Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Like Leaves on a Tree: Plenty of Ideas

Here you can see how my full sized plan is looking. The smaller rectangles will be the painted and beaded blocks for my Bead Journal Project. I haven't figured out what is going in all of my blocks yet and some I just haven't worked on the sketch for them yet. Each one will contain animals flowers or other things that have symbolic or personal meaning to represent who I am.

The ideas from this project have come fast and furious and part of the process has been to figure out which of the ideas I want to keep and which I want to save for later projects. My first idea for the collaged landscape was to use a collage of handwritten paper and then paint the landscape over it but I decided that I wanted to use some of the papers I had and make the basic landscape from them and then use painting to add depth and detail.




Changing my idea for the background led to changing how I was going to do the tree since I wanted to use fluid acrylics to paint with and they are somewhat translucent. Thus I needed to paint on something that would cover the landscape. My solution to that will be my next post and include working with another new technique for me.

The place where the most ideas have come and gone has been how to make leaves for the tree. I have gone through lots of ideas and I think many will end up in other tree related pieces. I considered carving my own stamps and using them, making leaves out of wire and fabric or paper, painting each leaf individually and collaging on punched out leaves. I am going to use painted fusible web for the background leaves and am working on my idea for the foreground leaves which I will add when I do the stitching on the landscape and tree.


I have included photos of some of my sketches of my blocks, I have not finished any of them and they will end up with added details. Other than working on the sketches and looking for beads for them I do not plan on starting them early. I will paint each one on the month I am going to use it unless I need to do any ahead if we are going to be moving or something and I will be without all of my supplies.

For the most recent photos of my project go to My Web Gallery or Artistic Kreations and Passions.

4 comments:

Brenda said...

I really like your tree. The different colors of the branches gives it such depth.

KV said...

Your process is fascinating. Are you using canvas for a background?


Kathy V in NM

Angela said...

Kathy- No the background of the collage is a poplin weight cotton and the tree is painted medium weight interfacing. Part of the reason that I am sharing my process is that I find following other peoples creative process fascinating. I love to see how different people approach making art. The sketch in this post is on graph paper.

Brenda- I needed to use different colors for the drawing so that I knew which branches were in front of the others. This will help me in upcoming steps (painting, adding leaves etc.)

-Angie

Robin said...

Bison, kit fox, turtle, mountain lion and bear... that's a powerful group of animal guides! Do you you consider one of them to be your primary totem animal? Your drawings are wonderful, Angie! I so look forward to seeing them develop!!!!!