Art Renewal Center, International Salon, 2012 Results Are In!

I'm so pleased to announce that Ode to Melancholy has won a Chairman's Prize in this competition and The Three Fates was named a finalist.

The show is a wonderful collection of realist artists so be prepared to spend a long time enjoying the work on the site! Art Renewal Center International Salon 2012

The Mariner, The Incognito Project

Got a new one finished. This is a painting of my daughter's boyfriend. One of his favorite pieces of literature is the epic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner written by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1798.

The Mariner, The Incognito Project, 8x8, oil on panel

Will is a Florida native and loves being near water. He was on a local row crew for years and is restoring an old sailboat. Currently he is a bit of a fish out of water since he is living in Alabama, to be near my daughter, and going to school. But that's what The Incognito Project is all about, revealing or disguising something about the sitter.

I was not familiar with the poem and enjoyed doing a little research about it. There are several sayings in our common speech that come from the poem. When the crew is becalmed:

Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.


Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.

Gustave Dore

As penance for shooting the albatross, (which may or may not have brought the crew good luck followed by bad luck) the Mariner, driven by guilt, is forced to wander the earth, tell his story, and teach a lesson to those he meets:

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.

Gustave Dore

I was enjoying these engravings, by Gustave Dore, that were published in a version of the poem in 1876 according to Wiki. The artists name was familiar to me, finally I realized that he did one of my favorite paintings in The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA.

Gustave Dore, The Neophyte (First Experience of the Monastery), 1866-1868,  57"x107"

I love this painting! The young boy's haunted face, the lighting and Dore's expressive brush work make this one a show stopper. 

This is the statue of the Ancient Mariner at Watchet, Somerset, England. The statue was unveiled in September 2003, as a tribute to Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The sculptor was Alan B Herriot of Penicuik, Scotland.

And that's how a really quick post to introduce a new painting can result in a couple hours surfing the the internet and finding out cool stuff :)

Professor Rattus and Her Royal Court, A New Incognito Project Painting

Sitting all alone in my studio, smiling like crazy, that's what I've been up to as I worked on this painting. It's my daughter's alter-ego personality created for The Incognito Project portrait series. Meet Carly's pet fancy rats, Queenie on the left and Duchess on the right. The costume and personae are her own devices.

Professor Rattus and Her Royal Court, 24x18, oil on panel

This painting reminds me of what I love about this project. All things are possible when we put on different hats, as if we are still trying to decide what we want to be when we grow up. All things are possible in a world of imagination, even one where you have magical devices and adorable furry minions to do your bidding.

Carly is an illustrator, loves furry critters, owning them and drawing them. In fact Queenie and Duchess  came to live with Carly when her previous small, furry critter, a chinese hamster, Sunshine died. Sunshine is the star of Carly's children's book, Sunshine's Night Out. 


Sunshine's Night Out is available for purchase on Amazon. I think it's only a matter of time till Queenie and Duchess are too immortalized in a children's book.

This painting has a Steampunk attitude about it. Steampunk as an aesthetic movement refers to art, speculative fiction or a certain science fiction, music, or fashion that emphasizes technology from the Victorian era. For it's history think HG Wells, Mark Twain, Mary Shelley and Jules Verne. One of the earliest manifestations was the TV show from the 60's The Wild Wild West.

It's a fantastical view of the world as if the past were imagining a future using technology from the Victorian era. Examples of movies that have a Steampunk attitude are Steamboy, Wild Wild West, City of Lost Children, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.


More info about fancy rats, (Rattus Norvegius), and the Steampunk aesthetic, Carly Strickland Art, and Carly's blog where she shares book reviews, views on pop cult and society and her illustration process. Here's a link to previous posts about The Incognito Project.

Against a Sea of Troubles, The Incognito Project

I just finished a new painting for my Incognito Project. We knew all along knew that my son was born to wear armor. As a child he was fascinated with the medieval period and his favorite stories were those involving knights, the chivalric code and King Arthur. At one point his nickname was Sir Kyle of Crocksley, since his favorite stuffed animal was a crocodile named Crock. We called a neighborhood friend Lady Katie,  you get the picture. So it was no surprise when he chose to be a knight for his alter-ego portrait for my Incognito Project. 

When I rented costumes, for the photo shoot for this series, from a local  university theater department, they let me roam the wardrobe rooms to select what I would need. I was thrilled to find this very authentic looking armor, complete with rust and dents, as if it had been through battle. The sword is one from Kyle's personal collection.

"Against a Sea of Troubles, The Incognito Project", 20x16,  oil on panel

"Against a Sea of Troubles, The Incognito Project",  detail

"Against a Sea of Troubles, The Incognito Project",  detail

"Against a Sea of Troubles, The Incognito Project",  detail

Here is a painting I like by Eleanor Fortesque Brickdale, it's an illustration from The Book of Old English Songs and Ballads. She had a career of some breadth as an artist. She was considered a Pre-Raphaelite painter; interesting because she was a woman, and because she came late for the Pre-Raphaelites (she was born in 1872). Hence she is credited with reviving that style in the late 19th century. She had the skill to do large oils (often of medieval or moral themes), colored book illustration, and watercolor. Eventually she even designed for stained glass. She continued working until she had a stroke in 1938, and died in London in 1945.

And while we are on the subject, here are a few Waterhouse paintings that I consider inspirational for your viewing pleasure!

"Dame Sans Merci",  1893

"Lamia", 1905

"Jason and Media", 1907

"Tristan and Isolde",  1916

From Wiki: The legend of Tristan and Isolde is an influential romance and tragedy, retold in numerous sources with as many variations. The tragic story is of the adulterous love between the Cornish knight Tristan (Tristram) and the Irish princess Iseult (Isolde, Yseult, etc.).

The narrative predates and most likely influenced theArthurian romance of Lancelot and Guinevere, and has had a substantial impact onWestern art, the idea of romantic love and literature since it first appeared in the 12th century. While the details of the story differ from one author to another, the overall plot structure remains much the same.

See all posts with The Incognito Project label. The book is available through Amazon.

How to Build a Floating Shadow Box Frame or A Labor of Love - Part 2 of 2

Today's post is part 2 by my guest writer and hubby, Dan, who builds my frames. Enjoy his how-to!

In Part 1, I went over selecting lumber, securing the rails to the sides, cutting, and gluing the whole thing together.

After taking the frame out of the clamps, I sand the corners. How much sanding (planing etc) is necessary depends on how well the gluing went. I level the top and bottom and sand until the two sides meet exactly at the corner. I put a couple of screws in each corner to strengthen the joint. I prefer to screw from the top and bottom, relative to how the frame will hang, so the plugs don't show. I mark my two spots 3/4" from the top and bottom and 5/8" from the corner. I made a pencil jig to speed things up.

Then I pre-drill and countersink. Note that I have the drill at a slight angle because of where the mark is. This is so the screw's further from the corner where there's more wood. I use #6 1 1/4" screws. Countersink deep enough for the plugs to have something to glue to, but not too deep. You might want to practice on some scrap.

I use some scrap from the end of the same board and cut plugs for each hole. Put glue around the end of the plug and tap into place. Remember to use stainable glue if the piece is to be stained. Wipe off the excess glue.

When dry, I cut off the the ends of the plugs with a flush cut saw.

At this point, I pre-mount the canvas or panel so that Terry can start on the piece when she's ready (and make sure it fits. I built one the wrong size once). I wedge the canvas into place, drill through the underside of the rails into the wood of the canvas or panel edge and screw into place with the appropriate length screws. Then take it back out, and mark the canvas and the frame (I notch the frame since paint covers up a pencil mark) so you know which way to put it when mounting the finished piece. Pre-mounting keeps me from having to hold down the freshly finished piece. When the painting is finally ready for mounting I position it carefully and the screws "find" the holes, drawing the canvas down without touching the surface to hold it.

I flip the frame over and spray the back with matte black. Keep the spray can inside the perimeter of the frame. A little over-spray swirls around and gets on the sides but sanding takes it off. If you prefer you can hand paint the back after the varnish.

Now comes lots of sanding... Progressively finer grits: 80, 120, 150, and 220. Don't skip any if you want a nice finish. When I think it's done I take the 220 and round the edges very slightly so they are not so fragile. Clean it up good with a compressor if you have one and a clean cloth with denatured alcohol on it. Wipping with alcohol also gives you an idea what the piece will look like finished and sometimes exposes spots that need more sanding.


I finish with Tung Oil. I use small squares of clean cloth to rub it on and disposable nitrile gloves so there is no clean up. (Just toss the cloth. I hate clean up). After two coats I sand lightly with 320. If you stain the frame use EXTREME caution with the sandpaper. If you sand the stain off a spot or an edge you will be… Annoyed >:/ trust me.


I apply once or twice a day until I like the finish, sanding at least once more before the final coat. Rubbing on the Tung Oil very thinly takes a lot of coats (8-12) to finish but each coat doesn't take long with no clean up and I don't have so much problem with drips on the vertical surfaces like it did with everything else I tried. 

I hand paint the inside with semi-gloss black.

Screw "D" rings to the back and wire with stainless steel mirror wire because they are a bit heavy. Add felt dots to the corners so the black paint does mar the wall.

Example of a Red Oak frame with the painting mounted. Note that with the wire mounted on the recessed rails, the top of the frame does not hang off the wall like most frames.

Enjoy!

Tools:

• Parallel frame clamps and blocks: Bessey version at Rockler
• Plug cutter 3/8": Plug Cutter set at Rockler
• Flush cut saw - Stanley 20-331 - Amazon or Home Depot
• Clamps -  the one handed pistol grip kind are handy so you can hold things in position. Like these: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=30241&site=ROCKLER or Irwin Quick-Grip
• Counter Sink bit: Countersink bit from Rockler
• Screws - #6  Square-X Drive Lube Finished Screws
• Sander - I use a standard 1/4 sheet sander.
• Miter saw - precise cuts are critical
• Variable speed Drill
• Wood Glue - have the right kind for your project
• Sand paper - Grits: 80, 120, 150, 220, 320
• Tung Oil - Minwax Home Depot
• Assorted common hand tools: Tape measure, ruler, hammer, center punch, square, pencil.
• Other tools that sometimes come in handy: block plane, wood chisels

How to Build a Floating Shadow Box Frame or A Labor of Love - Part 1 of 2

Surprise this week, I have a guest writer.

My husband, Dan, framer extraordinaire, has documented his process for you. I thought my collectors would enjoy knowing what goes into the frames, and some ambitious and handy art types might want a step-by-step guide. We call the frames a Labor of Love, (you'll see why). Dan has been asked many times to build them for other artists and he says they couldn't pay him enough. Part 2 will be published in next Tuesday's post.

Dan working his magic in the basement. Mad Science, 19x24, oil on canvas over panel

Hit it Dan:

I first got into the frame building business because of Terry's vision for the Awakening Series was a sort of modern reflection of Gothic altarpieces. Not something you can find at the art supply store.
See: Awakening Gallery and Blogpost about Awakening series

When she began working in traditional rectangular shapes she was looking to frame her pieces in a way that bridges the gap between traditional wood framing and the modern minimalist aesthetic. She also did not want the edges of the painting touching the frame. The answer we came up with is the floating frame that Terry is using on many of her works. Terry paints on cradled panels or canvas stretched over hollow core doors cut to size (another post perhaps). The painting rests on a rail and is screwed down from the back. Only the back of the painting touches the frame. I have been told my frames are more like furniture than picture frames. I think they add to the monumental quality of Terry's paintings.

Frames (with some pretty nice paintings)

Robert Lange Studios, "Women Painting Women" exhibition, Nov 2010

I have built somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 of these frames over the years, so Terry thought that it would be good to share how it's done. At the bottom is a tool list with some information about tools that most people might not have.

I start with selecting lumber. For the sides (the part that shows), I mostly use 1" by 4" Poplar because it's easy to get, light, and easy to work with. With this design the frames dimensions are 2" larger than the artwork. If the frame is too big to get from a single board, I get two pieces that match as closely as possible, looking for interesting (and simular) grain. The straighter and cleaner the boards, the easier it will be, so if the wood doesn't look that good, I try somewhere else. When using two boards I try to get opposite sides out of each board. For the side rails I use  1" x 2" pine if I can find straight ones. Sometimes I get nice 1 x 4s and spit it on the table saw.

Note my nice large work table. It's a sheet of 3/4" MDF covered with a sheet of 3/4" plywood. I cover it with brown paper (comes in a roll from the Home Depot paint department) so that the glue, paint, stain, varnish, etc. does not build up on the table surface or have to be scraped off. I just peel it off and put down new paper between projects or whenever I need a clean surface.

Now I glue the 1 x 2 rails to the sides. Make sure the side board is lying flat. If you are not careful you can glue a curve into a nice straight board. The objective is to have the surface of the artwork float 1/4" below the edge of the frame, so attach the rail the appropriate distance from the top edge. Place a bead of glue along one edge of each rail, position carefully and clamp about every 18 inches (more or less depending on how tightly the boards are meeting. When you're done, check it again. Sometimes the boards move as you clamp elsewhere. Wipe off excess glue. Let it dry at least an hour before unclamping.

Cut the sides to length with 45º angles (my saw locks precisely at 45) using a miter saw, exactly 2" larger than the artwork. This makes the gap between the art work and the sides 1/4". It is very important that they be exactly the same length with precisely cut angles. Clean any sawdust off the base before positioning the board. Make sure the piece is flat and tight up against the back of the base of the saw.

I put a screw at each end of the rails to make sure the glue joint never comes apart. Chose a screw length and countersink depth to get the screw 1/2" into the side rail. I like square drive or torx screws. They don't slip like phillips do.

I use a Bessey parallel clamp system. It was a lot more difficult when I first tried to do these with regular pipe clamps. I position the blocks and clamps and make sure they are square.

Generously smear glue on both ends of each board as you add them to the rig. Use stainable glue if you are going to stain it. End joints suck up a lot of glue, it's messy but don't be stingy. You don't want a dry joint, ;)= dude. I use little plastic spring clamps to help hold the joints in place while I get all the boards placed.

When all the boards are in place, slowly and carefully tighten the clamps, keeping all the corners level, and meeting precisely at the corners. Wipe as much excess glue as possible and check it again! Sometimes the joints creep. It is more important that the sides meet nicely than the rails. Sometimes the lower of the two clamps doesn't push the top of a joint together perfectly, so it's good to have some extra clamps you can put across the top. Check that the sides are parallel and frame is square. If not, do whatever it takes to get it close anyway (this is always a good occasion for colorful language). If the wood is straight, you have cut accurately and joints have come together nicely, this is (almost) never a problem.

I let them dry in the clamps about 2 hours. Below is a nice joint, fresh out of the clamps.

Next time on Part 2 I will finish the project.

Tools:

• Parallel frame clamps and blocks: Bessey version at Rockler
• Plug cutter 3/8": Plug Cutter set at Rockler
• Flush cut saw - Stanley 20-331 - Amazon or Home Depot
• Clamps -  the one handed pistol grip kind are handy so you can hold things in position. Like these: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=30241&site=ROCKLER or Irwin Quick-Grip
• Counter Sink bit: Countersink bit from Rockler
• Screws - #6  Square-X Drive Lube Finished Screws
• Sander - I use a standard 1/4 sheet sander.
• Miter saw - precise cuts are critical
• Variable speed Drill
• Wood Glue - have the right kind for your project
• Sand paper - Grits: 80, 120, 150, 220, 320
• Tung Oil - Minwax Home Depot
• Assorted common hand tools: Tape measure, ruler, hammer, center punch, square, pencil.
• Other tools that sometimes come in handy: block plane, wood chisels