COMPOSITION AND VERTICAL SHAPE, FINISHED STORAGE SHELVES

 As yet untitled work in progress,  8 1/2" X 24",  Lori LaBerge  2016

Walking through the woods behind our house I spotted a lone tree and quickly made a sketch of it.  The tree had a bit of an odd shape to it and I'm hoping it will work in this piece without too much adjusting.  Sometimes what looks great in nature doesn't quite translate to an artwork.  

It is important to think about canvas shape when creating a piece.  This called for a vertical shape.  This shape shows strength and leads the eye upward.  Think about standing upright and proud versus slouching.  The rectangular shape presents stability.  These are aspects I wanted to stress about the tree.  Height, strength and stability.  This tree has stood the test of time through the 50 mph mountain winds that are common in our area. 

Think about what other subjects would work in a vertical format.  Waterfalls, telephone poles, roadways, full portraits, etc. 

If you read last weeks blog you remember the above as a blank space.  Pete and I worked on and completed the shelving today.  Nothing fancy, but oh so efficient.

The pile of boxes I used to dig through to find the right size waiting a bit of organization.

Here is the shelving with all the boxes now easily visible for use.  I plan on labeling the shelves with the various sizes of the boxes. 

Look around museums and galleries.  Try to find some vertical canvases and determine why the artist may have chosen that certain format or shape of canvas for their work and have a great day. 

SECOND RUG HOOKED ABSTRACT IN ROAD SIGN SERIES IN PROGRESS

 "Roundabout Ahead"  in progress 19" X 29"  Lori LaBerge  2016

The green section of the latest in the road sign series was hooked this week.  The wool was a bit rough which made the hooking process a bit longer than usual, but the roughness against the smoother texture of other wools will add more interest to the piece.  The arrows are a combination of pale yellows.

The rectangular format led to the decision to elongate the arrows so they formed an oblong shape rather than the expected circular shape.  The tips of the arrows were altered so each was a bit different than the others.

The two rectangles on the side of the green section will be dark turquoise.  The above wool was chosen to fill in the gray area beneath the green as there is a bit of turquoise, some light and some dark, in each one.  This will bring cohesion to the work.  

Pete was in the storage area this week and decided my method of storing boxes was not up to par.  He removed all the boxes from the area above, purchased wood before the storm hit and was in his workshop today starting on a storage rack.  It is amazing how many boxes I keep for shipping, gallery delivery and purchases in studio.  As works being created for exhibit cannot be sold, I hope to also have space to store them until delivered for show.

At least twice a year I go through the studio and storage area and reorganize. Organizing can be overwhelming.  Try to organize one section at a time rather than all at once, find what works for you and have a great day.