The Head Keeps Moving

mid week, last week, I started an observational self 

portrait. below are the 3 stages over a few days.

aluminum leaf and drawing media on canvas

12x14" copyright clarke 2015

gloucester ma

above blocking in the big shapes. the head caught 

between two gestures. I kept changing my mind.

midway, open mouth? closed mouth? where's

the center? lift the head, place it upon a column.

final. changed dynamic to finish, registering

the shock of losing Suzy. ambient light.

onwards,

deb.

Dirty Snow

Dirty Snow, a drawing. 12x14" on aluminum leaf on canvas.

copyright clarke 2015 gloucester ma

The snow is melting, turning dirty with the slow melt. Yesterday

I finally finished a drawing of the house up the hill after a long

winter of looking at it every day. Looks pretty simple; HAH! It

gave me a good work out. 

There is another canvas that is prepared with glare and aluminum

leaf. This morning's drawing will be this yellow house, again. The

house sold last fall. I had better have my visual say about this place

before the new owners move in and decide to paint it another color.

best and onward,

deb.

Artist on Art: Clarke on Fitz Henry Lane and William A. Ellwell

I repaired the box.  The glass is plexi, it is pitted, scratched with mildew stains.  the box lining is warped.  the posters continue to shrink.  the bottom was coming apart, i screwed it back together.  wiped off a crust of pollen and grime.  gave it a wash of slow set gilder's oil.  gave it a speed dry with the hot sun.  laid down aluminum leaf.  burnished the leaf to an almost hard tack (t?); rubbed in non oxidizing gold dust, light sipe with a milky tacky brush.  laid down more aluminum leaf.  inscribed sharpie drawing.  i saw the silhouette of gloucester in the leaf, then signed it.  one more burnish. done.  the only audience?  a man taking a deep lumbering nap on the rise behind me.

best,

deb.

Rusty Anchor jellyfish (wip)

Here's the orange jellyfish in process.  reverse glass with silver, aluminum, rusty egg tempera, etc.  in process.  if you click the pic you can see the grains of rust.  my friend Paul Frontiero reminds me that "rust never sleeps".  I wonder if this will develop a rust bloom.  very excited about this.  19x20".

best,

Deb

ps: this will be one of the works in progress that i will bring to the Cape Ann Museum for my demonstrations on March 31 and April 1.

Building the Empire Show: sneak peek 7

Transferring Hokkusai 'The  Great Wave".  4 panels complete.  Brother Mike notes the images get very dimensional when the voided space of the 8x8" stretchers is considered during the re-construction.  

copyright debbie clarke 2011

gloucester ma

vinyl transfer, packing tape, aluminum leaf, Kanku dye (non-edible, not for human consumption)

Building the Empire Show: sneak peek

#24 in progress.  idea for palimpsest in wax on shelf.

Debbie Clarke

The Empire Show

June 2011

Gloucester MA

artists, followers, friends:  do you share your works in progress on-line?  or do you only share completed work?  pros/cons.   

The WIP: shoes

another work from the archives. this time 2006. i was painting shoes. sold the companion to this a while back. offered this companion piece during the sidewalk sale for $150. i showed it to the owner of the other shoe painting. i said "it's not as good as yours" then put it away. and i was right, it is not as good as the one i sold; now it is better.

this is this morning's effort. waiting for the sun to move...it is too hot out there to work right now.

best,
deb

The WIP: Faces I Remember

two pics, same work.  top with white balance, bottom with automatic setting

My friend Paul Frontiero aka Capeannpainter recently posted about taking pictures of his artwork.  His issue is the photos lean towards blue.  One of his readers suggested he use the white balance feature.  I have never tried the white balance, so I did.  My simple $100 kodak digital has a white balance with three simple settings: daylight, florescent, tungsten.  I used the daylight setting, with close-up.  The white balance worked!  the top pic reads true.  I also tweeked the contrast a bit to get the pic closer to the drawing. 

 media for this face with no name (for now) is gesso, conte crayon and aluminum leaf on canvas, 14x16".  The composition is simply two shapes that i am in the process of complicating.  I use this same composition to start landscapes, standing figures, still life.     I have accumulated quite an inventory of these faces during the past three years.  some with names, some without.  This one has been on the drawing table for 3 weeks, and may or may not be done.

click the pics for close-ups.

best,

deb.

How to Draw, a figure drawing on aluminum

this is the completed drawing which was documented yesterday through picture posts on this blog and the youtube video.

copyright debbie clarke 2010
gloucester ma
marker, aluminum and silver leaf on shaped/incised aluminum flashing
$125

Monday: Metal Incised Torso, a dip (drawing in progress)

Torso, a dip (drawing in progress)
molded, incised aluminum panel
5x5"
gilded with aluminum and 925 silver leaf
copyright debbie clarke 2010
gloudester ma

comp4 zinc palimpsest

copyright clarke 2009

molded zinc with metal leaf and sharpie

Comp#2, a palimpsest

10x10x1.5" wax and aluminum leaf on canvas
copyright clarke, gloucester ma 2009

wip (work in progress): oncorhynchus nerka

that's my kitchen workspace above. below is the sockeye. aluminum and combination leaf on panel with oil and wax on reverse glass. detail below:

same painting with/without flash

oil and metal leaf on reverse and front of greenhouse glass panel. vacuum sealed with tar and aluminum liner. i've been trying to separate the liner, but the tar is stuck fast to the glass sandwich edges. i rarely leave my work in such an abstract state, but, this time i am. it is a heavy 47x30" piece of glass. the work can be framed or mounted directly to the wall with heavy mirror clips or brackets.

there might be fish...maybe not, then again, maybe

once again, whatever gives you and maybe a few others some joy, do it.

deb.

Work in Progress: Madame B. stage 2 and 3

Above is stage 2. the canvas is 30x32, mixed media with aluminum leaf, oil, egg tempera, chalk. this has been in the works for 2 years. I pulled it from the racks a month ago and started to rework it. Below is stage 3, as of yesterday afternoon. The values are very close, so i had to up the contrast and intensity, so that it would photograph. The work needs to be removed from the stretchers and re-stretched or placed on a board. The painting has been sanded and re-colored, the drawing refined. I am 'in-between' looking within, trying to determine if gold should be introduced.

My posts will continue to be intermittent. No internet at home, trying to live within a very tight budget. Until the next time the signal gods grant me some air time, dream some, write some, look some, paint or doodle or google or whatever fills you with joy, do it.

deb.

Work in Progress: Her shape

"her shape" 30x30"
copyright debbie clarke gloucester ma 2008
m/m: oil, chalk, foil, egg glue on canvas to be applied to panel.

The Trapper John, signed

It must be done; I signed it yesterday and put the painting in the stacks.
"The Trapper John" 30x32"
copyright debbie clarke 2008
egg tempera, chalk and metal leaf on canvas.

Progress Report: New Work, 1st and 2nd light

"Jahna's Chicken" 10x10"
egg tempera and silver leaf on panel
copyright debbie clarke 2008

"Elizabeth's Cardinal" 10x10"
egg tempera and silver leaf on panel
copyright debbie clarke 2008

Progress Report: The Trapper John and The Dog & I drawing

This drawing is done. needs to be sealed. then the final light will be applied. stay tuned.
"Trapper John and The Dog & I" 30x32" copyright debbie clarke 2008, gloucester ma. chalk, aluminum leaf, wax, sharpie on canvas.

Trapper John, work in progress, as of 9/01/2008