Season of the Sun

Even before I got minor heat stroke playing Ultimate at high noon on the hottest day of the summer so far, I had suns in my artist's mind's eye. Now I'm cleaning out the garage, which caused me to unearth this half finished monster from two summer ago.

 

It's around 48" x 85" on heavy plywood panel. Sometimes I stop with a piece when I really like where it's going. Which sounds odd. But actually makes sense. You see if something is not working then there is motivation to make it better and keep going. But if you get to the "half way point" and suddenly really like what you've done, even though its not really where you thought you were going, then you suddenly feel like, 'Hey, do I finish what I started out to do, or do I go with this new energy.' If the right path does not present itself I can find my self in paralysis about how to proceed. This is usually why something gets set aside for while. I'm not saying this is the best way to work, but its an honest assessment of how I sometimes do work. Look for a follow up before the end  of the summer to see where this went.

New Physical Alchemy

New Assemblage gallery added

 

Kubada Pagoda and River Maiden Symmetry, 2006, As they look on the wall

So what is Physical Alchemy?  When I was doing lots of the Digital Alchemy pieces I would often find myself in complex discussions with viewers trying to explain the layering process I used in the digital work. At some point I thought. 'I should just do a physical example of what I'm talking about as a visual aid. Little did I know I'd get so enamoured of the process. Traditionally pieces like this can be called mixed media, or more aptly, Assemblage. This is my least delved in genre by number of pieces, partially because they are very involved and take a while to do. This might be why they are often the most satisfying pieces when they're done. I've added a Physical Alchemy Gallery in paintings section.

I am acutely aware of the fact that I don't have an undo button when I'm working on these pieces, or if I do it usually involves industrial sanding, hammer work and maybe starting over from way back in the process.  No easy bifurcations here. One piece in the gallery, Chinese Summer, sat on my desktop for maybe three months in loose pieces, while I tried to figure out if I had the right combination of elements, color, proportion.  It's hard because once I get into the actual 'gluing and screwing it down' I end up improvising and changing, so I have to 'leave room' for that process as well. I've got a few half baked versions in this genre in the basement and in the garage, awaiting the sandblaster and inspiration.

 
If you think I'm kidding about the sandblaster, I've actually got one and it's great for distressing and deconstructing surfaces. In fact I'm threatening to get it out and set it up again.