fabrics. I think when viewing my work that they come from one vision.

Its not the style that matters, it's the tapping into flow that takes you to your style.

Art from the heart.

Check out Fog Rising on the Textile Source Blog: Celebrating Textile Design and Innovation! Too very cool!