I spent about 5 weeks - all of November + a bit -
immersed in the evolution of this mixed-media - collaged and painted - commissioned piece.
It was a windfall of a commission with only the most general of parameters:
>> Tall
>> Not a Landscape.
and a general agreement on color palette.
Otherwise, I was offered the rare gift of FREE REIN! :)
Muse Number One
As for inspirations, this piece was easily inspired by my 'patron', 'M', herself - tall, elegant, oozing warmth and élan, she was a most bountiful muse! A beautiful enigma of luscious, exuberant opulence, and quiet, percolating earthiness.
First, soon after 'M' had proposed it, I made these two little sketches:
throwing down the the basic elements/feel of the composition that was asking to manifest - the tall verticals, the pods, some sense of flow.
And then some words!
How appropriate that words would insist themselves in this inception - words are 'M''s world! She is a playwright. That is how I know her.
I first became aware of her when I attended one of her plays. I was so overwhelmed by the whole experience - the profound acuity of relationship portrayal, as well as the beautiful acting and amazing singing, that I sat and cried for a few minutes when it ended. I later met her at another of her plays, and over the years had built a sense of her that always felt kindred and inspiring.
I never ended up incorporating any words into the final piece, but those two words, right at the beginning, seemed so perfectly to auger my own eager anticipation of all the possibilities ready to unfold: I had a sense of the composition I wanted to see manifest (the sketches above ); an idea of dimension and surface*; and a sense of the palette that I wanted to incorporate **- AND >> I was itching to introduce my other muse, another most enchanting inspiration >> Hypholoma capnoides. (see below)
I was really ready to bring some worlds together. :)
I next slapped down some basic colors/design elements:
on my nice newly stretched and primed canvas.
I know! Crazy, eh?! From that to this:
??!!
During the weeks of production, I took a photo at the end of every day's progress,
and made this little video:
I was a few weeks into the piece, and I knew I was going in the right direction
when I saw this photo that the very stylish 'M' had posted of her new dress!
.
Validation!
My Other Muse
Mushrooms. :)
Specifically, the wondrous sight
of all these hundreds of clusters of Hypholoma capnoides mushrooms***:
Detail of lower half of collage:
These clsuters were spotted at the base of a huge uprooted pine earlier this fall:
Detail of upper half of collage:
Now... The upper half of this collage doesn't evoke tree tops to me as as much as it does planets, alien flora, bubbles of euphoric air...
I almost always include bits of sheet music/notes somewhere in my collages -
I had found this wonderful brown wrapping paper with music on it
right as I started in on this piece!
I started seeing the patterns and colors it was birthing reflected in everything!
Like this ancient Minoan mural:
Very resonant with my patron's rather goddess-like gestalt.
And I liked the addition of the blue to the earthy palette.
I did include a few touches of blue; one here:
Unfortunately, I snapped pix of almost none
of these other validating echoes and inspirations.
And the few I did think to take, like this one of the pretty tree 'lace':
or these delicate, feathery remains of flowers:
dull a bit in revisiting...
How 'bout this play of sunlight and shadows on the wood
of our 1911 Victrola?
I don't recall much of what else I wanted to say re: what went into the building of this piece -
the amped-up pace of the season has distracted me as I've been trying to capture my thoughts!
I do know that I was happy the whole time I was 'working' on this piece.
It was an engrossing daily conversation, and many wrenching exercises in editing!
I fretted at times that it was so busy, so teeming down below, but as we arose, unfolded, unearthed, it all quieted and opened, and everything was just as it should be. :)
A most warmly nurtured part of me now lives with 'M'.
____________________
*with the help of my dear and always SO helpful friend, Barb, I stretched a large - 48"x 19" - canvas.
**I knew that 'M' - really liked the large triptych that spreads across one wall in my studio:
We agreed that those earthy golds and oranges were very appealing.
***see more photos of these beautiful mushroom clusters in the Addendum to my November Postcards of the Month post!
Addendum - Winter XXI
(December's Postcards of the Month)
At the same time that I was 'working' on 'Unearthed",
I was also in full production mode on this year's Winter postcards
(which are also December's Postcards of the Month).
It came to me quickly, and I was very happy with its rather Japanese feel,
but I have nil to further say or show re: inspirations for this compostion!
So...
The Fixin's
The Movie:
The Steps
Yes - This new brown music paper was much appreciated this production month!
I thought it was finished,
but at the 11th hour decided it needed this final, clean-lined horizontal.
A panel of 21 of the 190 postcards that I made this year:
(not all were sent!).
Fin.
