Tuesday, June 28, 2011

paint failure



the acrlic layer failed. i was able to peel it off to the canvas. it tore the silver leaf. why? i sealed the drawing with egg yolk. egg yolk layers will accept thin oil layers, as well as, additional egg yolk layers. for up to 6 months. acrylic must be kept below the egg yolk layers: fat over lean.

either it's time for me to mix up some egg tempera or pull out the oils. either way it is time to paint. and the failure of these paint layers have a lot of potential.

best,
deb.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Summer Time!


it's official, sometime this afternoon the sun will hit its northern zenith, then start heading south.  the primroses have infiltrated the garden.  i always think of the yellow blaze in my grandmother's garden when these bloom.  the plants in my garden from nana's:  primrose, creeping veronica (some call this a weed), sedum, phlox, bee balm.  all carefully collected, planted and moved from one garden to another over these past 30 years.  the veronica was collected three years ago from a crack in the sidewalk of a house i lived in when i was 20.  noticed that it has vanished from that particular house, it thrives here!

best to you, enjoy your solistice fire!  i sure will.

deb.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Red Chair, a palimpsest progression

 June 12


June 19

June 20, 2011

Progress report.  This little red chair always gives me a workout; sharing some growing pains. Perspective is a challenge as most of the planes are fairly close to, but not quite parallel to my eye level.  why do i put myself through the struggle of understanding?   to make sure my skills are intact, to go someplace i have not been before, to feel the unfulfilled desire of the visual potential, submersion/merging with  the object of desire,  and then?  eventually an inner sounding of 'it is!' happens.  then i will stop and the work will 'be' of itself.

best,
deb

ps:  no oil paint: chalk, gesso, egg, water, aluminum gild.  

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Fax Holiday!


My daughter Elizabeth Bollenberg plays in this band.  They are performing tonight at Tommy Doyle's in Harvard Square, Cambridge 9pm
My eb plays the harp and violin.
following is the link if you care to listen.  I think her strings are sweet.

best,
deb

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Rainy Day Studio

 
this is my little red chair, the subject of many drawings.  sat in it when i was wee,  still use it to sit upon, and observe it through my hands and eyes from time to time.  32x44", a beginning.  greek keys and french curves are my favorite way to travel through complicated visual data. chalk on unprimed canvas.  will add gesso as needed, maybe not, may seal the chalk with egg yolk and move onto another one.  i have plenty of canvas.  if i seal this work, i can take it off the stretcher, roll it up, then stretch another drawing surface.
here's my observational reference.  for many of my training years, i was training my hand to follow my eye.  it has become so intuitive that i now find my hand instructing my eye where to go.  very interesting change of view point.  the drawing becomes a record of my experience of moving through space with eye, hand, body.  an inner sounding happens.

best,
deb

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Summer Studio: a beginning


Here's the set-up, palimpsest on gessoed canvas 26x26" .  that's Capt Joe's in the background.  again the geometry confounds me.  thought to give it a try, but...

the light was shining through the canvas.  turned the canvas and did this instead.  says it all. now what do i do?  go find some more stretchers.

have a stretch of good hot summer weather setting in.  better go to the art supply and get some stretchers.

best,
deb.

ps:  there's an intimation of Heasley's house on the upper left.  and how could i ignore that big tree?  easy...i just didn't see it until the end.

Monday, June 6, 2011

variation on a curtain


western window.  cripple cove, glosta ma.  copyright deb clarke 2011 digital print.

Art Seen on Main Street

Debbie Clarke's leaf work drawings quietly speak for themselves.








the reflection is so strong.  the visual distortions interest me.

best,
deb clarke

foil works on stretchers copyright clarke 2011 gloucester ma