works in progress

caseins

I have been experimenting with some new materials lately, one of them is casein paints. They are a milk protein based paint and can be used like watercolors. There are several differences between casein and watercolors, most importantly they have a lot more body and weight and are best used on a hard surface like clayboard . To me they feel like a heavier, smoother version of gouache. I love the way they feel on the smooth clayboard and there is some room to actually build up some pigment, which is one of the things I miss about oil painting. The drawbacks are they are actually even more fragile than watercolors, the colors lift when it comes in contact with something wet and if you have butterfingers like me and frequently drop pieces parts of the paintinsg chip off. They also claim to be non toxic, which I personally don't believe as when I use them I am constantly wheezing and a red rash appears on my arms.

Here are a few of my sketches

These ones are very small, 6" x 6". I haven't worked in that scale in very long time.

five dead eggs

dolls

I sent these guys off early this month, I had been carrying them around for a while and miss them. I used different types and weights of cotton muslin and hand felted the wool shapes. The flowers were made out of a mix of animal skins. If you are in NY they are on view on the the second floor of  Claire Oliver. The main gallery is featuring a show of Canadian artists and it looks really interesting and I am sorry to have missed it.

Six Degrees of Separation: A New Generation of Canadian Artists Oct 14th, 2010 to Nov 13th, 2010 Six Degrees of Separation Press Release Guest Curator Noah Becker Featuring works by: Graham Gillmore, James Nye, Alex McLeod, Frank Torng, Angela Grossmann, Ben van Netten, Trevor Guthrie, Noah Becker, Attila Richard Lukacs, and Catherine Heard

some finished paintings and drawings

I dropped these off last month to the gallery when I was in NY. I took some quick pictures before packing them up and as usual my camera skills prove to be dismal. It is hard to tell in these pictures but I was experimenting more with papercutting and layering. 

                                              untitled   graphite, ricepaper, silk on paper
                                             pretty please    watercolor, silk ribbon, on paper
                                             soft grey spot    watercolor, on cut paper
                                             dreamers     watercolor on cut paper 
                                                           between me and you     watercolor on cut paper

This piece is still in progress. 

This one is done, the cutting and sewing has been taking longer than usual as I have been layering the papers more. I like the effect and am obsessed with my xacto knife. I have gone through so many blades it looks a little scary in my studio.

flowers and dolls

I have been busy sewing and more sewing. My new obsession with textiles has expanded to felting. It is a very satisfying procedure that involves constantly stabbing chunks of wool with needles. These felted pieces have been added to my growing doll collection. They are still in the beginning stages but are evolving in a pleasing way.

I recently added some of these cut flowers I made out of parchment. The parchment is such an interesting material and so beautiful, some of the pieces have tiny hairs in really delicate patterns.  

These are some new paintings I am working on. 

This is the very begining of a new piece. 

Almost there

I just shipped off the last of the paintings last week for my show next month. I am very glad to have them out of my studio and mind. 

These last couple of weeks before the shipper comes to pick up the figure and other pieces will be dedicated to finishing the sewing. I have a couple of more organs to complete and am 98% done with the figure.

I started piece and am liking its progress so far, I have torn, cut and resewn this one at least three times .

This one is done, the veins were tiny and a bit fussy to make.

Here is a close up of my figure, its just of the face and I cannot wait to be done with this one, the canvas is very heavy and rough and as much as I enjoyed the doing the linework my hands need a rest from thick needles and  bleeding fingertips,

These are pictures of the finished paintings.

finishing up

I am attempting to finish up the last few paintings for my show, after this week I will finally have time to wrap up the sewing. The wall of organs are filling out nicely and I am hoping to add a few more. 

more finished

Here are some of the pieces I was working on done. 

I got two of my ceramic pieces back from the framers, she did a beautiful job with the stray colored pieces. I only made two but after seeing them framed I wish I had made more. I am making much progress on my full figure sculpture. I made the final amature and am molding the parts little by little. Here is a painting I finished up a couple of weeks ago.

in progress