PAINTED TEXTILE

"Balcony View"  20" X 20"  Lori LaBerge  2018

This week's work was formed from rooftops seen from the balcony of a townhouse in Los Angeles. The balcony (with light blue top rail) is in the lower section of the work. Many sketches were developed as I spent mornings studying the lines the rooftops created.

The majority of the hooked work underneath contains vertical lines while the painting on top was done in horizontal and diagonal lines to contrast with the vertical.

Close-up section

The under sections of these painted textiles have led me to consider how we see things. What we look at is not simply what we see visually, but how we interpret it through our thoughts. When I see architecture I see more than a building, I question what has happened there, who built it, and who once lived or worked there. Some of these things are imagined and others are researched. What lies underneath can be different for everyone.

RESIDENTIAL TEXTILE, INDUSTRIAL PAINTING

"Residential Curve"  14" X 11",  Lori LaBerge  2017

Diagonal lines are on the right while a curved line counters them, extending from the far left of the work to past center. There are also straight black lines, one vertical and one horizontal on the left. Two areas balance this: the black diagonal between navy and turquoise and the vertical edge of the white section.

The vertical black line keeps the two dark colors, magenta and navy, from causing a bottom heavy effect. The black lines were added to reference the underlying structure of architecture.

"Industrial Section" and "Industrial Night"  18" X 18" each,  Lori LaBerge  2017, acrylic and graphite on canvas

A deserted warehouse was used as reference for two paintings. The glow of the moon cast a golden hue onto the building and the liberty was taken to place white in the window areas in the first work. The moon was captured in the negative space between a section of building and a smokestack in the second work. I like the interesting shape of the lighter colors against the black in the second piece.

A 14" x 11" textile work to compliment the paintings has been drawn on linen and will be hooked next week. It will be interesting to see how they work (or don't) together. 

STUDIO TIME: PAINT AND TEXTILES

"Modern Dwelling"  14" X 11" acrylic on canvas,   Lori LaBerge  2017 

Painting and rug hooking took over the studio this week. Work from both memory and photographs is leading to more geometric drawings making their way into the sketchbook, onto canvas and onto linen.

Section of studio set-up for work.

Painting started out with a sketch on canvas. Emphasis on the curved shape seen on many of the homes along Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles was created through the use of bright white standing out among the other colors.

Texture was added to the canvas before paint was applied. There was a decision on whether or not to use texture in the painted works. I had pondered going with a smoother technique, but through studying the photographs what appeared from a distance to be smooth exteriors on homes was actually quite textural. 

"Residential Curve" in progress  14" X 11" wool on linen,  Lori LaBerge  2017

Another work focusing on the curve of modern homes is partially completed using wool. The yellow area is looking a bit small right now and may need to be enlarged height wise. The combination of painted and rug hooked work is in the experimental stages right now.