Visualizing

Fortune Cookies, Study for Collage, by Ruth Zachary©

Imagining new art is the first step in manifesting it.

I recently left an invitation on my Mission Page to viewers, other artists or visitors to this site to comment, suggest techniques and to interact with other artists on this site for an exchange of ideas. Perhaps visualizing an ongoing commentary was the first step in manifesting that too.

And maybe the first step is for people to simply comment. Someone named John recently left a comment on the site, which was highly complementary.  Apparently he was responding to an older post, "SUBJECT TREATMENT: More on the Line"  He liked the post and the blog in general.

To John:  Thank you so much. Your comments are very encouraging!

Creating With Collage, Part 2

Winter Concert, Views 2 &3 in Progress. Mixed Media Collage, size 24x30" by Ruth Zachary. Final Version not shown.

Process of Collage part 2 -Winter Concert

The arrangement changed from the original concept as I went along. (See the previous post)The top and bottom were darkened, while the sides were lightened with acrylic grays, and tissue paper layers were applied over that. I do not use colored tissue papers because they are not colorfast. For color, they are painted with acrylic pigments.

Not satisfied with the composition at that point, I took a photo of it, and imported it back to the computer. Having worked close up and on a small scale for quite some time, I find it difficult to see needed changes when working on a larger scale, unless I experiment first with a smaller version, as on my computer screen.

I proceeded to copy small sections from the original layout and to arrange them in the side panel areas over the gray, turning, flipping and rotating to get something I liked. Repetition helped to tie the sides to the center, and touching the edge promised to anchor the center to the whole. I copied the small sections to one document to print out for the final layout. Adhering these to the panel, I attempted to maintain the sense of movement while retaining quiet areas at the edge to separate the image from the frame.

Check out my new blog, Ruth Zachary's Mixed Media,  which is intended to focus upon my Abstract Art, Patterned Field Landscapes and Geometric Compositions. 

This blog will continue to feature my Women's Heritage Art, Symbolic Photo-montages and Vintage Photo-montages. Techniques for all of my work, explaining Mixed Media Collage and Montage Art, as well as Abstract Compositions will also continue on this blog site.

Images and Writing are the © Copyright  of Ruth Zachary.

Creating With Collage

Study for Collage, Winter Concert© Ruth Zachary

Process of Collage  - Winter Concert.

The name refers to the black and white stripes which remind me of piano keys. The other colors are deep and almost somber, like winter, but warm, like being inside on a winter evening.

Some of the papers originated years ago, when I began saving papers that were the result of cleaning my print making rollers. The papers were newsprint, something I would never use in collage because of the high acidic content. Still the patterns and textures were so intriguing I couldn’t bear to throw them out. But imported into the computer, and printed on good papers with colorfast inks, the image will retain the details and hold up over time. These textures can be seen in the background grays of the composition.

This and other patterns, both geometric and organic, were layered one over the other in Photoshop. When some rich shapes and textures emerged, I cut them apart and arranged them on the computer. The first result could be seen in the long narrow image, and I planned to work from that.

Among various gessoed panels, none were long and narrow. I picked one, sized 24x30” to leave equal space at the edges. The collage would be mounted over a pre-painted dark tone. This separated the image from the frame, even though the borders would later include more elements. The creative process continued as the papers were cut up to be rearranged and adhered to the panel, using clear acrylic medium.

This is part 1 of 2, to come later.

All images and writing are the copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

"Virtual" Housecleaning

Laura's Refrain. Study for Mixed Media Collage.  © Ruth Zachary 2010

Dear Readers,

Today, I started another blog, because my work has been evolving over the past year into abstraction as a style. I will not be abandoning my other forms of expression, but I plan to separate the more abstract work from the forms which contain more realistic subject matter. The heading on the new blog includes “mixed media art”. As yet, It is not complete enough to come up with a search on Google.

My web site at www.rzachary.com will continue to feature Montage imagery, as will this blog, with more recognizable subjects. This is an effort to meet the needs of people looking for my work on line, so they can find what interests them most.

Eventually I may have a second website with the abstract work on it, but I am not very proficient with these programs, and my months away from the technical side means I can’t build a website as quickly as I can a blog.

Today I have done some “virtual” housekeeping, and am removing files from this blog which seem less relevant. I have removed most of the poetry, and eventually will transfer the purely abstract imagery to the other site. The emphasis for this site may also change to address techiques and methods for montage composition.

Note: Many of the images I have for the web are “studies” because the process of creating the final work results in a changed version. That is the nature of collage. When finished I will take a photo of the final image, but in most cases, final photos are not yet available.



All writing and images are the exclusive © Copyright of Ruth Zachary 2010.

Being Part of Your Art Community

DeJaVu, A Backward Look, Acrylic Collage with photo images, 20x24." $400.

A Dynamic Art Community Needs You.

If you want to be part of an exciting art community, it is important to give of yourself. Take part in the events, and give it your best effort. What you offer will have an impact, large or small! Talking to other artists has the potential to affect the attitudes of the Area you live in.

Friday Night, I attended an art opening for the Greeley Art Association show, Art from the Heart, held at Showcase Art Center. The show will be up until Feb. 26.

I was very excited to see the wide range of styles, media and subjects shown in the exhibit, something different than other GAA shows I have participated in during the past five years. To me, the change meant that the community of artists here is becoming more dynamic and reflects a growth in ability as well as increased openness to new ideas. I believe it is partly because more artists have followed their own path toward individual styles and modes of expression. I talked with a few artists that I had not met before. It was quite exciting. A wall-to-wall crowd visited the open house reception.

I have been involved in many different artist’s groups, coops and communities since I began my full time art career in 1977. I think it is good to have a good variety of approaches offered by different artists. Another positive factor is to include pieces by artists who are at different stages of development, if there is space. What happens is stimulation between contributors, creating mutual cross-fertilization of ideas. When this happens, there is almost always a growth process for the community of artists as a whole. The influence of this process also tends to evolve in a kind of Regionalism for a particular city.

In the city where I previously was active, Kalamazoo, Mi, there had evolved a regional trend of Surrealism and or Symbolism. Abstractions also took their place among the Impressionistic Landscape images. Printmaking and Photography were also very strong.

I am not advocating any particular style of expression for Greeley. I am pleased to see an atmosphere of openness so that freedom of expression is encouraged through acceptance of a variety of approaches. I am hopeful that an increasing dialogue between artists will occur here. If a different regional character of art emerges in Greeley, the artists who work here and in the areas around Greeley will influence that. It will be exciting to be a part of it.

Creative Process

I had the pleasant surprise of being awarded two ribbons on pieces I entered. All three pieces represented the direction of work of the last year, which I feel is moving toward a synthesis of several different ways of working, which has evolved for the last thirty years. One piece includes faces integrated into an abstract composition, “DeJaVu”. The other is completely abstract, titled, ‘Shape Shifting, Unbeing Myself.” All three pieces were acrylic collage; using papers adhered to a gessoed panel. Two incorporated photographic imagery layered in Photoshop within an abstract background, printed with colorfast inks on acid-free paper. I attempted to interpret broad conceptual ideas using a montage of images. I used experimentally painted textural papers and layout papers also. The composition was adjusted in the collage process, including fading some areas, painting over, removing some, and adding geometric shapes. The third piece was titled “Dream Fragments.”

Writing and Image are the Copyright© of Ruth Zachary.

NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL

Flight of Imagination. Computer study for Collage

Not a Dress Rehearsal

I don’t want to act as though anything is different than it is. The only acting I want to do is to act as if I am the person I most want to be; the artist I most want to be in the present moment. That kind of acting is practice, not pretending.

Hi, Readers,

I hope you have not given up on me. I am happy to report my Eye Doctor says my Surgery went as well as is possible, and I can look forward to improved vision. I had two cataract surgeries in December, and am trying to limp along with my old “readers” since I must still wait for a new prescription for glasses.

The new year often stimulates new plans for an artist, and after a year of not planning much, I am anxious to get on with it. This week I started experimenting with Photoshop, to take up where I left off almost a year ago. The above imagery is a piece in progress, working with layers and making experimental adjustments to the mode and the opacity oprions of the layers. If you like experimenting, you might try this. I used painted textures, painted imagery and photos in different layers.

Imagery and writing is the © Copyright of Ruth Zachary

SUBJECT TREATMENT: More on the Line

Landscape With Barn. Study for Collage

Approaches or treatments of a subject, can be applied to parts of the whole, or to the entire subject, or to the picture plane layout. Emphasis on line can be one approach to subject treatment.

In the above study, straight lines are contrasted with organic lines in the picture plane. The verticals and horizontals define shapes that are easily "read" as architectural shapes. Although diagonal lines exist here, they do not imply depth. Only the placement of geometric shapes above each other suggests possible three dimensional space, such as is seen in primitive painting.

In my current Series of work, my goal is to explore abstraction and composition, and to not attempt to depict a recognizable subject (at least in the beginning).

The geometric shapes were created in a children's program, Kid Pix which alters the imagery within the format with random generated options. Using geometric options, I saved one version and imported it into a Photoshop document and layered it over an experimentally created painted background. Sections of the geometric design were removed, and others retained. I chose to emphasize several shapes, including the barn.

Generally, in my current Series of Abstractions, however, I have deliberately destroyed recognizable shapes or images. I tend to become entrapped by recognizable imagery and unable to sacrifice elements which are counter to creating a better composition. But for now, I am trying to stay true to my purpose of becoming less dependent upon realism, in order to develop a better sense of pure composition.

The mind interprets visual information from the natural world, whether it was purposely created or not. Confronted with total non objective imagery, or abstraction, many viewers feel some discomfort. Impressionistic abstraction which resembles the familiar world is usually better received.

If one looks at the image of Barn on Marsh Road in my post of Jan. 13, the diagonal lines of the roofs are created by perspective and the viewer "reads" these as structures receding in space or distance.

Santa Fe Adobe.

This small painting, which combines a rendering of a large adobe structure, was designed with an overlay of grid-like checks. I began that series to learn how much three dimensional information must be retained in order to "read" an image as a solid recognizable form. Using checks is not unlike altering the surface texture of a landscape with spatters, drips, brush strokes and knife impressions.

The grid would normally be completely two dimensional. To enhance the building shape, I turned the lines of some grid surfaces to those matching the angles of the adobe walls.Vertical and horizontal lines often imply architecture, but in addition, diagonal lines often suggest depth.

What I learned was, the grid arrangement had to comply with and enhance the realistic image in order for the combination to be successful as a composition. Textures or patterns may be exciting, but they do not in themselves make a finished composition.

Other lines, such as Crosshatching, Gestural or continuous (scribbled) lines, parallel lines, and many other uses of line can be used to define the surface of the subject. When these lines are built up to create texture, they may also create shading, which also can imply three dimensional space. This shading and tone, or light to dark value, also defines depth. The direction of the line upon the surface of the subject helps define its form, contours and depth.

Extended Line

Some artists have used the lines of a subject’s boundaries, and extended them.

Architectural forms easily lend themselves to use of the extended line. Lionel Feininger’s work was largely characterized by the use of line to define space and dimension. He used perspective, and diagonal lines to inform the viewer about implied depth his forms occupied. He also extended lines to divide and organize the two- dimensional space within the picture plane.

Images and writing are the Copyright of Ruth Zachary.

SUBJECT TREATMENT: LINE

Daughters of the Earth. Pen and Ink.

LINE

Line is probably the most primitive method of creating shapes, maps, or writing. The mind recognizes the edges of shapes as they stand out against a background. Lines are formed by edges of things. As children we usually made a line indicate a shape or several shapes to make a human form, a house, the ground, a tree, and the sun, before filling in those shapes with color.

Line as a way of indicating a subject has evolved through the ages, so that lines and dots also form tones, shadows and suggest three dimensions even though we draw in two dimensions.

The Phoenix Always Rises. Pen and Ink

Line does not have to be limited to black on white. If you find line a natural way of expression for you, try using color. Try widening your lines. Draw in pastel, crayon, or the side of a 2 " square piece of mat board dipped in watercolor. Make lines and areas of color with the square of mat board. Think of using white on black or on a deep solid color.

Scratch board is a chalk coated board which if colored with inks can be scratched through, making white lines, looking like pen and ink in reverse.

Lines can be painted with a brush. Go back a few posts in this blog (Dec. 29) to look at the bottle still life, which used outlined shapes and solid flat shapes shaded in with paint to suggest dimension, without much modeling on the surface. One object was modeled in three dimensions to create a contrast and draw the eye to that focal point.

When looking at objects in a painting or in real life, notice the contours and boundaries. These are lines which have direction and movement. Lines draw the eye in the direction they point toward. The goal of an artist is to keep the viewer's attention inside the picture plane long enough to see everything you placed there. Controlling the lines in your composition will help to do this. Lines with the most contrast are the most noticable.

Diagonal lines tend to create an illusion of depth, or perspective. Diagonal strokes behind a figure give the impression that the space behind the person or object is not flat, and when used on the the figure will imply the figure has dimension, as well.

There also needs to be a place where the eye may comfortably leave the frame if desired, or quiet places within the picture plane which create a sense of peace, or a welcome place of rest for the viewer.

Writing and Images in this blog are the property of Ruth Zachary.

FORMAT SHAPES AND DIVISIONS

Atargatis. Chine Colle. An example of vertical divisions within a horizontal rectangular composition. Notice the horizontal fish border at top.

Most picture plane surfaces are rectangular or square. Placement of your subject within these shapes is related to the success of your finished composition. If you are depicting realistic subject matter, your choice of placement in a horizontal or vertical orientation is important if you are to present your subject to the best advantage. If your work is abstract or non-objective, you can make the work fit the shape.

Where the focal points are located within this picture plane is also important.

As mentioned in the last blog post, it is possible to vary the shape of your composition within the picture plane by creating various format shapes within the outer picture plane boundaries.

The space within the picture plane shape or format shape may be divided in some general ways:

•Rectangles and squares. Most compositions will conform to a rectangular or square shape with either a Horizontal format or Vertical format.


Format Division
Within the inner format shape, the space may be delineated and characterized by Horizontal, vertical, diagonal or organic divisions, or a combination of all of these. Generally the shapes within the composition characterize these kinds of divisions, even when they are organic,
or represent the major boundaries of the subject.

Barn on Marsh Road. Mixed Water Media. This composition uses the diagonals of perspective to divide the picture plane. The shorelines, the barn roofs, reflections and receding foliage create the illusion of depth, and also lead the eye into the distance.

Other kinds of format divisions:
•Geometric Grids and diamond grids can be used to divide the picture plane.
•Other geometric shapes, triangular, hexagonal, etc.
•Circular, arched, or oval shapes.
•Organic divisions.
•Combinations.

Bridge. Created in a children's computer program, KidPix, and later enhanced using Appleworks and Photoshop. Note how the geometric compostion remains 2-dimensional in spite of many diagonal lines throughout.

Images and Writing are created by Ruth Zachary and are not to be copied without her permission.

DESIGNING THE PICTURE PLANE

Picture Plane shapes

The usual picture plane shapes are rectangular, vertical, horizontal, square, or sometimes round or oval. If a bias develops for one shape, it may be challenging to arbitrarily work with another shape. Some artists even create irregular shapes for their picture plane, perhaps to accent an element depicted.

It is possible to create a specific shape within the given picture plane, leaving a neutral boundary area around the main composition. Again, Format shapes may be geometric, circular, rectangular, organic, symmetrical, assymmetrical, or may spill out of the picture's inner boundary, as in the image below, Chameleon.

Summer Lace. Collagraph

Artists are accustomed to planning art on paper knowing it will be matted when framing. Matting can be used to alter the compositional shape. When creating art on a board or canvas, it is also a good idea to create a quieter area at the outer edges of the composition, to visually separate the image area from the frame.

Format shapes can be designed on canvas, board and paper surfaces, either in advance of working, or afterward. They can be circular, oval, arched, notched, rectangular, combination shapes, organic, etc. as with the above listed possibilities.














Chameleon. Computer Photo Montage.

It is possible to incorporate a composition which falls within an organic shape, as with the etching below, Damselflight. The lower area contains less imagery but the top is more active near the edges. This piece is always presented with a mat.

Format division as another approach to design. The picture plane can be purposely divided into segments for another effect, and for a new design challenge or approach. They can be geometric or organic. This can occur with both realism and abstract work.

Even if the format is not obviously separated by lines, the elements within can still form divisions within the picture plane. Divisions can be geometric, or they can be organic or a combination of both.

Damselflight. Etching

I'll Never Come This Way Again.
Watercolor and collage.

Consider the various options for dividing the format of a composition. Divisions help to organize elements into an order which can make the whole more interesting to view. Look at format shapes and divisions in galleries, art shows, note cards, architecture, and book illustrations. Consider using some of them.

The next blog posts will feature illustrations of different kinds of format divisions.

Images and Writing are the Copyright of Ruth Zachary.