December 22, 2010

New Hooked Wool Sketches

2010 #9, hand dyed wool and egg tempera on linen, 12 x 15 1/2 inches.


Here is a new group of sketches, to add to the previous ones, which you can see here and here. It's been a great pleasure to work on these, from the first pencil sketches, to adding color to the sketch, to working out the design at full size. Adding color to the warm linen surface, with paint and wool, as though drawing on a richly textured surface, is very satisfying. The entire process is quick, so I'm able to work through a lot of ideas in a short time. When I look at sketches hung on the wall, I find myself feeling touched by them, as though they are vulnerable and modest beings who might be here and gone in a moment. A friend (thank you!) suggested that I use acrylic matte medium to glue the edges of the linen, and this now more transparent edge emphasizes the thin and fragile quality. I feel that I'm getting at something that I love about abstraction in these pieces, a paring down to essentials, a poetic utterance. Their lightness is a welcome change from the more weighty paintings and hooked ruglets.


2010 #10, hand dyed wool on linen, 13 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches.



2010 #11, hand dyed wool and egg tempera on linen, 11 1/2 13 inches.



2010 #12, hand dyed wool on linen, 13 3/4 x 12 1/2 inches.



2010 #13, hand dyed wool and egg tempera on linen, 13 x 12 1/2 inches.



2010 #14, hand dyed wool and egg tempera on linen, 11 x 14 inches.



4 comments:

  1. numbers 11, 13 and 14 look nearly like words. I love the subtle addition of tempera, it's enriching. I look forward to seeing where you go with this!

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  2. thanks, rappel. I too am interested in/curious about, where I'm heading.

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  3. #14 - first, the painted color in back of the dark wool horizontals looks great next to the lighter wool to the left. Musical notes.

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  4. Words, musical notes: both nice metaphors, but neither were inspiration for these pieces, which makes it all the more interesting.

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