Wood

Wood 6, 14”x11”x2” framed, acrylic, Dura-Lar, on paper, 2013 copyright Mary Zeran

I'm obsessed with wood.  

As I drive through the Iowa landscape, I'm starting to notice many of the small wood groves between fields lying in piles.  Why?  Is it because they were damaged in the Spring Storms?  Does the farmer hope to eek out a few more crops from the extra strip of land?  Will this cause erosion?    

Wood 5, 14”x11”x2” framed, acrylic, Dura-Lar, on paper, 2013 copyright Mary Zeran

I'm also thinking about how trees record their physical history in their rings.  If humans did this,  how would it look?  How would we record it?  What would the rings show?

Wood 7, 14”x11”x2” framed, acrylic, Dura-Lar, on paper, 2013 copyright Mary Zeran

There is a bit of comfort in the notion of circles and rings.  The idea that things "circle" back...come around...begin again...in one never ending cycle....

Squished Paintings: Part I

What is a Mono Print? 

Some people call it a "squished painting".  

Next Thursday,  May 16th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, I'll be teaching "Bring on Spring!  Mono Printing" at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. For those of you aren't able to attend, this blog post if for you!  I've put together a simple mono printing demo that is fun for kids from 5 to 80!  

So put on your paint clothes and let's begin...

THE PROJECT:  SQUISHED PAINTINGS

You will need:

• Newspaper for covering work area
• Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle
• Clean rags or paper towels.  
• consider going "green" on this one!  Everyone has old T-shirts and towels that are good for this.
• Acrylic paint
• Brushes for painting
• Containers of water for rinsing brushes
• Sponges for cleanup
• A slick surface like plexiglass, glass, or acetate. 
• MUSIC!!!  Whatever takes you to another place, excites you, or makes you feel good.

Note:  I use .005 Dura-Lar which is a polyester film.  I love this material because it is archival, has a slick surface, is easy to cut, comes in long/ wide rolls, and I reuse my scraps in my collage.  For brushes I use a variety of size and quality.  Since my brush technique is intentionally...sloppy, I use house painting brushes from home improvement and hardware stores. Paint?  I always say: use the best quality you can afford.  Right now, I am a huge Golden fan.  They have tons of mediums, different viscosities, and great customer support.

Preparation

• Cover the work area with newspaper or a drop cloth.
• Set out all your materials so you can reach everything. 
• Lay your plastic sheeting on the table.
• Clean your plastic with the rubbing alcohol and cloth.

Note:  When it comes to plastic and paint...grease is your enemy.  THINK CLEAN!!!!!

"CREATING THE IMAGE"

How to Begin

• Turn on your music
• Right now, I'm listening to a lot of Penguin Cafe Orchestra.  I love their rhythms, harmonies, and patterns.  You can see all those things in my brushstrokes.
• Squirt dabs of acrylic paint directly onto the plastic sheeting.
• Yes, folks...directly onto the plastic.  
• My palette always becomes part of the piece.
• When I listen to music, I often "hear" color.  
• Choose colors that best describe the emotion that the music makes you feel.
• Using a spray bottle.  Wet the plastic. 
• Now start experimenting with mixing color, playing with brushstrokes, and just having fun.
• This is the time to really tap into the rhythm of what you are hearing.  
• Let the music guide your brush.  Don't worry if you are making a mistake, just paint and relax.
• Think of this as creating a slurry.
• Allow yourself to enjoy the squishy, fluid sensation of the paint.  Remember finger painting in elementary school?  This is what  it how it should feel.  

Note: Moisture is the key.  Keep your surface wet.  If your paint starts to dry out, add more water or paint.  We'll need that moisture when we start to "pull the prints"

"Pulling the Prints"

How to Begin

• When you have an image or section on your plastic that you would like to print, now is the time to get a piece of paper.
• Paper: I use whatever I have on hand.  Since I am basically "playing", I try not to be too precious.  
• Those of you who are interested in creating something archival/ more "art like", 
• I recommend Rives BFK, or other  good quality papers.  
• Just like the paint,  buy the best you can afford!
• Spray the paper with water.
• Lay your paper gently on top of the area you want to print.
• Lightly rub your finger or a spoon over the whole surface/ back of the paper.
• Peel up the paper from a corner and see what you've got!

Note: When I do this with kids, we use cardstock  cut into quarters. We just lay multiple pieces of paper onto the the painted surface, peel them one at a time, lay on a piece of masonite,  and then admire our work.  

• TRY THIS WITH KIDS!!!  
• You will feel like a magician when you peel back the paper.  
• I call this trick "THE BIG REVEAL"

This post only begins to scratch the surface of what you can do. Sometimes, making art can take a lot of courage. For more tips, personal attention, and community fun...consider taking next Thursday's class! Feel free to ask questions, and/ or make comments below!

~Sometimes it takes a village to make a piece of art!

$20.00

Brushstrokes

 

For those of you who don't already know, my mother is a folk artist. A rosemaler to be exact. Every evening after supper, she would sit in her recliner and paint. She had a special "lapboard" created so she could have everything she needed right at hand.

As a child, I would watch her practice her brushstrokes. I'd watch how she loaded the brush and create scrolls. It was mesmerizing. Now I find, I use similar techniques in my work. Funny isn't it how things get passed down from generation to generation.

Thank You Clinton Community College!

Artist and my very good friend Robyn Smith and I talk about how "ART ROCKS!!!"

Last Friday I had the pleasure of being a visiting artist for Clinton Community College's 

11th Annual "High School Fine Arts Day 2013.

This year's event  featured :

• Seven high schools
• 100 students,  
• two regional artists:  Tom Holman of Bombfire Pizza and myself. 
• one art judge: Skip Willits 
• one amazing Art Professor:  Robyn Smith
• several amazing volunteers:  Clinton Community College students
• one fantastic staff:  Clinton Community College staff

Tom and I each did a presentation on our work and then collaborated with area high school students to create two community oriented pieces.

The theme of this event was  "Upcycle!!!".  The work generated became part of Clinton Community College's permanent collection.  All of the work was created out of recycled materials and was...
if I don't say myself....AMAZING!

To me, this event was so fantastic because it involved so many different generations of art makers.  To see more photos of the day...go to the slideshow below or go to Clinton Community Colleges facebook page.

Thank You Raining Rose

I am excited to announce 

that my piece "Evenly Balanced"

 is now part of Raining Rose's corporate collection.

Thank you Raining Rose and 

Suzy McCrane-Hop of Gilded Pear Gallery!

Wood

10"x8"

acrylic, Duralar on paper

2013 copyright Mary Zeran

Wood #1

14"x11" framed

acrylic, Duralar on paper

2013 copyright Mary Zeran