I wanted to create a hibiscus next but not a typical red, yellow or white. There's a very strangely colored hibiscus in my parent's neighborhood. It's enormous and in shades of lavender blue and sherbet orange with a fuchsia center. She's extra and a perfectly odd choice. I also wanted to try carving out the background to change up what I'd done so far with flowers.
After carving out the background, I started with a bright lemon yellow followed by orange.
Very early on this was reminding me of the Brady's set and the daughters late 60's early 70's wardrobes, and it was quickly named "Marcia Marcia Marcia". Next color, bubble gum pink.
Final Layer of the flowers before the leaf colors. The periwinkle blue or lavender blue (dilly dilly). I was a little scared at this point that perhaps I had made an ick color scheme mistake.
But when the avocado green saturated into it, I loved it yet again.
Going through my photos for this one I somehow missed documenting the mixing of the two green layers. I think I was rinsing my tools in the sink when I remembered. Shoot!
"Marcia Marcia Marcia"
6 Color Layers / Edition of 11
The next block began in another composition in May and titled "All the Single Ladies" with a carved out background and each flower apart. I liked the colors but not the ladies apart, it was just too much negative space around them. It no longer looked like a reduction but separate carvings put together. So "All the Single Ladies" became "Ladies in Waiting" in June, I started over with a new block and new composition, I added their leaves and put the ladies together in a garden. Because aren't we waiting together? I'm not all by myself, I've got ladies around me and extra foliage now too.
I began with the torch ginger as it has white lined petals. And PINK, which I realize now that some close shade of this had made it into every relief accept "In Florescent".
Orange was next because it's a key color in the Parrot Beak heliconia. I decided to trim the Caribaea Heliconia as well. Sure the one in our garden is trimmed in yellow but...artistic license. Also because I was omitting yellow on this one.
The third layer was bright red. Now this shouldn't be the next layer because it's difficult to cover and I had a lot of layers to go. However the Torch, being trimmed in white, will fill in with all the other colors making red difficult later, so it was a judgement call.
Because I just shot myself in the foot, color mixing wise, by using this bright, I just cut my finger with my fancy Japanese carving tool Red. I actually did do that on this one, my FIRST cut and thank God it was not the deepest. Quick rinse, peroxide and waterproof Band-Aid and I was back in the wood working room with a sharp blade in hand.
I decided to go with Mint Green next which kind of gave me a blank slate for the next two greens... Also I really like this mint green. It will make a more best supporting role in a future piece. And let's be real, probably alongside pink.
Art Deco Green and Kelly Green.
I never do this one-handed! ;p
The leaves and stocks of the Torch leaves are a deep wine purple.
Think Malbec. I realized I'd be shooting myself yet again if I went with it next but I needed the background color to be last and I needed a wine red (think Pinot) to be after the purple because of the big Anthurium and the Torch stock.
THIS WAS A VERY COMPLICATED ONE.
Much like Marcia 3X at this stage I thought...ought oh. As much as I like Wine, I was not liking it in this piece. Totally feeling Jan. I mixed up several colors that absolutely did not work with this red being beneath it. So before I got too frustrated, I stopped, cleaned all my tools and slept on it. The next morning I looked at my test ones and didn't like any of them. I prayed about it and waited for a knowing. There were no tests ones left to experiment on. I wanted a dark green for the background but the previous greens had not covered the red. One even made it very close to the previous purple. But even though it appeared like it would not work, I tried again, mixing up a very bright green then adding a smidge of black.
And Hallelujah, it covered the red! And Finished, 9 colors later. The most layers of any of my previous reliefs...so far.
"Ladies in Waiting"
9 Color Layers / Edition of 22
Gallery BTS…Laying the framed collection on the floor to arrange the wall layout.
I was born smack dab in the middle of the continental united states then catapulted to the world’s most remote island chain. Such was the bold contrasts and experiences I fought against in my youth and gravitated toward as I got older. As a photographer, I learned the art of composition. As an art restorer and resin jewelry creator, color theory. Culminating in the adventure into one of my favorite collected mediums, the block printmaking process of relief. And the challenges and surprises of reduction reliefs.
What a Relief part two…
While walking the mastiff around the property in my pajamas in the early Am mist I stumbled upon my next subject. And I had to begin immediately. This has been the beginning of each process so far. I see something and I have to carve it that moment. There has been no “hmm I’ll think about it”. I see it and start that day.
What had captured me was the lily white and cream bloom of a monstera and the bundle of fruit beside it. If you haven't tasted the corn on the cob looking fruit of the monstera, it tastes exactly like pineapple and banana mixed together. Some fruit flavors shouldn't be mixed together.
The hooded part is actually called “the inflorescence” which holds the spadex of tiny blooms. Inflorescence, from Latin inflorescere “to come to flower, to begin to bloom”.
I began by carving the hood then the spadex. The first two colors, cream and lemon yellow were barely visible on the paper.
Next I carved out what would remain lemon yellow and inked up a lime green.
I carved out what would remain light green then inked up a sky blue.
Dry time in between layering color.
Next I carved out the background and inked up a kelly green. I was quite ecstatic with these colors. Kind of amazing all the colors you can create from just using blue and yellow.
After Kelly, I mixed up a darker version for the 7th and final layer. But after sitting with it awhile I decided to embellish the spadex with a little painting. You could see the different layers really close up, but hanging on the wall it looked like a white circle in the middle of the monstera leaves. It needed a little oomph. I added some shadow and detail to the spadex.
Title “In Florescent”
(“bursting into bloom”).
7 layers of color Plus embellishment, Edition of 11
The torch ginger was always going to be part of this series. When you cut a flower and carry it, it’s hard not to run and pretend you're carrying the Olympic torch. We have two patches of torch ginger on the property.Gorgeous and dramatic are all stages of the 'Etlinger Elatior' named after a botanist and the Latin word for ''tall'. Creative like our wild cats Mama Kitty and White Foot.
Every petal is outlined in white, it was made for carving. London and I discovered Pink ones on one of our adventures last year. Barbie pink. They didn’t look real. And apparently they also come in white?!?! I haven’t seen those in person yet.
Though some ginger are ornamental, these are actually edible, comparable to lemongrass. I don’t think I’ve tried them. They are popular in Thai cuisine though so maybe I have and just didn’t know it. I also read a case study in the National Library of Medicine where they found extracts from the white one stimulated collagen production and wound healing and extract from the red had a number of anti-aging effects. Incredible!
And who of you by worrying can add one hour tohis life?And why are you worried about clothes? See how the lilies and wildflowers of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin wool,yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory and splendor dressed himself like one of these. Matthew 6:27-29
After carving out what would remain white, I mixed up a fruit punch pink.
Only a portion of the buds would be pink then it was on to red…strawberry? Or perhaps Supergirl red.
I now had to switch to greens but throwing a bright green on top now would not be a pretty mixture so instead I tried sage/army green first, since the stocks have some.
Now I could switch to bright green for the surrounding foliage.
I thought about doing all greens but then created this fabulous blue somewhere between an Azure and Cerulean and said yes.
Title “She Carried a Torch”
8 color layers, Edition of 11
Next up "Marcia Marcia Marcia" and the currently in progress "Ladies in Waiting". Art is imitating life. Come back soon!
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