Monday, May 31, 2010

Planning. These are the tools that generally go into planning a piece, sketch books, pencils, compasses and a ruler.
I generally end up using more than one sketch book when planning a piece, and the original idea is quite often in my journal.
When using sacred geometry and the orthagons a compass and ruler are the most important tools; even if a piece is not overtly geometric, the structure and composition underneath usually is.

Thursday, May 27, 2010


Quatrefoil
Watercolor
9X9in
2010
Series: Eternal Round

Quatrefoils always remind me of art history and this; that doesn't influence the meaning but it's something I associate with the shape.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Geometric designs are so versatile and beautiful.


Watercolor
2009
Series: Rose Windows

Wednesday, May 19, 2010


Detail of larger image
Pencil
2010
Series: Choices

Monday, May 17, 2010


Sea of Glass II
Sumi-e ink
9X9in
2009
Series: Mysteries

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

I've been told that the checkerboard between black and white represents choosing between good and evil. There's a compass rose to help navigate the choices.


Compass Rose
Watercolor
6X6in
2010
Series: Choices

Friday, May 7, 2010

When I researched bees I found the suggestion that a swarm of bees was more like an individual with the bees being the cells, very thought provoking. In this piece I drew all the components of the swarm: the queen, drones, and workers. The bees all make up the swarm or the hive and in a way it's like a puzzle, all the pieces are needed to make up the whole.

The Swarm
Watercolor and Pen and Ink
9X9in
2009
Series: Bees

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Tools of the Trade: Watercolor

Here's what's going on in my studio.

Right now I'm mainly working on watercolors and these are the "tools" I use.

Arches Watercolor Blocks, I can't tell you how nice it was to find that there was an alternative to taping down your own watercolor paper or not taping down your own paper and having it buckle. Watercolor blocks are pads of prestreched paper and Arches is some of the best watercolor paper I know of.

Windsor Newton Series 7 sable brushes; it took a long time for me to accept that I could make better work with quality materials. It seems natural now that poor quality materials will not make something high quality just through sheer artistic talent, that if you want to make something great it seems only right to start out with quality.


Another wonderful type of brush is a Hake (pronounced ha-ke); Windsor Newton Series 7 brushes are wonderful, but they are also expensive (justifiably so) and more than that, if you want a very large brush there is not only a large price but a waiting list; hake brushes are another solution to the problem. Hake are Japanese brushes made of soft natural hairs and are much more affordable.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Today I've been looking at the art of Laurie Lisonbee and I've been really impressed. I would be interested in measuring out her work and disceting it, if you will, and seeing if she uses any orthagons in her work. I love that she uses gold leaf on pannel.