Cradled Birch Painting Panel

An old favorite paint brush sits ready to gesso a birch panel.

I began a new journey with an old friend tonight by pulling out a favorite paint brush to get started working on my first cradled birch panel. I've painted on birch in the past and really enjoyed the surface, but the cradled panels sturdiness is an exciting new experience! The brush I used is from Baker's Secret and was actually intended for basting food, but I discovered that it held other secrets! I've been using it since it was new for water media so much that the handle has developed patina over the years. The bristles are similar to hog bristle but offer a smoother toothy texture in base coats.

 I began with the panel right from the package. Without sanding I brushed a thin smooth coat of acrylic gesso over the top and sides of the panel, following the wood grain. As much as I want to do this painting it was a tough choice to cover that lovely even birch grain! There are so very many things that could be done with these boards, and I'm looking forward to using pyrography in a future project! The gesso sucked into the raw wood and dried quickly. The second layer that I applied was lain thicker and with random brush strokes to create texture. Once that dried I pulled out a jar of old white acrylic paint. Being towards the bottom of the jar the paint has thickened to a tacky paste that, when applied, brushes further texture out onto the surface. When that dried I was left with a wonderful mildly slick bright surface begging to be marked... I WAS left with it, but that quickly changed as color found its way onto my brush and painting has now begun in earnest!


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

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Dot Line and Scribble

This new painting is an impression of imagery inspired by the 1965 Jazz musical animation short, "The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics" (MGM), which was inspired by a book that Norton Juster had written a few years earlier. The painting was begun just before the passing of influential animator and producer of the cartoon, Chuck Jones, and was just recently finished to a point where I feel good when I stand in front of it. I enjoy what the layers of paint do in the light, in addition to the somewhat whimsical theme. This is one of those instances where I don't care very much whether or not a viewer "gets it". Usually I care a great deal about the final imagery when dealing with art that is Conceptual and/or Representational especially, but when I began this painting I was feeling the unhindered abandon of "Scribble". I'd found a copy of the original book which of course brought to mind the cartoon that had jazzed me up so much as a kid (big Tom and Jerry watcher here), and that was plenty to get the inspirational fires burning for fun. Overall I supposed this painting is/was about self gratification and experimentation... mine as well as the characters in the story.


"Dot Line and Scribble" by Tree Pruitt, 30" x 20" oil painting on canvas.

I wanted to not just paint but to see what the paint would do. The paint rests on the canvas in several layers. At the time I'd begun I was working often with dark under-paintings, so I knew I wanted to play with something bright that time. In some of the lightest areas the gesso of the canvas prime shows through as a matte white. Strokes of slick Titanium White feather over that and into a warm mix of colors with overlapping strokes. This allows the light in a room to pass through those textured layers, giving a sense of vibration. In my photos it seems to look blotchy and dingy rather than shimmery because, though I may photograph a lot of things well, photographing my canvas art is something I've not mastered. At the bottom of the painting a muted green was scraped via pallet knife over the bright layers while they were still slightly tacky to the touch so that they smeared and mixed a bit.

One of the reasons it's taken so long for this painting to feel finished has to do with some of the methods I used. I wanted to be sure of the paintings soundness (no music pun intended there) before calling it as finished. The thick line that passes through the middle (Indian Red) was forced to crackle. Without having an over-the-counter crackle medium at hand I experimented with using a medium that improves paint adhesion, and I also removed some of the oil from the paint (via setting it on absorbent paper) for a fluid mixture. I applied that over the old layer of paint with a higher fat content, then waited for that to set-up. After a few months the line did indeed crackle! After a few more months passed I scrapped at the line with a razor blade to remove any flakes of paint that had cracked up and to reveal the lighter colors underneath randomly. I like the effect. The final touches that were added included a thin solid black line over top of the thicker crackled line. This line of Lamp Black paint was given a high amount of oil (fat) to a mixture of the same adhesion medium. In theory it should not crack, but should remain solid for the life of the painting (knock on wood).

Always a beloved inspiration theme, a bit of a tribute to a beloved artist, and a fun project that I think worked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dot_and_the_Line

"Dot Line and Scribble" 2012 by Tree Pruitt, 30" x 20" oil painting on canvas. *Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to use.

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Assemblage of Thoughts On Bricolage Art

Bricolage [bree-coal-ahj] is a visual arts term used to describe art that is created from an assemblage of everyday objects and/or items that happen to be at hand during the artists need for creative expression. Personally, bricolage and assemblage arts haven't turned me into a pack-rat though it may encourage the habit to hoard... I only save the good stuff. What makes stuff good or garbage? It's hard to say just what it is that attracts an artist to a particular object. I think that the heart of bricolage is that creative impulse though... the need to create or express overpowering the need to wait for more traditional art materials to become available. Rather than create a sketch with a shopping list the bricoleur must look, wait, and jump when the moment is right in order to get that perfect object or flash of inspiration.

 Assemblage art and bricolage are siblings but not quite twins. An assemblage artist often works with the same methods, techniques, and/or materials in each art work with a fairly good concept of how those items will come together before the project begins. This also creates a recognisable "style", often with layers of encaustic wax, thick paint, industrial or architectural elements, old keys and vintage toys as favorite materials of many assemblage artists today (and rightly so because they are cool). The art of a bricoleur however will be unlikely to resemble other pieces created by the same artist to any high degree because the same materials may not be available, and things have to be assembled with different methods for nearly every project. The bricoleur is saying, "I need to make something... now! What do I have?" Perhaps assemblage art stems from a desire to take unwanted objects to make them into something wanted and attractive, whereas bricolage stems from a simple desire to make; It doesn't necessarily care if it's attractive because it just "is" or the artist felt that it simply needed to happen.

"Restrictions" by Tree Pruitt



In my opinion pure bricolage allows a viewer to see the components as they are, but put together or used differently from the original purpose... like using masonry blocks and plywood as a bookcase. Assemblage art often, but not always, embeds or disguises objects by using them as parts of a whole. My own piece titled "Restrictions" is one of my favorite examples of bricolage expression, though the final results were closer to assemblage than bricolage. I'd found myself with an overwhelming emotional need to express creatively while low on art supplies. With just a couple of tubes of paint and some glue in hand I rummaged through the house until I found a thing to use as a base, a thing to use as the actual thing, and then stuff to go over the thing. Only then did I have an understanding of what thing I was going to make -- a confined human figure. I wrapped heavy duty fishing line around a (clean) bed pillow and metal pipe then placed a vintage foam wig form on top as a ready made skull. Upholstery fabric was then wrapped over that and drip painted to resemble a dirty old thing dug out of the ground because at that point I'd taken to the concept of archaeology's mummy bundles, which are often tied and bound in order to hold the body in place. The concept was perfect for my expression though it wasn't present at the start of the project where only the emotional need to express was there. The everyday-ness of the components is hidden inside something that looks totally different from the things that I started with, so that is why I'd consider Restrictions as not being pure bricolage.

"It's Only Natural", Tree Pruitt



A more purist example of bricolage within my own art work is the assemblage sculpture "It's Only Natural", which is composed of objects I found while walking around an old timber mill lot. Here there was no emotional drive to create, but the piece was inspired by what the objects seemed to naturally resemble... or imply. On the reverse side a metal clamp and two rusty bolts hold the parts together while also acting as representations of internal female reproductive organs, once the mind has entered the realm of sex; A special stone that naturally resembles a penis helps the mind wander that way. It could be a statement about sexism, about the timber industry, environmentalism, textures, or just the way things sometimes come together. A viewer can think whatever they like when looking at the piece, but the facts are that the materials are natural (even metal being an element) and unhidden.

Musician Frank Zappa said, “Art is making something from nothing and selling it.” An artist uses many tools, but to an assemblage artist or bricoleur anything can become a tool of the trade, and even the tools themselves can become the art. "Portrait of the Artist" (shown above, digital photograph by Tree Pruitt 2012), is a self portrait created from a combination of tools, materials, and even the art studio environment. In this tech based world of art the camera indeed has become the artists other eye with which to see and show things to the world, and so it is here reflected in an old mirror as the all-seeing-eye. For a portrait of an artist to be true it should show the "hand" of the artist within the work and indeed this image does. In the background there is a thin material that screens away the reality of the studio floor in separation from the "higher" plane of the art work. Are you buying that?? It's really just a picture of a plastic thing and a window screen on the floor, but I think it "sells" as an appropriate portrait of this artist.

Some relevant links...

• What is Bricolage? www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bricolage.htm
• Bricolage Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bricolage
• About.com http://www.bricolageart.com/about.html
• Uncanny Artist Specialty Art Supplies Store http://www.uncannyartist.com
• Art of Bricolage, blog http://artofbricolage.blogspot.com/
• Briant Matheson, artist www.bricolageart.com/
• The Vintage Bricoleur http://thevintagebricoleur.blogspot.com/
• My original art at... http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/ArtistTree

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

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Whispering Buddha

 Yesterday, I sat before the easel with an empty little canvas panel to give brush strokes the freedom to create a design from within. It could have become anything it wanted, yet what my inner self chose to portray was a serene image of the Buddha; I like that just fine. The canvas size is just a wee 4" by 5".

Whispering Buddha, by Tree Pruitt

I began with a pale parchment colored acrylic paint in lazy crossed strokes with a half inch paintbrush. The design has no symmetry, with everything being slightly out of balance to add the feeling of motion when standing in front of the painting; This also expresses the spiritual concept of individual portions creating a balanced whole. I moved to using Titanium White paint, without wiping the brush, and picked up a tiny bit of Thalo Blue (blue shade) to allow natural mixing. Using smaller brushes, I added a tiny bit of Purple and acrylic gel medium for blending. Areas of acrylic paint that do not have gel medium added will drag and sort of pull on a brush loaded with straight acrylic paint. Adding a bit of the gel medium will make the paint slide over previous layers and more translucent, depending on the amount used. The slight shade of yellow to the Parchment color mixed well with Titanium White and the Thalo Blue to create a soft Blue-Green Turquoise for the deepest shadow areas. To play off of that Blue-Green, and add some more warmth, I used a touch of Cadmium Red for the bindi spot over the third eye, and softer still in the cheek bone shadows. Thick strokes of Titanium White add a further sense of motion and greater depth overall for a small painting that glow from all the way across the room.

It's been terribly difficult for me to capture the brightness of this painting in a photograph. This is one of those pieces that really does look better in person. Perhaps I'll try shooting again on a day with better light. I really enjoyed painting in these subtle tones though, so I will likely continue despite having a hard time showing them to you at best.

Visit my Fine Art store for this and other new paintings.

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

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Purple Poppies Painting Method

Purple Poppies is an original small floral painting from acrylic paint and watercolor pencil. Loosely rendered purple poppy flowers and buds, in various states of open, rest in a sunny flowing landscape created by carefully controlled drips and thick wet brush strokes of paint. The composition was first sketched in with watercolor pencils. For this method I prefer using Faber-Castell's Albrecht Durer pencils because of the smooth flowing texture of the lead, which is a bit softer than other brands, and the rich pigments; In particular, a certain blue and an orange will stain a canvas and won't rinse totally away with water washes. I apply heavy wet strokes of acrylic paint, allowing the brush to dig slightly into the watercolor under-drawing. Then added drops of water will naturally follow a path through the thick paint to the watercolor, creating drips that cut through layers while coloring the exposed canvas surface underneath. When thinned acrylic paint dries it can often look chalky, but it's easy to remedy the lifeless surface with a coat of acrylic varnish (I use Liquitex brands) which brings out a glossy richness. It's an exciting, fast paced way to paint that always yields results with character.

"Purple Poppies", 5"x 7" canvas panel board.

This somewhat rare flower was historically used in hallucinogenic rituals by the "Minoan" civilization on Crete and represents the Greek God Morpheus, overseer of visions and dreams.




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

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Carved Willow Magic Wand

My enthusiasm has gotten the better of me, so I must tell you about a wand I'm near to finishing! This wand is designed especially for use in Wicca magic and rituals. Even though my old camera will catch better images in the daylight, I've included some snap shots here. Made of weeping willow wood, it features a hand carved Mother Earth Goddess and pyrography burned symbols. I had a hard time holding back from the fun of adding detail to the human like figure so that the stick didn't become too fragile in the center; it's still as strong as willow can be! The natural under-bark is still in place in areas and some spots have indents that strongly remind one of certain female anatomy that is sacred -- indeed vital -- to birth, and I've accentuated those to emphasize the importance of the natural Yoni like symbols.

There's a lovely light catching quartz crystal shard at the top, but I chose to end the tip of the wand with a spiral rather than a stone. I think the spiral is one of the most important of the Wiccan religious mysteries. The spiral of life is where we often find ourselves in the same places we were in the past, but on a different and hopefully more progressed level or layer of the spiral. Bettering one's self for the benefit of all should be the goal of every Wiccan; this is selfishness through selflessness, (helping others helps yourself in the long run).

On the wand, Wicca mysteries are further alluded to by more symbolism. The tangle of hair the Goddess sports represents the web of life. The open carved space in the middle of the hair is the Center of all being where energy is waiting to be fulfilled to being. The handle portion of the wand holds simple line glyphs for the Elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit; indeed ALL of the Elements were involved in crafting the wand. The reverse side has words the symbols stand for burned into the wood too. At the foot of the Goddess is the double crescent and circle symbol that most commonly represents Her in the Triple Goddess aspects of Maiden, Mother, and Crone.

Wicca Willow Magic Wand

Don't think, however, that only the feminine divine is expressed here. The circle and crescent symbol of the God, often thought of as the Horned God, is directly balanced in opposite to the Goddess sign on the reverse. Wicca can often seem very Goddess centered, but because of the theory of Force and Form the God is always present even if not as visually represented as His female counterpart. The complexity of Force and Form can be summed up as the God provides the force, or driving energy, of the universe and it is the Goddess who gives it form and shape. In this wand the God is present through the sun's energy that allowed the willow tree to grow, the strength in my muscles as I carved the wood, and even the power of change that was required to make the metal hand tools I used. Though the Goddess features most prominently on this wand, I feel there is a good balance between all of the most important Wiccan symbolism.
There's little that's left to do before this 13" wand is offered for sale. I still need to buff on a finish of carnauba wax for a natural muted shine. I like using varathane because it's such a durable finish, but I think that would be too shiny for this wand. The hand rubbed finish will still be water resistant but will also have a lovely tone and feel. After the finish is applied I need to do the "core". This wand will have a magickal core which will work in a similar fashion to a totem animal medicine bag; No whimsical dragon scales or firebird feathers though! I have a very special bit of naturally shed elk fur that I'm considering placing inside the small hole I've burrowed into the handle of the wand. I'll likely consider appropriateness of the metaphysical energy of several other materials too before capping the hole closed with a tiny gem stone, sealing the core inside. It doesn't require much of any given thing to add to the magic because it's simply the blessing of the energy involved that counts. I'm always careful not to use anything dangerous, illegal, or unethical in a magical core -- that would defeat the purpose -- but I won't make final decisions until the action of "doing" is in hand. This is without a doubt the most elaborate wand I've ever crafted! I'm sorry the fun of the project is nearly over, so you can bet that I'm already contemplating another.

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

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Thoughts on Ritual Tool Crafting

It's time for me to set up a wand crafting station in my new art studio space, so I'm a bit jazzed up with energy. I'd recently moved and things are just now getting settled into a peaceful state of some sort of organization. I've held off crafting wands and rattles until the main metaphysical power zones within my living space were established. Having peace and clarity is vital when crafting ritual tools. The time of year is a perfect building point for me to jump from too, as I always have a rather easy time with positive creative energy when moving towards Samhain (Halloween); I'll need creative inspiration to fit another work station into my live-in studio, but I'm confident things will flow well.

I've been having an urge to work with the natural materials required for crafting ritual tools. I've already gone through my packed projects that aren't finished yet, not only to verify they survived the move but also to rekindle the connection to the metaphysical energy of the projects.



Inner guidance told me to wait a little longer though, when I was tempted to start carving on a stick. I thought it was near time to work wands and that suspicion was confirmed recently when I felt what I refer to as a "calling". I felt pulled to a something and so began to look into the matter until I found that I was being called to stones. I've been very fortunate to come upon a large variety of quartz crystal points in which I feel an energy connection! I'm very excited to work with them and discover the paths they will take from my home. I'm positive now that somewhere in the bunch is the perfect stone to top off that stick I'd wanted to carve on until guidance put a stop to my hand. Getting the stones also confirms that it's definitely the right time to create a space for making wands and other ritual tools in my new home. I'm glad because it involves many art, craft, and ritual activities that I enjoy very much! I look forward to showing you all some finished projects very soon. Be sure to check for new releases!





*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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Finished Painting, "Wild Scarlet Macaw"

"Wild Scarlet Macaw", by Tree Pruitt.
11" x 14" acrylic paint on canvas board,
unframed but will fit standard frame without glass.

Please enjoy these first snap-shots of one of my most recent paintings, titled "Wild Scarlet Macaw". The available light sources were poor today, so unfortunately the white areas are a bit washed-out. Color variations and brush work are lost in most of these areas of the photos. At the left, see an example of the painting in a studio frame (frame not included when purchasing).

This unique piece incorporates both realism and abstraction, with Impressionist style brush strokes. The sculpted form of the bird arises from breaking the image up onto five separate canvas boards, the largest being 11" x 14", stacked and mounted to each other using heavy bodied acrylic gel medium. The image twists and morphs over the canvas boards. The edges are painted, and in many areas the design carries over onto another board. In other areas the image disappears, blending into the background.

The overall effect I desired to create was the experience of a Scarlet Macaw suddenly coming into the focus of the peripheral view; to mimic the action of a scene from a memory. The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is a large, colorful parrot. The memory involved a walk through a jungle like path at a public zoo, where I'd paused for a moment without having noticed such a colorful bird right before my eyes! The macaw shook its head, catching my attention, suddenly becoming a keen color contrast against the green foliage. So the bird may not have been actually "wild", but the finished painting offers a wild view! The event made for a pleasant memory and a very enjoyable art project!

*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 Next Stage of Sculpture

We've reached a new stage of development, this sculpture and myself. This is something that is growing, emerging from within and expressing itself outward; like the seed of a living plant. As yet unpainted like the largest conch, I have added a colony of the woody tree fungus. Formed in paper clay, the shapes cascade, as of yet unpainted, down the trunk form. I've always enjoyed the grace offered by such forms within living nature, having spent hours visually honoring the growths.

The task was simple enough, but required time and patience. The paper clay adheres well to itself but I took some precautionary measures. I first moistened the general area where a new growth-like shape would sit. I used drops of water from my fingertip so as to avoid saturation. Then, pinching off a bit of clay with moistened fingers, I gave the piece a general fan like shape. It was then pushed onto the main body, then slid up and down until I felt a grab. Using fingers and tools the new conchs edges were smoothed into a firm placement. At this point I moved on to another piece to allow for some drying time. After adding a second fungus shape I moved back to the first to pinch and push it into a more realistic form. The slight drying time allows the piece to achieve folds, cracks and surface wrinkles that such tree fungus actually has in life. They have dried well enough, having set in the hot sunlight, and I'll likely add a base coat of paint soon to bring the new portions into tone with the larger conch shape.
I'm not trying to imitate Nature, but to represent Her with my own artistic voice. I look forward to sharing what next develops with this piece, and enjoy helping this Goddess image emerge!




*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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