Handmade Paper Jewelry

Flower Garden Pin and Earrings set, 35.00 Sold

Lily Pond pin, 20.00 sold

Forest Walk pin and earring set, 35.00 sold

I've added handmade paper jewelry offerings to my web site and Etsy store.  Stop by for a visit!

handmade paper Seascape Painting Process continued

Rolled Seascape (2009).  

9 x 9 x 1.5 framed.  Handmade paper, 75.00

Rolled Seascape II (2009).  

9 x 9 x 1.5 framed.  Handmade paper, 75.00

Ordering Information

handmade paper Seascape Painting Process continued

Have been photographing small works that I had custom framed a year ago.  My framer friend Ron, whom I've been working with since 1997 saved miles of scrap moldings for me and made small frames that would fit these paintings, which I nicknamed "tiles" because they are square (how original!).  Anyway, this is one of my favorites.  It's a small painting, but I love the sense of the whole sea it captures in such a small space.  ordering information

Seascape Tile (2005). Handmade paper.  Tile: 6 x 6; framed: 12.5 x 12.5. , 150.00

Handmade paper Seascape Painting Process continued

Handmade paper seascape sculpture (2010).  22 x 11 x 3 (framed in custom made shadow box stained oak frame under glass).  250.00.

This photograph shows the painting immediately after over-beaten pulp has been added.  The pulp is still wet, thus the shinny reflection on the surface.  I add several colors at once, unblended, for the sandy path.  The unblended colors allow for a more natural appearance (sandy versus too smooth and over-worked).  The trick to working from nature is to let the subject breath through the work.  Never try to direct the painting too much.  Allow the work to have a voice of its own as it moves toward the completed state.  This can be tricky for novice artists who want to test the boundaries of their talent.  But, leaving a work slightly unfinished and raw encourages the viewer to participate more in the painting and gives them an idea of how the creative process works. 

Handmade paper Seascape Painting Process continued

Crashing Waves (2010).  Handmade paper diptych, each panel 24 x 18.  2400.00.

I've always loved Renaissance art and the Diptych (two panel painting) is one of my favorite compositions.  In this painting, I have attempted asymmetry by having the waves plays off of one another-the waves on the left do not copy the waves on the right, but rather respond rhythmically to one another.

Now we’re making progress!  The addition of the greens which mimic the fauna of this environment push the composition forward.  I can see already that this composition will need colors added to it, i.e., artistic license, such as purples, reds and oranges, to boost the impact.  These colors will compliment the greens and browns replete in the painting.  

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Netherlandish Influence

I am working on two new paintings that are smaller versions of this one. Jacob van Ruysdael is one of my favorite artists. His division of the canvas into 1/3-with the sky taking up 2/3 of the space is masterful. Very difficult to make "sky" such an intricate part of the composition.

Handmade paper Seascape Painting Process continued

In this handmade paper painting, created in 2010 from cotton and abaca pulp, each 12 x 24 inch panel contains enough energy to carry the image, and yet at the same time compliments the surrounding panel. Available: 4000.00.

Handmade paper Seascape Painting Process continued...

After the layers applied in the first two illustrations shown above have dried, I re-grid the surface of the painting and add more detailed information that follows the composition of the original photograph. Notice the brown shapely lines that move through the evolving composition. These new lines act as guides for applying the next layers of pulp such as the green mounts of fauna shown in this image.

The painting shown here, completed in 2009, is entitled North Shore Scape III, 20 x 20 inches and is mounted on 2 inch gator board, no further framing required.

Handmade paper Seascape Painting Process continued

In this image, the water has been painted and a pinkish color added to the horizon line of the sky. I use “overbeaten” abaca for these areas. When the abaca fiber is beaten in a Hollander Beater for approximately 10 hours (instead of the more typical 1-2 hours, thus the name overbeaten), the cell walls in the abaca fiber break down and release a gelatinous substance that makes the fiber syrupy. This allows the fiber to be applied more like oil or acrylic paint instead of more bulky cotton fiber. Cotton cannot break down like abaca because cotton does not have a cell wall, thus it will not release the gelatinous substance and remains bulky no matter how long it is beaten.

Handmade paper Seascape Painting Process continued

Wow, does this look ugly! The under layer of a handmade paper isn’t much to write home about. Here, the basic composition is being planned out. Note the grids that separate each section of the painting. I use red china marker for the larger squares (the painting is 40 x 20 inches, the red marker divides the painting into 10 inch sections, four sections horizontally and two sections vertically). I use green marker to divide the red sections in half (in this case every five inches) and brown marker to divide the sections into quarters. I match this grid pattern on the original photograph on a sliding scale and color for color. The green line that moves across the painting horizontally is where the water line will go.

Handmade Paper Seascape Painting Process

figure 1

This blog explains the process I use to create my handmade paper paintings. In this case, the painting I will create is of a seascape which will be included in an upcoming exhibit at Cove Gallery on Cape Cod. Using cotton and abaca (a fiber from the inner bark of the banana tree used in industry to make tea bags due to its remarkable wet strength), and pure pigments that are light-fast (they will not fade), I will explain step by step how I create the painting. The photo shown here (Figure 3) shows the painting in its embryonic state. A mix of cotton and abaca beaten for 11/2 hours in a Hollander Beater (figure 2) was used to create the 40 x 20 sheet. The wet pulp was poured onto nylon screening and allowed to dry. The purpose of using the screening is that it will grip the pulp as it dries thus preventing it from warping and shrinking. Uneven shrinkage is a common problem in handmade paper art. A basic outline of what will become the composition has already been applied. The original photograph (figure 1) which I took during a recent excursion to the Cape Cod National Seashore acts as the inspiration for the painting.

figure 2, Hollander Beater

figure 3

Looking forward to Cove Gallery exhibit

Have been making panorama images from separate photos to be used for paintings for the Cove Gallery exhibit. This one of the National Seashore at 8:00AM when the place is largely quiet and empty of people is a winner and will most likely be made into an original painting.

Cape Cod Travels

I spent last week on Cape Cod searching for inspiration. I explored new terrain and ventured into areas I had not noticed before. After 20 years of photographing Cape Cod, I was surprised at how many new places I found that brought me delight and energy. I will be using some of these images as benchmarks for new paintings. An exhibit of my work opens in August at the Cove Gallery in Wellfleet. I will be posting in progress and finished work that will be exhibited at the gallery.

Latest Work-new seascapes

I just finished these two paintings. I might add more color to the large painting-40 x 20 inches. The square painting, as yet untitled, is finished. They need to be ready for my exhibit at Cove Gallery in August (www.covegallery.com).


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Photos from Cape Cod Photo expedition

Spent last week on Cape Cod photographing new areas for future paintings. I had never been to the Fort Hill area-beautiful. Also took some nice photos of the Massachusetts Audubon in Wellfleet. www.megblack.comwww.megblackprints.com

Summer Seascapes

Here are two of my latest seascapes. (Left) July, Cape Cod National Seashore (2011). Handmade paper, 30 x 22. (Right) August, Cape Cod National Seashore (2011). Handmade paper, 30 x 22.