New Hooked Wool Drawings

2012 #14, hand dyed wool and egg tempera on linen, 14 x 13 1/4 in.

Here are two new drawings, the one below a two dimensional design, and the one above adding an illusion of three dimensional form. A couple of months ago I did a piece that departed from my usual flat shapes, adding a bit of volume (you can see it here), and I think I'll continue with that from time to time. #14 seems quite funny to me, with a stolid upright rectangle alongside the bulging one; I'll leave the metaphors to you, and they are many I'm sure.

2012 #15, hand dyed wool and egg tempera on linen, 16 1/2 x 13 1/4 in.

In this work, the curves of the arch have broken loose, making lines hither and thither. The color was inspired by the Indian miniature below. I keep a small shelf of art books in my work space, books that frequently provide ideas on color or composition. When I was doing the color sketch for #15 I pulled out my book Wonder of the Age, a catalog for a show of Indian painting at the Met, which I wrote about here. In one of my favorite paintings by Golu, there is a luscious deep purple, lit by golden trees; the reds and blues enhance the effect of that purple, a color a designer might describe as "aubergine". It's quite a journey from a narrative Indian miniature to an abstract textile, but I feel strong ties to this work and much else from the long history of art. 

Golu, The lover prepares to depart; Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh, ca. 1710-20; opaque watercolor on paper; 6 7/8 x 10 5/8 inches.