NEW ARCHITECTURAL ART "TURQUOISE GLOW", FLORIDA TRIP

"Turquoise Glow"  14" X 11",  Lori LaBerge  2017

A blue glow coming from a window was the start of this piece. Lines and shapes of concrete walls and sheds near the building were reshaped for the work. Two longer downward diagonals (the top of the green area and the lower black line) are balanced by a shorter upward white diagonal on the right which starts close to midway between them. 

It is interesting to work on balance without symmetry. It can be created from color, size, shape and opposites work quite nicely. Large vs. small, bright vs. dull, light vs. dark, vertical vs. horizontal, etc. The turquoise areas consist of one being horizontal, larger and darker and one being vertical, smaller and lighter.

We went to visit my son in Florida over the weekend and I took a few photos of rooftops in the area to use for future reference.

Great finds at the local used book store

Art Exercise--

Create a symmetrical design and start changing it to create an asymmetrical one using opposites for balance.

VISIT TO HICKORY MUSEUM OF ART

"Monarch Butterflies" Joel Sartore

We recently spent the day in Hickory, NC and visited the Hickory Museum of Art.  Photographer Joel Sartore had work on endangered species showing. His photos are breathtaking.

"The Three Sisters"  Frank Stanley Herring

This painting was done one town over from us, Little Switzerland, in 1929. Mildred "Mickey" McKinney took lessons from New York City artist Frank Stanley Herring, who vacationed in the town. The founder of the museum, Paul Whitener, saw Mildred painting and decided he could do it to. Mickey and Paul married and continued producing art.

"Uncle Tom McKinney's Springhouse"  Donald Blake

Donald Blake was a mentor of Paul Whitener. This painting is of a scene from Little Switzerland. We'll be taking a ride over to try and find the property where Mildred and Paul lived and painted. A little local history trip.

There was also an exhibit on self-taught artists providing a variety of talent:

"Lore Master #4"  David Thomas Roberts

 "The Transformer"  Bruce New

 "Daddy and his Woman"  LaVon Van Williams, Jr.

 "Flag"  Roger Lee Ivens

 "Blues Guitar"  Roger Lee Ivens

Collage: A New Approach by Jonathan Talbot

I could not leave without roaming through the museum shop where I picked up a book on collage. Purchases and donations help museums to continue providing exhibits and education.

Yes, beer brewing is an art.

And, of course, we can't go to Hickory without stopping at the Olde Hickory Tap Room and checking out their selections. My choice, Hefe-Weisen. The perfect day out!

INDUSTRIAL SITE ABSTRACT TEXTILE ART "SKYBRIDGE"

"Skybridge",   14" X 11"   Lori LaBerge  2017

This work was developed to be shown alongside the two paintings done last week  Unlike the paintings worked from memory and notes (due to it being night when we stopped by), the textile work was done from parts of two photos taken during the day.

When working from photos, I avoid a direct copy of the photograph. Artwork allows for imagination which is the part of it I most enjoy. Here are the photos used:

I stuck with the angled shapes of the building. The rooftop stairway was converted to a skybridge to be the focus of the work.

The factory silo was in front of a section of one of the buildings. I used this on the right hand side of the work as I wanted to add some curves to the piece. Colors were chosen to work with the two paintings.

A good idea of how the works look together before framing.

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.

ABSTRACT "CONCRETE BLUE", ARCHITECTURE AND COMPOSITION

"Concrete Blue"  14" X 11",  Lori LaBerge  2017

We took daily walks while visiting California. One day we passed a bright blue building. It stayed in my mind not only due to the color, but also the angle on top. I drew a sketch on scrap paper that night and transferred it to a sketchbook upon returning home.

The challenge was to make an interesting composition out of the scene. It is all about relationships to lead the eye to the white and blue areas. The red lines above show how the top and bottom of the lilac wall section are angled to lead to the bottom of the white rectangle. The top of the light rust section leads to the top of the blue wall. The area on top where gold and green meet leads down to the left side of the white.

The lighter values form a sideways "Y" shape leading to and framing the blue building while the darker values are laid out in a triangular format. A curve at the top breaks up use of straight lines. 

Frank Lloyd Wright said, "Architecture is the scientific art of making structures express ideas". I am led to think about how the 2D abstraction of architectural forms should be approached. In reviewing some of my sketches, there is a depiction of the relationship between the focal point of the work and the shapes around it. The question then becomes "How do those shapes enhance the focus?"

EXHIBIT AT GREENHILL CENTER FOR NC ART

GreenHill Center for NC Art

While in Greensboro last week, in addition to the fiber art exhibit we had a chance to view exhibits on display at the GreenHill Center for NC Art, located in the same building. Here is a short tour:

"Quintet in Harmony" by Murry Handler

Murry Handler created an interactive work which was drawing attention. The panels slide giving the viewer an opportunity for experimentation in creating their own version and interpretation of the work. I enjoyed speaking with Handler as he is cordial, well versed in the arts and speaks from his heart. He creates abstract pieces at his studio in Pittsboro, NC. A Fall Open Studio will be taking place on September 24. Visit with Murry and his art if you are in the area.

"Blue and Green Bin 2" by Kirk Fanelly

Fanelly's work consisted of inlaid cut paper on panel. There were two other works alongside this one. The compositions drew the eye around each and the opportunity to look closely at the inlay work was fascinating.

Two works by Katie St. Clair

St. Clair creates works using collage, dye, spray paint, gesso and other materials and techniques. There was a sense of depth in these abstract landscapes that just made me want to enjoy the experience of falling into them. 

Work by Renzo Ortega

Renzo Ortega was a featured artist on exhibit. His work focuses on community and the experience of immigrants along with displacement. There were larger works on canvas along with groupings of smaller pieces and installation work. Seeing his work led me to reflect upon my own experiences.

"Traffic" by Renzo Ortega

"Displacements- Detroit Series 1-7" by Renzo Ortega

One of "Displacements- Detroit Series" works by Renzo Ortega

Along with the message of the Displacement Series, the paint technique drew me in. The textures were plentiful and I found myself looking for hidden meanings in the backgrounds. Liked these a lot.