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

Peabody Historical Society & Museum: Historic Interpretation

If you click the title you will be taken to the Peabody Historical Society's site with further information on location, show dates, etc.


There are three of my reverse glass paintings in this show, and they are for sale. Previous entries detail the progress of the work, to see the finale, you must go to the museum. The following 4 works are donated for the raffle. All proceeds to benefit the museum. There is a lot of great work in this show, and the venue is charming with a warm grandparent's home kind of feel.

"Peabody Historical Society's B&W Bath"

18x20", unframed, reverse glass

"An Elephant in the Room"

20x20" mixed media on canvas

"An American Collection"

12x12" reverse glass with metal leaf

"the Things We Keep"

10x10" mixed media, antique lace

a copy of my blurb to accompany my work.

Dear Heather (Lovell curator PHS&M),

Here's the info for the work I will deliver on Saturday sometime between 4 and 5.

1. "An Elephant in the Room": mixed media on canvas, 2009, 20x20"
2. "What we Keep": old lace mixed media, 2009, 10x10"
3. "Peabody Historical B&W Bathroom" verre eglomise mixed media, 2009, 18x20"
4: "An American Collection, artist on art" verre eglomise mixed media, 2009, 12x12"

short bio:

Debbie Clarke works in her kitchen studio in East Gloucester. A life long artist, she began her studies at age 13, in exchange for modeling for his classes, with landscape painter Ken Gore in his East Gloucester studio. A graduate of The Art Institute of Boston '77. Debbie was a founding memeber of Gloucester's longest running artist's cooperative "Local Colors. She taught hundreds of students the art of drawing through her studio/gallery on Lexington Avenue in Magnolia, which ran for 10 years. Her work is in many local and international private and public collections, most notably "The Species", 7 reverse glass paintings of fish at The Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester MA. She is a self representing artist who works regularly on a commissioned basis to manifest the visions of her patrons.

The work produced for the Peabody Historical Society's Historic Interpretation Show has allowed Debbie to work outside of her usual focus on fish and expand her visual language through her discovery of the common ties of 'objects' that define an American legacy: cups, dishes, chairs, lace, etc.

Heather, I would also like to add how important local historical societies are to the communities they represent. As a child I lived for a few years behind the Wenham Museum. For a few pennies donation they regularly allowed me into their museum to spend somewhat unspervised time looking at their doll collection and I explored the world through their stereographs. Seeing the American flag in your society reminded me of the Betsy Ross doll that was (perhaps still is) the centerpiece of their doll collection. and later The Cape Ann Museum (then historical society) and Judith Sargeant Murray House opened my eyes to the reality of how the world literally touched our shores and that the objects of the refined became objects of emulation which defined and represented the cultured mind. I was a religious educator at The Independent Christian Church Unitarian Universalist for 15 years. As I went through your collection it suddenly struck me that every object, and wall paper could be used in a home environment to introduce young minds to the greater world.

Gloucester's Block Party and What I Did.

The window.

The painting

The artist in front of Bananas

Palimsest: The Peabody Historical Society, historic interpretation

18x20" glass with paint, with foiled panel.

copyright clarke 2009

gloucester ma

Historic Interpretation: AA BB Chair Reel

Two views, same painting, under different light sources. "The face we love the best" (paraphrase Leonardo) becomes incorporated into the glass artwork, as the viewer can see their own reflection in the glass. The artwork constantly changes.

copyright clarke 2009 gloucester ma

clicking the title will bring one to Peabody Historical show that this work is for. My work will be in part 2 opening in August.

Blackie and Wilson

Algae Bloom. Time for a water change, the increased oxygen makes Blackie go dormant. When the weather is warmer, Blackie will go outside to live in a fish pond. We have had a good winter together.

The WIP (work in progress): The Wedding Reel

This is a detail showing the willow ware detail. the glass is backed with a gilded/painted panel. This is my interpretation in response to the collection of The Peabody Historical Society. This year they invited artists to create new work inspired by their historic collection. I have completed one study, and this painting, which is near completion. I have one more idea for the show, then off to the framers. My work will appear in the second have of the show (the first opens this weekend) with an opening in August, showing through September.

clicking the title above will take you to the site of the historicals current exhibitions

The WIP (work in progress): The Wedding Reel

this will show at The Peabody Historical Society & Museum, Peabody MA

August 15-October 18, 2009

The WIP (work in progress): an american portrait

study for new work that will show at the Peabody Historical Society August/Sept 2009.

Hake with study

another. Done.

copyright clarke 2009, gloucester ma

oil with gold leaf in reverse glass with panel backing

Done

the button spelled done. and you know what? i think this one is. It is "Female Sockeye" (fresh water (spawning) color on top, salt water color on bottom.

copyright: clarke 2009, gloucester ma

oil with metal leaf on reverse with panel backing.

St Anthony preached and the fish danced

panel 5 (salmon) is on the work table. that's silver leaf, aluminum leaf in the orange 'books' and the gelatin slurry (used to attach the leaf to the glass) in the aluminum pot. this panel is 'this far' (about a scooch) from finish.

i lift the glass, place the gild, look at the work, refine the leaf. this part of the work goes slowly. the fun part is coming up with the design. this takes a few days to do. then the tedious work of gilding, sanding, scraping, re-drawing, re-painting brings the work to conclusion. this part can take weeks, sometimes months to do.

the salmon was started a few months ago.

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:

Frank, my life long mentor

Frank was my high school art teacher. He didn't teach me about drawing or painting (although he eventually did because we had a life long relationship) he met me from the very beginning as artist-to-artist. He knew I was an artist. He knew I would find the teachers I needed to learn drawing, painting, color. What he did for me was to show me there was a way to be an artist in this world, and be true to me "Debbie Clarke" as an artist. He counseled me to find ways to work to support my art through other venues. I gave Frank a show a few years back and we managed to cover his art career in my few short walls. No more words right now. In this photo I think the flowers have become Frank.

The wip (work in progress): panel 4 detail: Merluccius Bilinearis

Sharpie, oil and foil on reverse glass, 23k slow set gold leaf gild on front of glass panel. detail.

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) panel 2 continues

In the big pic you can see my reflection in the mirrored sections.

The wip (work in progress)

This is panel 4 of hake (whiting)

24x36"

sharpie on reverse glass with chalk on panel backing

The yellow shapes are slow set gilder's oil. The tack is almost ready to accept the gold leaf. I need to hear the 'hard knock, with a slight hard tack' to get a lustrous almost mirrored sheen.

Business update: Debbie Clarke art coach! Completed one session, a second session purchased. This is sort of a pay as you go mentoring program beyond art 101.

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.

Julia 2008

"Julia" a drawing
12x12" oil and combination leaf on canvas
copyright 2008
gloucester ma
debbie clarke

Sockeye (work in progress)

Sockeye Salmon, oil and foil on reverse glass

the big movements are down, now to refine the details of the frenzied run to spawn.

the glass is leaning against my refrigerator door. the glass is so hard to photo. like the bowl on the floor providing a sense of scale.

What a wonderful gift!

"Woman Adrift"

watercolor copyright Howard Kline 2008

Cambria CA

www.HowardKline.com

I love the feet!

Hello Chris! Hello Howard!

My friends Chris Barton and Howard Kline, formerly of Rockport MA, relocated to Cambria California at the turn of the millenium. I miss them. Howard was and is one of my art buddies. We have had an on-going art conversation for about 20+ years. We used to go to the Boston galleries and museums to see the work of new and old masters. I miss those visits, but we continue our conversations through emails and the web.

I just received a recent picture that I may use for reference in one of my 'folk i remember' drawings.

Howard's work can be found at
http://www.howardkline.com/. There is a link to his site under my 'other places' titled Cambria CA: Howard Kline art

"The Species" permanent collection of The Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester MA

copyright 1995debbie clarkegloucester ma
This is the view from the second floor elevator. to the right is the entry to the Maritime Exhibits. to the left is the stairway to the 3rd floor with the special exhibitions, the contemporary collection. To the left is an overview into the Graham Gund designed atrium, with Walker Hancock, George Demetrios and Charles Manship. The Walker Hancock basketball players are on the ground level. The model would become an Essex cop and my youngest sister's paramour for a few years. My drawing teacher Andy McMillan studied with Demetrios and his wife Virginia Lee Burton. Manship designed the gold statue at Rockefeller Center. The Folly Cove Designers are displayed in the Auditorium. My grandmother made me a shirtwaist circle dress from those fabrics. I wore the dress in the forth and fifth grade. A Max Kuehne silver gilded desk is in an alcove at the top of the stairs. and The next big painting is of five little girls dancing in a field. American Impressionst 1908. In 2003 I sat with one of these girls, Mrs. R, when Mrs. R. was 98 years old. I was her companion for a few hot summer weeks. We sat on her porch and watched the sea. she said to me "Ah, there she is Beauty! and that is Maize"
(I think i am the first woman artist entered into the fairly new contemporary collection. Sharon Worley was the curator that asked me if I would provide visuals for a rather dry show about scientific side of the industry. Nubar Alexanian's b&w photos provided other visuals. The museum could not secure the use of photos of the individual species. They asked for illustrations: I gave them these fish.
oh, and downstairs in the Captain's house is that 'other painter of light' Fitz Henry Lane. This beautiful little museum holds the largest collection of Lane's paintings. I can see the 'Stone Jug' from here. my mother lived over there before Urban Renewal took all of Pugh Court and left the artist's studio standing.
This is the second referral from the museum in 3 months. Very interesting. I must go to the museum soon and take a look at my work.
(secretly i call this series 'bait' with gladness and humor. I have been commissioned by a private collector to do 'fish' painting. They have admired this work at the museum for years and have decided they would like to own one.)

Jim Dine Hot Dreams at PACEWILDENSTEIN

It takes a lot of work to make 52 Books!

Waxed Mirror Drawing

The Waxed Mirror

wax, bevelled mirror, gold leaf, silver leaf, pigment, light

This mirror was completed three or four years ago. It is never really finished and it is always finished in its light changes effected by, the atmosphere, the viewer, the surroundings. each time i photograph it a new work appears that will only ever exist as a digital memory. and this one is quite painterly.

copyright debbie clarke 2008, gloucester ma

Katy 2008

"Katy 2008"

10x10" oil and composition leaf on canvas

copyright debbie clarke 2008

gloucester ma

Wendy 2008

"Wendy 2008"

8x10" oil and combination leaf on linen

copyright 2008 debbie clarke

gloucester ma

Nina 2008

"Nina 2008"

8x8" oil and combination leaf on canvas

copyright 2008 debbie clarke

gloucester ma

David 2008

"David 2008"

8x8" oil and combination leaf on canvas

copyright 2008 debbie clarke

gloucester ma

Linda 2008

"Linda 2008"
8x8" oil and combination leaf on canvas
copyright 2008 debbie clarke
gloucester ma

Carolyn 2008

"Carolyn 2008"

10x10" oil and combination leaf on canvas

copyright debbie clarke 2008

gloucester ma

Karen 2008

"Karen 2008"

8x8" oil and combination leaf on canvas

copyright debbie clarke 2008

gloucester ma

Holly 2008

"Holly 2008"

10x10" oil and combination leaf on canvas

copyright debbie clarke 2008

gloucester ma

Natasha 2008

"Natasha 2008"

8x10" oil and combination leaf on linen

copyright debbie clarke 2008

gloucester ma

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

Katherine 2008

"Katherine 2008"

10x12" combination leaf and oil on linen

copyright debbie clarke

gloucester ma 2008

Stephanie 2008

"Stephanie 2008" 8x10"
incised drawing in oil and combination leaf on linen
copyright debbie clarke
gloucester ma 2008

in this series of small gilded panels i am drawing from the memory of faces stored somewhere in my brain as a visual memory. i do not know the names of the faces i am drawing, when i draw these images. the names come to me slowly, then all-at-once. aha! this is Stephanie. the panels are small, about life size.

Hello. I cut my hair today.

Sometimes when I try to document my artwork, I find my own reflection. and, in this case, a whole new frame of reference and another artwork.

Good Questions!

My friend Joey from the fabulous GoodMorningGloucester blog asks:

Is it the process of creating that gives you pleasure and satisfaction and leaves you craving more? That insatiable desire to continue to produce something that has meaning to you and if it has meaning to others all the better?

Yes and no.
I produce art out of a nagging, an inner tug that sets me pacing. Sometimes there is a vague inner image, usually there is just this tug, a restless state of something's desire to be brought into creation. I am just the humbled, trained vessel that the art comes through.

When I am working, there are the materials, the process, and an inner 'this, this, this...not this, not this, not this.' I work until there is no more 'not this' and there is only the silence of 'THIS'. Then I stop and move on.

I have been painting for over 42 years. A lot of my art comes out of the discipline of an 'art habit'. I rarely have 'great ideas' for art, but frequently I find that just by practicing my craft, getting out of the way so the art can come through, will result in a successful work of art.

She was born in a dirt floor hut in the Kiamichi Hills

Nana. 1/2 Choctaw, 1/8 Cherokee
I have traced her family back to a mention in the Chronicles of Oklahoma where our grandfathers and grandmothers and grand uncles and grand aunts are found established at a fork in the river.
Sent to the Wheelock School for Orphaned Indian Children, she assimilated.
Later she would marry an Indian Affairs' man raised in Greenwich Village, favored with the services of St. Lukes in the Field, under the direction of "Father" Schleuter, after the death of my grandfather's father.
When I was 19 I witnessed her tears as she realized she no longer could speak the language of her birth.

She would be 102 if she were alive today. She lay to rest the first morning Clinton became The President Elect.

Uncle Steve said she made no big deal that Clinton was from her home state, she voted Republican. She once told me that she always voted as the men directed, 'they must know more about these things than I do.'

sometimes I think she chose to leave this world just to get away from the men, and that when she went into her secret voting booth she voted for Clinton as an act of self-determination and an up-yours, finally voting for her choice.

who knows

It was not a smile that I saw on the corpse, it was a defiant grimace.

good for you Nana! no more false smiles.

may our names bring joy to our ancesters.