BIG FISH! up close and personal

detail of the blue-faced cichlid.  the original is on display at 100 Centennial Drive, Peabody.  image is close to actual size.  gold, silver leaf, oil paint on linen.

copyright clarke
2011
gloucester ma

USA residents:  make a $50 donation through my paypal to this site and receive a signed 8x10 epsom color print of this detail image.

Bruce Jackson, Australian Glass artist

Eucalypt Forest, verre eglomise, precious metal alloys
posted with permission of the artist/copyright owner
Bruce Jackson, Australia

I discovered Bruce's work on the web yesterday and with his permission have added a link to his site. First, the work is absolutely amazing, the play of the metals and the light must be incredible to live with. The fine artist has taken an old world craft technique and turned it to his use to create sculptural paintings. This is a swatch for kitchen backsplashes! backsplashes! this work belongs on museum walls. one of the drawbacks to doing private work, for private installations is that the work gets seen by very few. Bruce has solved this by sharing his vast visual inventory and knowledge with the world through his site. If you are interested in verre eglomise, and reverse glass with a contemporary twist, you gotta check out his work!
the title of this post is clickable to his site.
best,
deb.

St. Peter's Thumbprint

St. Peter's Thumbprint

24x36"

copyright clarke 2009

gloucester ma

2 panes of off-set cold glass with stretched canvas mount

verre eglomise, hand silvered mirror, gold leaf, oil, sharpie marker, tape

dedicated to the memory of my friend Captain Eddie Lima, from whom I first learned of

St. Peter's thumbprint.

The WIP (work in progress): Hake panel 4 continues

I have added gold leaf to the front and gilded the panel behind the glass with aluminum leaf. refined the drawing, pretty near done.

The WIP (work in progress): Hake panels

above: panel 3, gold leaf and sharpie on reverse
glass with canvas backing


above : Panel 2: sharpie with silver leaf on reverse
glass backed with oil on canvas



above: panel 1, sharpie and oil on reverse
glass with combination leaf, backed with
oil on canvas

These are for a commission. The commissioner will get first pick of 3 or 4 or 5 or...I'm on a roll and I am working. These are 24x36" and I keep getting more ideas.

best to all,
deb.

Emily 2008

"Emily 2008"

8x8" oil and combination leaf on canvas

copyright 2008 debbie clarke

gloucester ma

Domenique 2008

"Domenique 2008"

8x8" comination leaf on oil on canvas

copyright debbie clarke 2008

Gloucester MA

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.

Her Shape Too (23k gold leaf and chalk on panel)

just finished. 12x12" panel
under 2 light sources, without flash:



with flash:

Composition Leaf Sculptured drawing (her shape present state)

This is the present state of the drawing known as "her shape". The canvas is resized 22x22". This jpeg taken under natural light and a long exposure. The values are close in pink and gold hues.

same work under flash reveals the subtle modelling of the underlayers and the burnishing tool marks.

detail, raised the contrast and brightness to reveal yet another view of the ever-changing surface. these foil works seem to continually change as the light plays upon the surface. sometimes sculptural, sometimes flat, sometimes blindingly bright.





and one more to show the everchanging light and surface. the painting goes from gold to pink to green, to blue, it all depends on the surroundings.

23K highlight is all that is needed before signature.


as always,
continue to do that which gives you and others some joy.
deb.

i replied.

and i should have shown them that one.
and elizabeth said i should hang that one.

David said: Why didn't you show them this one?

...oh, he means the one on the right.

Ferrini Mirror progress report

ferrini is coming into relief. all of the words have died down, now all there is when i work is the landscape of his visage, the materials at hand. i have run out of gold leaf. i have run out of silver leaf. i now work with what i have left of the aluminum leaf and some indigo colors.

and this brings me to my favorite Thurber response to his editor's request for a progress report on his writing: 'well, i have drunk up all of the rum.'

Foiled Oils: Self Portraits 2007

this 20x20" self portrait gives me peace:



This is large 40x60"(?), another self portrait. I keep thinking about going back into it and introducing color, as well as, defining the features:


The following image is about the same size as the one above, another self-portrait that carries the same nagging feeling about going back into it:


The media is oil on linen with gold, silver, aluminum and combination leaf. These back-lit self portraits carry a retinal memory of The Revenant painting and drawings by Andrew Wyeth. I saw the work in one of the comprehensive catalogues of his work and have never been able to rid myself of his shadow when doing self portraits.