Artist, Designer, Traveler, Writer, Photographer

PAINTINGS AND WORKS ON PAPER 2008-2012

The posts have given an account of the most recent new work which focuses on the use of staining and small dots and marks of fluid acrylic on canvas. The rather obsessive marks follow a similar method in the previous work, which I refer to as “Webs And Threads”, comprised primarily of works on paper and paintings, using the “stitch-mark”, a motif derived from a stitch developed in “The Threads Project”.

The first of these new paintings were influenced by travel to India and the gorgeous colors,  patterns, and embellishment of Indian textiles. “Dreaming of India” is a triptych which was followed by paintings inspired by satellite photographs taken by NASA of Namibia. These are “Delta” and “Red Delta”. “Tidemark” uses a staining process also found in earlier hand-dyed textiles using fiber-reactive dyes on silk. The accidental “tidemark”, usually considered a fault, inspired a similar approach using fluid acrylics on canvas in these new paintings.

Included also are works on paper, “Corona” and “My Country”, both created on my favorite, Okawara. “My Country” has the addition of crushing and wrinkling to add an interesting “terrain” to the surface.

The 60 x 40 inch painting, “Lush”, fulfills my wish to work on a larger scale.

As 2012 continues, so do the dots and staining processes on canvas, with “Viridian”. The dots seem to reference the obsessive stitches in many of the Threads Project pieces.

MIND'S EYE 2012 Acrylic/Okawara paper Approx. 35 MIND’S EYE 2012
Acrylic/Okawara paper
Approx. 35″ diameter

As a post-script, July 5, 2015: “Mind’s Eye” is the first of three circular works on paper. (See New Work 2013-2014). “Mind’s Eye” is stained with fluid acrylics, much like the early textile dyeing on silk produced unique patterns. The search for shape and pattern led to the circular design and the use of gold fabric paint with a thick viscosity also refers to those earlier silk designs.

6 responses

  1. Andrea Gara

    Nancy, I love these new paintings, the colors are wonderful.

    April 13, 2012 at 8:35 pm

    Reply
    • websandthreads

      Thanks so much Andrea, and thanks for taking the time to comment. I never thought I would enjoy painting as much as my first love drawing, but seems to be happening!

      April 13, 2012 at 8:52 pm

      Reply
  2. nga smith

    I had never loved acrylic before but I just love your painting. Do you have to wait for 1 color to dry before you put another one down. I wish I live near you so I can learn from you. Thanks for sharing.
    nga smith

    May 14, 2012 at 3:36 am

    Reply
    • websandthreads

      Dear nga smith,

      Thanks for taking time to comment. Have you been painting for long? Are you now painting in oil?
      I have used Golden Fluid acrylics because the creamy consistency gives me many options on both paper and canvas. This is especially helpful for the staining part of my paintings. I do wait until one layer dries before going over, but the waiting time is short with fluid acrylics. While you may not realize it, there are often many layers of color on each piece. Best wishes for your work, Nancy

      May 14, 2012 at 7:53 am

      Reply
      • nga smith

        Hi Nancy: I have only tried to do watercolor painting with no success. I think I should start playaing with acrylic on cotton fabric: my purpose is to paint something abstract, simple so I can do some stitching. Thank you for sharing. nga

        May 20, 2012 at 4:13 am

      • websandthreads

        Dear nga, I am impressed that you have read every post on Webs And Threads. It certainly is the greatest compliment that you find my blog informative and instructive. As you can see, paper and cloth are really the foundation for my work. I’ve used all kinds of paper but my favorite is called Okawara. I buy this in a very large size, 72 inches by about 40 inches. So far I have only been able to find this at Daniel Smith in Seattle. I have used less expensive watercolor papers for mounting more fragile works on paper and for sewing some of the earlier “Threads” pieces. I love using Golden’s fluid acrylics because they can give the effect of watercolors or can be added to various acrylic mediums. I have experimented with many other papers over the years so it depends on your project. Sometimes just using a new paper or paint will open doors to new ideas for your work. I like the idea of combining stitching with your work. Good luck with that. Have you subscribed to Webs And Threads? You will always get the latest post if you do. Thanks again for your comments. Nancy

        May 20, 2012 at 8:27 am

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