Perils of Clear Tar Gel

10"x10" panel, acrylic, 2 stencils. This is the last of my 'witness' series as well as my summer materials exploration. I can see wonderful uses for clear tar gel...one being the ability to pour a thin or thick line. I used my bent paper cup pouring on most everything. On this piece I used the tar gel in the stencil colored with red oxide denoting separation from my shadow birds. Also used ordinary acrylic for the other stencil of cream and yellow. I look into my trees and see shadows of birds living out their simple lives....I hear them much better than see them. Wrapping up these three, I used tar gel, acrylic encaustic and crackle paste...anyone of these will show up in later work.

I've closed up my oil painting studio on the deck and converted it to acrylic. For years I was an oil painter and for a few short weeks (only warm mornings) I tried to return and for me it was trying to step back into the same place in the river. I have acquired art making habits and acrylic offers me the best opportunity to create. I gave it a fair try and used new gels and driers but for now, it's back to acrylic. Starting new work using both inside and outside studios...possibly more abstract and leaning on my journal and ongoing meditations.

When I first moved to the beach as a widow, I ordered from Daniel Smith (art supplier), a huge stack of Rives BFK paper. I especially like it for printmaking and mixed media. In my dramatic moments I told myself when I'm done with the paper...I could easily be ready to die. I'm now on my second large order of Rives along with a 4 inch stack of assorted papers given to me from a friend's studio. I guess I'll stick around awhile longer! ha