Art Prop Pests or Found Object Funk

Ugh, so I'm moving my studio around and cleaning - yes it happens to an artist too - when I discovered a little mound of "dust" on the table under a set of old antelope antlers that I have for still life reference. That's not good. That's in effect... cooties! I'm grateful to myself that I store items and supplies crafted for sale in sealed containers, but I worry for items such as my bear skull that were displayed very near those antlers that MUST be infected with a carpet beetle of some sort. Thankfully they seemed to prefer my specimens that still hold fur. This experience is something to keep in mind if you're prone to taking into your studio found objects and gifts from Nature. Personally I am mindful of the possibility of pests already, but it still happened to me! I've learned that even dried insects that one might be tempted to add to a collage or assemblage can hold tiny parasites that would be happy to munch away on your artwork unseen until damage is done! So now the battle has begun and my kitchen freezer is filled with baggies of bone, antler & fur as I hope to remove this invader and preserve props that have become special to me. The set of antlers came from a taxidermist years ago so I felt no need to take the same preventative measures that I would with an item gathered from the wild. But with arsenic having become illegal to use in taxidermy preparation every specimen added to your collection of oddities should be treated as a wild card.

BUT WHAT TO DO??

When I collect a dried insect or reptile from the wild, which I often use in my artwork, I first seal the specimen into a plastic zip bag and place it in the freezer for at least a month. Freezing should kill off pests on items that can't be treated with heat such as fragile insect wings that are commonly used in jewelry making these days. Before using it I will often spray it with a careful mist of rubbing alcohol or a cotton swab of the same if it won't damage the specimen, and though I don't know for sure if it helps with pests it does clean any remaining blood or residue well. Old fur coats and pelts can be dry-cleaned and that will take care of any parasites that they might hold. Woody items such as branches and leaves can be heat treated in the oven; times and temps will vary based upon the individual item. Bones can be boiled or baked. Metal items should be washed because they can hold some cooties too, but don't use a dish soap because it will kill a beloved rusty patina... boil and/or just use a gentle hand soap with really hot water (being careful not to get a tetanus tempting cut). IF you do find little piles of dust or tiny little worms on animal based products that you've brought into the house removing the offending article, cleaning the area, and putting the thing sealed into a deep freeze should do the trick.

Hopefully this blog post will help some of you. It certainly made me feel better to know that there are things that I can do and that discovering a few cooties isn't the end of the world, or the end of my antlers!


*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt T. E. Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use please.

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No Scrub Clean For Old Brass

  Want a no hassle scratch free approach to cleaning darkened old brass? Vintage and antique metal components are great additions to art work, but sometimes an age patina doesn't turn out to be so charming. Don't waste time rubbing away patina-poo and risk scratching delicate brass bits! Just dip it... dip it good!

Before & After



 I'm currently working on an assemblage art sculpture, and some of the old brass items that I want to use have tarnished too much. There are a lot of different methods for cleaning brass and copper. Many like vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and ammonia produce strong smelling odors that can not only stink up a studio room but also may be harmful to breath! Because I didn't want to scratch the surface of the brass, and because I'm a busy person too, I decided to use an easy dip soaking method.

 The product I chose was simply Mr. Clean... with Febreze®, so it smells great in addition to working like a breeze! Just pour some of your favorite scent of undiluted Mr. Clean into a shallow dish, then add the brass bits. Make sure everything is covered by the cleaner and allow to soak several hours, depending on the severity of the tarnish. The product has even performed well for me at removing the green oxidation that can sometimes chew into brass, copper, and other metal. Without scrubbing or rubbing the brass will emerge clean with a soft shine. If not then soak a while longer, and for an extra boost renew the cleaning fluid if it turns very dark in color.

The first photograph that I've included shows a before and after effect on an antique brass corner guard. The guards had pieces of old tape stuck fast to them and had developed an unattractive patina over who-knows how many years. The cleaner softened the adhesive very quickly, so that the tape simply wiped away. I allowed a piece of tape to remain stuck in place during an over-night soaking to show the before and after effect. The dark rectangle where the tape used to be is the before color of the metal; Look how bright the rest of the corner guard is! All of the brass surface had been that black or darker. When your items are finished soaking be sure to rinse them very well to remove any residue. Except for rinsing, the cleaning process is basically hands free, but the best part is that it smells so good!

 Before I glue down the metal objects that will go onto my assemblage I will wipe them with rubbing alcohol to ensure good adhesion; If it still smells like cleaner then the cleaner is probably still there, and rubbing alcohol should do the trick. The Mr. Clean product will remove most all paints and many types of varnish, so do have care and test a spot before using on any surface. Now that cleaning the metal parts of my project is finished I can move on to the fun part of assembling the art. I love using this easy cleaning method! Stepping out of the studio to reach under the kitchen counter can make an artist breath easier and the work itself a real breeze too. ;)

   
*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, T. E. Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use please.

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Vintage Funeral Mask Comes To Life

After 1st cleaning before remount.

 It feels good to take care of my kitsch and transform it into home decor. Have you heard of the Death mask of Agamemnon? I've always been somewhat enamored with Bronze Age Greece (c.2500-1100 BCE), the Minoans and Mycenaeans, so when I noticed an old souvenir reproduction of the famous funerary mask in a box lot it was quite a find! I was thrilled to add it to my small collection of funeral art and masks.

The original artifact is a mask of gold that was found in 1876 by Heinrich Schliemann in Mycenae. It was dubbed as the "Mask of Agamemnon" because Schliemann was convinced that he'd discovered the final resting place of the mythical king of Mycenae, commander the united Greek armed forces during the Trojan War. The mask, however, is most certainly not the face of Homer's fabled king because it is much older than the historical Agamemnon.

When I received my version of the mask it nearly resembled an artifact dug out of the ground, likely having spent many years boxed in a garage. It was mounted to a padded trophy shield of black velvet and faux green paper crocodile skin. The velvet had lost its fuzz and was worn threadbare on the edges. It was dusty, and the metal had begun to "green-up" in a few places -- a damage that will continue to spread if untreated. So I cleaned old Aggie up and put him aside until I got around to creating a new background mount.

The first photograph shows the "before" and the second photo is the nearly finished product. It's resting in a regular picture frame now but will soon go into a glass encased shadow box frame for protection from dust and debris.

I started by brushing some Cardinal Red craft quality acrylic paint over a large piece of archival sketch paper. When that dried (thank you blow-dryer) I crinkled it firmly into a ball. The chalky texture of the paint cracks open a bit in the crinkles exposing the soft paper, which I then smoothed flat and washed with a thin coat of Burnt Umber craft acrylic paint. I wiped off the Burnt Umber with a soft moist cloth then let the paper sit overnight. The next day I adapted the design from images of genuine Mycenaean fresco using Antique White and various blue craft paints.

After the design was finished I coated both sides of the paper with Liquitex Acrylic Varnish. The high amount of acrylic polymer in the quality Liquitex product increases the lightfastness and gloss of the craft paint plus protects the surface of the metal mask from chemicals that could migrate up from the paper or paint. The painted paper was then attached to paper board using PVA glue. The mask was originally wired onto its old mount but over time the weight of the piece had begun to pull it out of shape. I opted for thick dabs of hot-glue as reinforcement. It's a strong hold yet could be removed for re-mounting in the future.

I'm happy with the level of protection I've given to this piece and enjoy it much more than when it was mounted to a dirty black base. Time well spent!

Learn more...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask_of_Agamemnon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agamemnon

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use.

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Varity Is Vital

  One of the things I like to do outside of the realm of visual art involves music. I play with a bass guitar. Notice I didn't say that I'm a bass player? That's because I've only actually learned enough over the years to cause some trouble if the volume's turned up too far; I play with it. It doesn't matter if it's good or bad quality playing to me because how it feels is more important. An added bonus is the emotive quality of the instrument because it can help to clear out a mood. If I'm about to work on a bright happy painting but the day has been gloomy I can dump those blues out with the bass. The fingers and wrists get a powerful change of activity from visual artwork action! I notice that the muscles in my upper arms get stronger too the more I play, which allows for greater endurance and a more steady hand when painting. Much of the same holds true for the legs because just like when working on a larger sized painting Rockin' out happens best when standing. So my entire body gets a kick in a different direction when I'm playing the bass versus when I'm painting, drawing, or sculpting.

  Years ago while working on my first full wall mural I learned the importance of diversifying action... the hard way. The painting was of a near life-sized African Acacia tree; a fairly large project! The branches bent around two walls and onto a high ceiling. Each branch had one or two creatures that might actually be on the savannah; from tiny termites crawling up the trunk to a well fed leopard lounged over a branch all his own. When the entire painting was close to a finish I noticed a smaller off-branch up high offered a perfect spot to add a rich red oxpecker bird, so I grabbed the step ladder and paint pallet. As excitement grew I really got focused on what I was doing; placing tiny little detailed feathers and a few surrounding leaves. Holding my hand as still as possible I repeated the same motion over and over to create consistent paintbrush strokes. Sound nice? I thought it was, but I was wrong.

  After the third day in a row of pecking away at the oxpecker I awoke with a very stiff wrist. By the end of that evening swelling had reached up to the top of my arm, and the pain was rather intense. I went to the emergency room for a shot to decrease that swelling! Eventually a diagnosis of tendinitis was offered, and I was told to stop painting altogether; Of course, that was not going to happen. Since the true culprit had been pointed out as the repetitive action I decided that variation needed to become a hotter spice in my life. I now end each evening with therapeutic stretching exercises. Fitting other types of art and craft activities into my week, rather than only painting or drawing, seems to have been the biggest help of all though. I rarely have an issue with my wrist these days.

  Certainly most any method to vary your own activity is probably good, whatever the motivation, but don't overlook an old band instrument hiding in a closet or attic if you have one. Wait until you're alone, dust it off, and make some noise! You don't have to be good, just have fun. Overall I think that playing with a musical instrument offers the best benefits for a visual artist as an alternative activity because it involves so many of the same fine muscle groups but uses them differently. Plus creativity could be opened, and what artist doesn't want to risk that?

  So, that's one of the ways I get my kicks when I'm not painting. What sort of things do you do when you're not doing your usual thing?



 

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use.

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Making the Most of Art Supplies

Making the most of supplies is crucial, considering the cost, but it can also be a step to furthering creative exploration. When I have paint left on the pallet after finishing a painting I use it. I keep stacks of small sheets of thicker than usual (110# acid free) paper on hand to create "waste pages". This paper will warp if too wet so with acrylics it's best to move quickly with big strokes to cover the sheet for future background use. If there's still paint left over I grab another sheet and have at it. It's freeing to feel so wasteful, using up sheet after sheet in a careless way. It's also a great way to unwind after working on a serious project that maybe required concentration; it takes painting back to a fun place. This can be continued until the watered down paint is only a wrinkling stain on the page if desired. Then, the real bonus comes in the treasure trove of potential art that can be discovered in those waste pages; backgrounds for smaller paintings, ACEO, book markers, collage and scrapbooking material, postcards, paper mosaic, etc. I've even had that pallet mud brown -- you know the color when all colors are muddied together -- turn out to make a terrific wood grain when torn into strips for a collage painting.

Image 1

 Here is an example of one of my waste pages in action. I'd finished working with Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylics. I brush scribbled a general abstract pattern onto the paper using the colors I had leftover, (see image 1).



Quite some time later I wanted to paint the antique tea roses that grow outside my studio and found this waste page to be an amazing match for a composition that was already sitting in a vase on the dining table! The resulting painting, titled Tea Roses in Little Vase, has a greater depth and spontaneity than it would have been able to achieve if I'd started with blank white paper. I really enjoyed the ease of having a background already prepared too.

Image 2


Buckled pages can be smoothed later by flipping over onto a smooth table top and wetting. Use a 1" to 2" wet brush and start from the center. Don't stroke back and forth too much or the paper will stretch out of shape. Just wet it evenly until the paper lays smooth and flat onto the table. Place one or two sheets of an inexpensive thinner paper like a 30% post-consumer recycled copier paper on top and weight it all down with heavy books for a day or two. Once the paper is dry it should lay flat for use as a painting or drawing background, sitting flat inside a frame later.



Image 3



Another bonus to using up extra supplies comes in the challenge of only using the leftover colors at hand. In this little self portrait (see image 3) I had a lot of blues left on the pallet and a half dried chunk of white not wanting to be wasted. Glancing in the studio mirror I quickly grabbed some lines with the loaded brush.

 Because the main goal is to use up the paint my brush was allowed more freedom than usual. The resulting image was a good deal more moody than I felt at the time, and more stylised than I'd perhaps have expected, but that's what adds to the fun.

So hold on to your pencil nubs and scrape the pallet clean for creative ways to gets the most out of your art supplies and get the most from them!

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use.

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Drawing on Change

I had interesting studio time yesterday. I discovered Digitally Imported, which is a site that offers continuous play music -- radio stations without the annoying commercial breaks. There are several ambient stations so I chose a "trippy" Psy Chill then moved to the studio area. An atmosphere was created and it allowed me several hours of uninterrupted focus. I did a drawing exercise where I tried to create a scene from memory and then later allowed for some free flow drawing. The second exercise ended up being a quite detailed combination of two scenes from memory, rather than random free flow drawing. I found it interesting that the pose and scene are similar to paintings I've done in the past, and the figure has a combination of my features with those of someone I know well. This seems very similar to something we do in dreams -- making combination characters. I can't say it holds any particular meaning as a symbol, but is likely the effect of simply being familiar with the forms and values of the imagery.

Another point I found interesting was the style of drawing I'd chosen. I'd reverted to a rendering style I used years ago, in my first full studio. I enjoy the return of drawing in this manner and hope my hand will carry it through to painting as well. Back then I had a greater freedom of space than ever before and everything in life was just about perfect. I was eating up everything art with unstoppable enthusiasm. The atmosphere was charged for creativity and relaxed enough for deep focus. Of course that eventually changed, and the shift was dramatic. That a style of line from back then should come through in my drawing shows that internally I'm feeling much better about my personal environment and healing is reaching a deeper level. I'm very happy that I can say I had moments I'd consider as nearly perfect bliss, but recovery from an extended bought of non-bliss has been a rugged challenge!

Above is a corner of my first full studio, crammed full of projects for the photo.

Life affects an artists art, and it was bound to show through changes of line and style. Though I was already aware of that fact, it didn't stop me from getting frustrated. There's a nasty cycle that goes a little like this...

Something traumatic and depressing happens in life. The artist wants to feel better so seeks comfort from the act of creating art. But because this thing that happened caused the artist as a person to change, the art results change; maybe there's a difference in line, brush stroke, something just doesn't seems to work right. Guess what? That's depressing, and that sense of being bummed out builds upon what was already there, intensifying the depression. During such times it's not uncommon for artists to render with a more tightly reserved type of line than with a relaxed confidence. This can make the person feel as if they don't know how to do it anymore. Some may even think they've "lost the touch" and give up art altogether. The painter Milton Avery said that such persons were never really artists in the first place and they probably made the right decision to stop waisting time. A true artist pushes through those down times, the dark times when creativity or skill seems to fail and the individual is plunged into near struggle rather than finding release in art work. When life relaxes the art work will follow. This is simply a cyle of growth, and it happens in ALL of the arts.

This isn't to say I'm not pleased with any of the work I've produced lately; I don't devalue any of my efforts or triumphs. I felt a familiar comfort while drawing yesterday that had felt lost to me, entering nearly a trance like state of being. Expression through art had become like a religion, offering transcendental numinous experiences; feeling a connection to the Divine. It was like I'd lost faith and it now had returned. I'm trying not to be overwhelmed by this sensation or get caught up in an emotional high; afterall it's not quite that monumental really. There's no flip of the switch, but it's rather more like a spiralling dial. I find myself back at the same spot but on a different level. Only time will show what effective changes -- good or bad -- have taken place. One thing is for sure -- I enjoyed drawing -- and I'm going to go reach for that experience again right now! ;)

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

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Cleaning An Old Painting

Solutions You Can Use To Clean An Old Painting At Home...
(Oil or Acrylic Paints On Canvas)

• Remove dust with a paint or make-up brush making sure brush is soft, clean, and dry.
• Use your own saliva moistened with a cotton swab.
• Use, with cotton swab, one part of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide to 5 parts of water, especially if mold is present; may lighten some pigment colors.
• Use 1 cup denatured or rubbing alcohol to 1 cup water (= to =) with a cotton swab.
• Gently rub painting surface with fresh Italian bread, without the crust. The kneaded bread crumbles away taking most dust and tobacco grime to the floor; use a drop cloth for easy work space clean-up. DO NOT use bread if mold is visibly present & follow with brushing off any remaining crumbs. Then use either the rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide solutions above.

While browsing an estate sale one day it was announced that all marked prices would now be half off, so without even looking I grabbed a $5.00 antique oil painting off the floor; what a crazy bargain! When I got the painting home I quickly realized they should have paid me to take the filthy thing! Having sat on its side for God only knows how long, over the years someone had spilled something on the canvas. In addition to regular tobacco smoke and grime residue, the mysterious substance had created very dark streaks running left to right over the painting. I knew I probably had a perfect candidate for testing out some amateur conservation and restoration techniques.

Shown at left is the painting after two initial quick cleaning sessions. Clean any painting at your own risk! A professional should be consulted for valuable or insured pieces. When cleaning a painting or canvas surface NEVER use bleach or dish soap, and always test a small area first with any cleaning method. If paint color comes off onto the test cotton swab, with only reasonable pressure, you might have to consider using a different method, allowing some paint loss, or trashing the painting altogether!

First thing I did was to determine whether or not the painting had any great financial value; it could be worth a costly trip to a professional for cleaning. Look at the photograph of the entire painting above (click image to enlarge). You're seeing it after some initial cleaning to remove those very dark streaks, and the photo is a bit out of focus, but even in such condition it can be seen that the artist was skilled though probably not a Master Painter. An inspection of the frame and canvas itself revealed common construction methods used at the turn of the last Century, offering a date between 1880 to 1915. During this time period it was common for well-off folks to take the Grand Tour of Europe, and indeed easel painting was considered a fine activity for gentleman and ladies alike. I figured the piece was likely the results of a genteel vacation activity; painted en plein air. A later Internet search of the inscribed word "Eibsee" confirmed this suspicion when I discovered the location is still to this day a popular site for tourists; a lake in Bavaria, Germany (ironically the region my own family immigrated from). Though there are artists named with the other inscribed word "Koch", none of them match this piece in painting style or skill level; those artists are high museum quality. So I determined it was worth my $2.50 investment to try my hand at cleaning this very dirty old painting.

Frame is covered in bubble wrap for protection.

At first I used a simple Swiffer type dust cloth to remove the initial layer of dust debris. I decided not to remove the canvas from the frame, so wrapped the frame with several layers of bubble wrap to avoid any further damage. Placing the whole package onto my artist easel gave me easy access to all areas of the surface, but laying flat on a secure table top works just as well. I then began testing by first using a cotton swab moistened with saliva. It sounds gross, (the painting is gross already anyway), but spit won't soak into the canvas fabric like water and the acids in saliva break down grime without damaging the paint or canvas like a solvent; Do not drink anything other than water if using the saliva method, to avoid transferring food type substances.
Use cotton swabs, not balls, for cleaning any painting. Notice how dirty the swab comes away just from using saliva in a circular rubbing motion; don't over-scrub, being gentle yet firm in stubborn areas of soil. Hold the swab on its side, as shown, for best results. Work a small area at a time with any moist cleaning solution, carefully dabbing and rolling the swab. Working from left to right helps you keep your place to get the whole job done. As soon as a swab is soiled replace it with a clean one. Cleaning a painting takes time, but it can be worth the effort for a beloved piece.
Next, in an area of very heavy soiling I dipped another swab into window cleaner. Though it removed the black streak, it seemed to lift off some of the paint as well, leaving the surface a bit dull and dry looking. The detergents and ammonia in most household cleaners will likely cause cracking of paint or weakening of the canvas later, so just avoid using them at all in your own project. Lastly I used a mixture of equal parts rubbing alcohol and water, which did indeed remove the streaks but simply didn't remove the more general grime as quickly as saliva. For cleaning most oil paint art dilute a solution of 1 cup denatured or rubbing alcohol to 1 cup water. Always use care with rubbing alcohol and remember that it is a solvent that can remove or fog a varnish layer on a painting and will dissolve acrylic paint. Use undiluted rubbing alcohol only to clean frame glass, but avoid using it on acrylic or other glazing materials. Don't lean directly over an item you're cleaning with this solvent to avoid hazardous fumes, and apply a good hand lotion after prolonged contact with skin.

BELOW: before and after areas of cleaning.

Below, vertical streaks of soiling can be seen in this photograph, lessened in appearance already by a quick pass over with saliva dipped swabs.

I've decided to finish cleaning the rest of the painting by using two substance methods. Using circular scrubbing motions with saliva and swab, I'll quickly remove dirt, as shown by the clean streaks in the lake area of the landscape. For more stubborn soiling I'll use the alcohol mixture. Then, when all is as clean as I can get it, I'll go over the entire painting again gently with the alcohol mix, using a less moist swab this time.

referenced:http://www.mysticgriffin.com/cleaningmoldmildew.htm#180705066

* Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute http://www.si.edu/mci/english/learn_more/taking_care/care_painting.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eibsee
Travel Zugspitze http://www.ricksteves.com/tvr/pledge/castles/chap_bavaria.htm


*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

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Upcycling Cardboard to Fine Art

Recently a fellow artist mentioned the subject of painting on corrugated cardboard, and how to avoid warping or buckling. I enjoy painting on atypical surfaces, and years ago I often painted on corrugated; I have a lot of trial and error experience with the material. First, let me state that art work with corrugated cardboard -- upcycling a refrigerator box to fine art, let's say -- is not archivally sound because the cardboard is going to have a high acid content. Cardboard isn't intended to last forever, but it can be made archivally stable. Good examples of how long art on paper, in general, can survive the years would be the known oil paintings on paper from the early 1700's! If you're going to be using oil paint on cardboard, make sure you keep the "fat" content low, and prime lightly with a bit of gesso if you like. The oil, or fat, in the paint is what would cause possible damage or decay in the future. Though oil won't cause the paper to buckle any use of gesso or other moist primer will. If you'll be working with any water based media then you'll have to be prepared for the cardboard to curl; paper warps with wet media... period.

It is possible to fight cardboard curl, buckle, or warp; plus make ordinary corrugated an archivally stable art material. Starting with a base coat of gesso will prepare the cardboard to better hold on to which ever type of paint you choose. Gesso will also slow acid from leeching through from the cardboard to alter your painting in the future, however gesso is brittle & can crack. A much better product to use as a base coat is clear acrylic gel medium. It's flexible, and it stops the acid in the paper from getting through at all; the acrylic polymers, in effect, create a seal. Liquitex makes an excellent heavy bodied gel medium that can be purchased at most craft & art supply stores, and because it's thick it doesn't warp as much as a base coat of gesso or paint. Oil paint won't adhere well to acrylic gel, so if you're using oil apply several layer of gesso after sealing with the gel medium.

Starting the center of the piece of cardboard, move a loaded brush of medium from top to bottom in a line; reloading as needed. Work swiftly. After applying an even line from top to bottom make another line on one side, then the other, of the first line. Allow the brush strokes blend, or feather, into the edge of the previous line to avoid building up texture that could show through your painting later. Work your way out to the edges, coating the piece evenly. Don't panic if it pulls up like a taco -- let it and don't push it down flat. When the first coat is dry, flip it over and coat the reverse in the same way. The taco curl should lay flat again as it dries because the tension on the surface of the material is even. After the back dries you'll probably want to do the front, then back, again before beginning your artwork. If it does warp while you're painting, keep the moisture level even by lightly misting the back with a spray bottle or re-coating.

If paint gets into the raw edges at any time then that paper corrugated on the inside can cause a warp. The solutions are to either avoid the edges altogether when painting or cover them with paper when base coating. With narrow strips of paper, and the gel medium, the cardboard can be perfectly sealed; acrylic gel medium has the added bonus of acting as an excellent glue! Just one fourth of an inch overlap one each side of the cardboard should be enough coverage. Be sure to "paint" the gel medium all over the strips, and if they slide, use less gel on the brush. Then coat them better after the first layer dries. The raised line of the paper strips will most likely be covered by a frame when the painting is finished. Keep the strips even and you'll have a nice clean edge.



Timber Land Steam Stack

 Unless exposed to very high humidity, or moisture, the piece of cardboard should now remain flat. Very large thin pieces may need some support that can be achieved with a frame and backing board. Covering the raw edges of the corrugated cardboard creates a seal that stops air or moisture from getting inside. Decay from acid oxidation is stopped, making a surface for art work that is archival, ready to be enjoyed for many years to come.

Shown at left is a painting assemblage where the same method was used, but with a full sized sheet of paper covered foamboard. As can be seen by the drips and running of the paint, I worked this very wet. This piece, a scene from the Pacific Northwest in my private collection, is several years old now and remains flat in the frame despite not having rear backing support. Titled "Timber Land Steam Stack", the curling form of a steam cloud is created from a recycled bent wood coat rack with cut out silhouettes of plastic coffee can lid ravens that free float from monofilament. Some of the ravens are adhered to the painting with acrylic gel medium. The bits of wood are wired to the foamboard, and so do provide a bit of rigid support. Coating and sealing the edges, however, is what prevents the foamboard from warping.

Explore and have fun! -- Tree

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

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Nature Goddess Sculpture in Progress

Having been working this new sculpture in stages, I feel it's well worthy of talking about. A working title is "Nature Goddess" because all of the components are mainly natural and the form is surreal feminine. I'm working with a paper clay here that dries very hard and has minimal impact upon the environment.

I began with a chunk of reclaimed marble stone. It had been a garden feature so is a bit brittle and worn. Centering the sculpture on a diagonal to the base allows for the most views of the lovely grain in the stone. I then used a strong adhesive to glue a pine dowel rod upright, and when that was dry I created a support base with the paper clay. While the lower portion dried I worked the upper torso in a similar manner, working back and forth until both ends were set nearly as shown. Then I added a few drops of water to some iron rich fine grain soil I'd collected from Arizona state. I kneaded the soupy mixture into some of the paper clay to then spread it down the tree like trunk of the sculpture. It dried rock hard and offers a lovely contrast to the natural tone of the paper clay; I don't plan on painting the entire piece.

Just last evening I work two additional areas of the sculpture. Wetting the older set clay, I then added a coil of fresh material to the flat back of the head. This portion was then pinched and moulded with fingers and tools to make a loose feather head dress. I enjoy the paper like texture and the way the feathers seem to be falling forward.

The second item added was the Dryad Saddle tree fungus. I'm very fond of how this is turning out, and will likely add a few smaller ones cascading down the base. As soon as the clay was dry I lightly glazed over the fungus (sometimes also called a conch) with a mix of burnt sienna and Liquitex fabric medium. The fluid medium soaks into the surface of the clay well and being thin allows the base tone of the clay to peek through. I certainly plan on dry brushing a bit more color in to make the fungus as realistic as possible while keeping in style with the entire sculpture. I don't plan on adding arms or limbs back on; She had arms at one point but I thought they distracted so I broke them off!

I look forward to sharing the progress of this piece with you all. Any comments or input is welcomed! To see a current selection of available assemblage sculpture, please visit my Etsy store http://www.treepruitt.etsy.com/

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

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Start of Minoan Priestess ACEO Painting

An ACEO is tiny artwork, reproduction or original, in the format of an art trading card. My newest ACEO involves collage again, but a collage of hand drawn images rather than magazine cut-outs. A scan of the drawing stage is included here.

In the center of the card stand the famous Minoan Poppy Priestess, or Goddess. The small statue the figure is based upon holds two snakes in her hands with the heads pointed down, (see image at left). I can't explain quite why, but this feels wrong to me, so I have drawn my sacred serpents heads up. In the sky of my drawing, on the right hand side, hovers a Mediterranean bee in flight. The bottom left shows an upright dolphin, splashing out of the waves of the sea. The lower right corner sits an octopus, referenced from recovered Minoan pottery, and fitted curling into the tiny scene, (shown at right).

When working with paper, it's important to be careful with the graphite. Too much graphite from the drawing pencil, and eraser marks, can stop later paint layers from sticking to the paper, often causing a blurb or muddy looking spot. A spray fixative will stop all migration of graphite, but textured papers can still be difficult to get a clean erase. Pressing too hard when drawing will leave indentations, so a light pressure was used. Notice on the left hip of the figure is out of alignment. Due to the heavier amount of graphite, and the small work space, I'm going to need to correct those lines with paint later. This would have been avoided with better planning before getting started, but this was one of those instances inspired by doodle play; I didn't really know what the picture was going to be when I began. Anything in art can be "fixed" with skill and an open mind, knowing the inward mental picture must be altered to the action taking place.

The first layers of thin paint will pull on the drawing lines and mix with the graphite. With care this can be used to create under-painting tones of shadows and highlight. Fellow artists may find it interesting to note that Prismacolor Pencils also mix slightly into the paint. Notice in the background I've lain in a light color tone of blue and green pencil. The paint softened the pencil strokes and filled in the bumpy textured areas of the paper surface. This was achieved by thinning an already thin bodied acrylic paint 50/50 with clean water. A small medium bristled paintbrush is loaded and white paint floated onto the paper. Working a small area before it dries, the paint is lightly scrubbed into the pencil pigment blending it about; this works with all water media. Each layer after that will be more opaque, and the graphite will mostly disappear to the eye. By keeping early paint layers thin, paper buckle will be avoided, and later thicker strokes will stand out (pop) giving greater depth.

These are methods I use for any sized image on paper, and indeed often when painting my Spiritkeeper Stones too. I wouldn't have considered myself, in the past, to be a painter of miniature art because my Spiritkeepers are something just outside of art to me; being closer to a spiritual experience. I don't think much about size when painting on rocks, but it is obvious the tiny world of art collector cards isn't all too different. Hopefully you'll enjoy seeing how the Minoan Priestess ACEO turns out.

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

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