BLUEPRINT TEXTILE TRIPTYCH

"Blueprint Aqua, Blueprint Gold, Blueprint Red Triptych"  6" X 12" each (12" x 18" matted and framed)  Lori LaBerge  2018

What is it that attracts me to floor plans? I love the lines, the directions they take us in and the idea of exploring new spaces. Always one for what is hidden or around the corner, I find the variety of floor plans exciting. I look at the miniature plans I sketch and imagine what rooms would go where. Is it an open floor plan or one that allows for hiding out in small spaces such as libraries or dens?

It is not only the variation of layout in the works above but how color affects the works. The background of each piece is exactly the same, yet differing colors and values create a change in appearance from one to the other.

My favorite part of these types of works is that no matter how much planning goes into the design, the outcome is always a surprise.

A few other things happening in the studio:

Scrap wood in the workshop being used to create a sculptural architectural work. Decisions are being made as to paint choices. Lots of color!

Mock-up on studio table for 14" X 11" painted textile work.

TEMPORARY ART WORK: CREATE AND LET GO

"Aerial Pool 1"  14" X 11"  Lori LaBerge  2018, digital photograph

Two things came together this week. The first is the idea of ephemeral art. This type of art is temporary and not meant to last. It is created knowing it will end (as in performance art) or be destroyed. A good example of this was a work I saw in Burlington, Vt. shown below:

Flour poured through metal carving to create oriental rug effect by Cal Lane

The second idea was creating work from local sites. An abandoned pool has been an obsession with me for years as it is filled with cement blocks and other debris. A community college recently purchased the building and is just beginning construction starting with structural details.

Pool at Pinebridge in Spruce Pine NC

From these two thoughts I began painting on an old polyethylene tarp used as a drop cloth. I knew the tarp would again collect drops of paint and stain in its next use, destroying the work created.

The first artwork at the top of the post used the two blues from the above photo. The silver is the color of the cement blocks. The crinkled appearance is reminiscent of water movement.

Another view of abandoned pool

The work below was based on the spray paint surrounding the future construction area around the pool. The paint can just be seen on the upper right hand side of the photo above. There were also posts placed around the pool to keep people out. 

"Aerial Pool 2"  14" X 11"  Lori LaBerge  2018, digital photograph

The actual works do not exist anymore. One could think of the photographs as new works, but they are not the same as the originals.

FINISHING, DESIGNING, READING

"Construction Quad"  63" X 48"  Lori LaBerge  2018

The yarn order arrived and now all that is left for "Construction Quad" is stitching the label to the back and pouring a glass of wine to relax with. While hanging the work to photograph, I looked closer at the various shapes and contemplated creating sculptural works.

Some ideas for painted textile works were printed out and the designs for underlayers of the hooked portions will be drawn out soon.

A pre-ordered copy of Ninth Street Women was received this week and given a place in the home library. The book, by Mary Gabriel, chronicles five women painters working in abstract expressionism. The author looks at Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler as they work in the male-dominated field of art. Hoping to start this one tomorrow.

BACK TO LARGER ARCHITECTURAL ABSTRACT WORK

Layout of in progress work on "Construction Quad",  63" X 48"

After completing quite a few smaller works, it was time to return to "Construction Quad".  The hooking (in a 6-cut) was completed and finishing started. Yarns were chosen for the whipped edge. A dark gray will be interrupted on three sides by sections of rust, pink and light green. 

The piece has a reference to oceanside homes built as an escape, yet close to the roadways leading one to them. The shapes were derived and pieced together from viewing boats and houses on last year's vacation by the water.

The side piece brings more of the construction process to the work. While other options were designed for this purpose, some were simply too complex and distracted from the main hooked work. They could become works on their own. This is a much simpler, cleaner design. Plumb bobs hang from a painted board with the string brought through drilled holes in the board and coupling nuts resting on top of the board. The strings will be tied off. 

Plumb bobs will be allowed to sway freely. The board holding them will be hung with hardware that will show on top, adding to the construction process idea.

TEXTILE ART PAINTING "WHERE WE LIVE"

"Where We Live"  30 1/4" X 12 1/2",  Lori LaBerge  2018

We had a wonderful vacation, but there is always something special about returning home. It is where we live. What does a house say about us? How do we treat it? Is it a place to escape from the world and relax? Is it a place to share with family and friends? Does it tell others about us?

"Where We Live" explores these thoughts. A modern home is fronted by walls or fencing and a small gated opening. In the background are four figures. Friends? Family? I prefer this piece to be left to the imagination of the viewer. 

I'll leave you with some of the lyrics of one of my favorite songs by Nina Persson:

"And maybe dreaming of houses can save me

Give me a place where it's quiet 

And my head can rest at night

Oh maybe dreaming of houses can save me

Scenes in the wallpaper

Map the architecture of my mind"

You can listen to this song here.

SHAPES IN ART

Untitled work in design process,  14" X 11"  Lori LaBerge  2018

Shape is an important part of the design process. The shape of a work has to be decided on as well as how shapes will be formed within the work.

Start of design idea for overlay, Lori LaBerge  2018

My current work is developed in three layers. An underlayer, an overlayer and a blueprint layer.

Shapes we see are defined by other shapes around them. The shape of the turquoise rectangle above is a rectangle due to the way the shapes around it are placed. If one or more other shapes had been overlapped onto the rectangle the shape could easily change. If one shape changes due to the shape of another the decision has to be made as to whether the new shape works with the artist's intention or not.

The intention of the overlayer shown above is to show an aerial view of a city section. Things begin to change again when the blueprint layer (in white lines) is added to the work. 

Shapes in the work become divided, forming other shapes. For example, the red on the left is now divided into three shapes, an L and two rectangles. The only diagonal line is added to the bottom right which forms a triangle in a section of the dark gray. The blueprint section is an open shape which can be entered near the diagonal line. The variety is added by the background being composed of closed shapes.

Related designs in progress

Changes in shape led to the related ideas above. The large circle overlapped by turquoise vs. the small circle. The horizontal rectangular turquoise vs. the mint green vertical rectangle. The vertical ivory line not touching the top of the work vs. touching the top. The royal blue rectangle extended beyond the turquoise vs. the light blue being shorter and held within the green. 

Shapes can also add simplicity or complexity. A few large shapes vs. numerous small shapes or squares and rectangles vs. angled and organic shapes are two examples of this. 

Art Exercise-

Look at the shapes in abstract artwork and how they were formed by shapes around them and think about why the artist may have wanted a certain shape.

"ENTER AQUA" TEXTILE PAINTING, BOOKS ABOUT HOUSES FOR SUMMER READING

"Enter Aqua"  14" X 11", Lori LaBerge  2018

Last week's post was about the design of this work. This week bright colors, houses and water are going through my mind as summer moves along. "Enter Aqua" contains all three of these. Bright colors of green, turquoise, pink and white dominate the central area. The turquoise building becomes reminiscent of water with a combination of vertical and horizontal lines through it. Houses surround the center welcoming one into the scene. 

Angles are everywhere in the underlayer of this work with more created from the painting on the top layer. The juxtaposition of straight lines against a few wavy or jagged lines lend an imperfect feel. The white lines were done by hand and left as they are for the same reason. 

Close-up of "Enter Aqua"

As summer moves along vacation is approaching. Our destination will be Maine and I started stacking a variety of books I can relax with (it is vacation after all) that contain houses as an important element. Here's the list (fiction and non-fiction):

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen-  a parody of the Gothic novels I read as a teenager and still love

The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne- the story of the Pyncheon family and how a cursed house affects them

Death in the Castle by Pearl S. Buck-a story of a couple obsessed with their castle and their reluctance to let a buyer move it piece by piece to its new location

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- a mystery is contained in the inheritance of a family home

The Murder at Hazelmoor by Agatha Christie- Guest are invited to Sittaford House and before they know it they are involved in a murder case

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James- a governess is hired to tend to two children at a country home as supernatural events begin to plague her

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton- A woman is not happy in her new home and received a miniature replica which she proceeds to furnish with the help of a miniaturist. Secrets become revealed.

A Mansion in the Mountains by Phillip T. Noblitt- Moses and Bertha Cone create a mansion off the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. (We have visited Blowing Rock Manor numerous times, the family made their fortune in denim in the textile industry.)

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett- A monk decides to build a great cathedral. Set in 12th century England.

The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan- Consuelo Vanderbilt writes of life in aristocratic times, including Blenheim Palace where Churchill was born. (I picked this up on our first trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC)

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Anne Radcliffe- A classic early Gothic written in 1794. A woman's parents die, she is kept prisoner in a castle as her abductor looks for her to marry into money he can then possess. Lots of description and a tour de force of the psychological state of the characters.

Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier- A woman marries a man whose first wife drowned. The truth of her death evolves throughout the story. Mrs. Danvers is one of the best characters in fiction.

The Gormenghast Novels by Mervyn Peake- An odd assortment of characters live in Gormenghast Castle. This was a PBS series and the author is said to rival Tolkien though he never became as popular.

The Fate of the English Country House by David Littlejohn- The author covers a variety of country houses throughout England and discusses their downfall, use as tourist attractions and the importance of Britain protecting these homes along with their place in art history.

ABSTRACT ARCHITECTURAL PAINTING "URBAN ADOBE"

"Urban Adobe",  40" x 30"  acrylic on unstretched canvas, Lori LaBerge  2018

"Urban Adobe" developed from adobe style homes seen on a trip out west. I love the little alleyways between buildings. The earthy colors of places like Taos combined with the pale blues and pinks more reminiscent of California, result in an unexpected color combination. The canvas was left unstretched and hangs like a tapestry.

Sections were taped off to create clean edges. A regular house painting brush was used along with a credit card edge, palette knife and paper towels rubbed into paint.

Underpainting was used to create a base layer of color. This color can be seen through the topcoat. Rather than use one color overall for the underpainting, various colors were used in different areas. Here red sienna and brown are used.

Above shows the final effect after the peach paint was applied over the brown/red paint and tape was removed.

The close-up shows a section of the central building area. The gray and peach areas have the strongest variance in value of colors between undercoating and topcoat emphasizing their importance as part of the focal point. I may look at this crop as a possible painted textile piece to be developed in the future.

MIXED MEDIA WORK

"Between the Lines"  7" X 10" (11"x 14" as shown matted) LaBerge  2018

I worked a bit with paint, colored pencils, canvas, thread, upholstery and cotton this week. An architectural painting was done on a 4" x 4" piece of canvas using acrylic and colored pencil.

Upholstery fabric was pieced together and the painted canvas was stitched over with a turquoise thread. 

A striped piece of cotton was then stitched on top of one side of the upholstery fabric.

The edges of the canvas were left raw. This along with the pieced upholstery and stitched cotton reflect the process of constructing buildings. A large amount of work goes into the time between the start of construction and a finished building leading to the title "Between the Lines". The completed work is now ready for framing.

A WEEK OF HOOKED ART AND PAINTING

"Monolith"  11" x 14"  Lori LaBerge  2018

My natural inclination is toward strong colors. In this work I decided to have just the one bold area. The dark blue/gray with black half circle stands out among the pastel shades surrounding it. There is a relaxing softness to the work. The use of irregular lines rather than hard edge adds to the soft feel.

  

 "Monolith" in progress on frame

                                                                   

Color selection

Blues, pinks and greens seem to be my colors this week as they appeared in both painted and hooked works.

"Gallery View"  11 X 14 acrylic on canvas,  Lori LaBerge  2018

I've been spending time walking downtown noticing all the building angles and alleyways. Various shapes were sketched out for use in this and future works and studies. Numerous diagonal lines approach from both the left and the right leading to the focal point of a square filled with color against a bright white. It gives me the feeling of wanting to be in the work itself with the lime green and royal blue adding a bit of excitement.

INDUSTRIAL LINES AND SHAPES

 "Industrial Park"  14" X 11"  Lori LaBerge  2018

This week's work shows small changes can make a difference. I wrote a little about this piece last week. The half circle took the place of a vertical rectangle. A curve was also added to the upper section and filled with dark blue. This broke up what would have been too much white space and created a better contrast against a section of the light blue. The dark colors envelope the lighter ones leading to an interesting lighter shape running diagonally through the piece.  

Original sketch for comparison to finished piece

While working with sketches and photos of newer homes, I still love industrial buildings. They lead to discovering numerous lines and shapes.

 Diamond shapes interlock on fencing, an oval is formed on the top of the barrel, while horizontal piping follows the length of the building. I like the sky shape left by the L shape of the building in this photo.

Various chimney shapes, taller, shorter, round, square. The side vents have one horizontal and a larger one vertical, lending variety. The piece developed from this photo is below:

"Paint the Town Red"  11" X 14" Lori LaBerge 2010

 Wide circular shapes on rooftop contrast with the wide rectangular shapes. Small openings are seen along the side of the building. Barbed wire runs across the top of the fencing.

 Cranes and piping add height. The horizontal rungs of a ladder are on the side of  tall brick form. The wide width of the smaller tank with domed roof in front gives it a horizontal appearance. Shapes are shown in relation to each other.

Vertical and horizontals of the metal bars in front resemble an erector set. There is a variety of spacing on the form that climbs the side of the building. Various box shapes make up the building itself.

CREATING BY SPEAKING WITH YOUR WORK

  "Orange Mint"  11" X 14"  Lori LaBerge  2018

We've been on the road the last couple of weeks, but I have been working. This piece uses repetition. Three curves (2 partial circles and the upper left) and multiple diagonal lines. There are two whites, blacks, greens and oranges. A bit of shadow play uses the dark orange and dark green. The cityscape is implied but avoids realism.

New sketches were created with the idea for "Orange Mint" on the middle right.

I am reading "You Say to Brick", a biography of architect Louis Kahn written by Wendy Lesser.

"You Say to Brick: The Life of Louis Kahn"  by Wendy Lesser

The title is Kahn's reference to his method of talking to materials and asking them what they want to become. I am finding myself attempting to apply this method by looking at a design sketch and saying "Okay sketch, what colors would you like to have? What would you like to convey?" It is a bit odd at first, almost as if you are giving up control. It is not necessarily what you want the sketch to be when turned into a textile work (after all, as artists we can be a bit self involved), but what it wants to be. 

I like Kahn's way of thinking about what a material or design wants rather than what it needs.

"Industrial Park" in progress  Lori LaBerge  2018

Another work titled "Industrial Park" (in progress) was developed from the sketches made. The original vertical rectangle was changed to a half circle. The design basically said "I want to be an industrial park (this developed the title) and I want a half circle with a curve like the top of the blue and yellow sections have. Because industrial parks can have dull colors, make my half circle bright red."

Without using Kahn's method, I may have made the yellow door like section the focus by using a brighter color or more contrast against the blue. This may have worked, but I look forward to seeing how that red works when the piece is completed. Well, with Kahn's method I know who's boss and it seems to be the art itself.

SMALLER WORK AND DECISIONS TO BE MADE

 

"Yellow Door"  10" X 8" framed,  Lori LaBerge  2018

Work needs to be delivered to galleries this coming week and I have found that it helps to have a variety of sizes and price points. Smaller pieces tend to go faster and it is time to build up more inventory on that front. 

"Yellow Door" brings back memories of walking to school where every morning I passed an old storage building with a yellow door.  The work has kept a bit of the industrial mood with the gray behind the yellow.

The decision phase has arrived with the 48" x 48" piece being worked on during weekends. It has finally been titled as "Construction Quad" in reference to the four architectural scenes in the center. 

A side bar will be placed to the left of the piece. I sketched out a few options on Photoshop to help with the decision phase:

All the options contain the basic designs of the four squares, minus the circles and stripes for a simpler feel. This option has wooden shapes placed on a dark gray background. I like the colored bar through it, but have to contemplate how it affects the shapes on either side.

This option does away with the bar and places two colors on the backing board. There is no interruption of the design.

The last option has more color with the two-color backing and a third color breaking up the work. The pink section is also longer than the backing board.

I will continue to look these over in the coming week to see what develops.