Decay Under a Bright Blue Sky / Homage to Fall

Decay under a bright blue sky / Homage to Fall
mixed-media on panel
2006
17" x 35"

This humble and poetic little piece is one of my favorite landscapes. It's part of a series I call The Perfect Fall.

I used a process similar to some of the dimensional aerial paintings where I draped panels with wood and paper. Here I draped vellum over wood panel and used pencil to make rubbings over the textured surface, which gave birth to the tree-like forms. Then I painted the sky with cerulean blue acrylic paint. The flatness of the blue paint offers a watery, sinking and sliding contrast to the spiked and desiccated wood forms below.

Landscape Action #3: The Perfect Fall

The Perfect Fall: After peak and on to loss

I photographed this Landscape Action in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee when I was living in that region. It is part of two other overlapping series: The Perfect Fall and Tourism and Tragedy

Leaf Angels in the Manner of Ana Mendieta: Ground

Leaf Angels in the Manner of Ana Mendieta: Ground
canvas, dye, fabric paint, wax, chalk
2006
3' x 4'

I dyed a mottled ground on raw canvas, then applied a beeswax resist by rubbing pebbled pavement and painting with a brush. I redyed it several times, removed the wax and brought out more definition with fabric paints. I chose fabric paints so the canvas would remain soft and pliable. I wanted the paint to meld with the fibers (as in dyeing processes) rather than just sit on top of them like a traditional painting.

Finally, I drew a chalk outline where the shadow of a figure is suggested and photographed it outside on the ground. Something intrigues me about returning art to a site of inspiration like this and then (re)photographing.

I use the word 'rephotographing' because this piece was inspired by photographs I took in the Smoky Mountains for the "Landscape Action," The Perfect Fall: After peak and on to loss. The Perfect Fall series overlaps with another series I call Tourism and Tragedy. The Ana Mendieta piece is a part of both series.