This week I was ready to begin something new.
I’ve had a new series in mind for a while. I want to continue to develop the imagery of windows, but use it in some new ways. (My most recent body of work has been deeply in the world of storytelling. Now I want to explore windows and shapes differently.)
This is my first inspiration. It’s an interesting window I photographed on an old house in central Florida.
I have made photo transfers of this window, three in a row. Right away, something interesting happens. By repeating the image, it becomes both a window and a pattern. I can begin to think of the new work as composition.
Photo-transfers in progress, hanging out to dry after scrubbing off the paper
From the get-go, I just want to confess that I really struggle with value and hue. When I get the values right, I can tell. A composition will just “pop.” When I don’t get the values right, it’s just hard to make the piece come alive.
I understand value easily in black and white. Easy. White is lightest. Grey is middle value. Black is darkest. Got it.
But, if I cam going to work in colors, it’s harder. Blue can be dark or light. When blue is next to yellow, which is stronger? Darker? Lighter? There are lots of variables.
So, for this new work I’m trying to spend some time in the value-thinking stage.
Here’s a little mock-up I did of the work in PhotoShop. I’ve imported the actual windows, and they are in the right size proportion to the finished work. (This piece will be about 36”H x 47”W)
The window is the only thing, so far, that’s real. All the other parts will not be solids, and may not be the colors shown. At this point, I just want a composition that will bring attention to the windows and provide strong contrasts.
One way to see values is to convert colors to black and white. My Photoshop mock-up does not have much vibrant color in it anyway. But, when I convert it to black and white I can tell if I still have a good pattern and strong contrasts
So far, I think I’m headed in a good direction.
I have kept this paper mock-up pinned to my easel this week as I’ve begun to print fabrics. It serves as a size pattern, so I know how much I need to create of each fabric I have in mind. And, as I mix up the colors and decide on the imagery for each section, I can compare it to the other sections, trying to keep true to my value pattern.
Here are some parts hanging on my easel this afternoon.
More to come! I will be working on this piece for a while.
Meanwhile, I’ve created a few paper collages, just to keep things fresh. (And because it helps me to have some “Done!” projects in the midst of longer term projects.) Here is a close-up of “Dignifying the Moment.”
This is an abstract landscape with a large heron centered in the scene. I enjoyed creating a feel of water alongside other pattern in this work. I mixed up rice paper, sheer fabric and muslin.
If you’d like to see the whole work – as well as other recent collages – please visit the Wednesday Collage Gallery on my website, HERE.
Thank you for reading. I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi
bobbi@bobbibaughstudio.com
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