Frida

My latest completed piece "Mirror Mirror #18". Had to include Frida. Will add more thoughts on this in another post. In meantime, off to the vintage store to work today.

More Mirror Mirror

Thought I'd post a few more photos today from Mirror Mirror series. This is from a painting by Frans Van Mieris, Woman Before a Mirror, c. 1670. I'm pleased with the sepia/aged colors, suggesting something old, of the past, preserved in history. This is 8x10 on cradled birch panel. I spent about half a day on this one compared with about 2 weeks (or more!) on the 12 x16 Velasquez images in my last post! Sometimes amount of time is not the key to success. Maybe more just the connection with what you are doing, and for me, some sort of "letting go" and not standing in the way of what comes of it. Yes, the Velasquez encaustics are larger panels, however, the final results did not come as easily for me as with this one.

This series is numbered by the order of their completion in an effort to track my progess. I don't believe at this point my numbering system will really be of significance until maybe I reach #100.

Mirror Mirror #10

Here is Van Mieris original:.

Mirror Mirror

I've been working on a series called "Mirror Mirror" that will be exhibited at Subway Gallery, Bisbee, in October.This series has been fun, frustrating and challenging. I'm appropriating art historical images, making "line drawings" from them in Photoshop, printing them on rice paper and then working on them in encaustic on birch panel. One particular image has really been a challenge! Well, actually, it's a diptych, or maybe just 2 interpretations of the same image. It's from Velazquez's Rokeby Venus. Here are the two finals, or as they are now anyway...

Mirror Mirror #12

 Mirror #13

 Mirror Mirror #12 work in progress.

As you can see the frame and ribbons were a major challenge. A friend suggested I incorporate real ribbon, AND fabric on the curtain. That proved to be unsuccessful. I MAY still add some more pastel color/lines in the curtain....

Here's the line drawing I started with....

 I've found TREMENDOUS VARIATION on my 2 computers as to how the colors in these images look! So, I wonder how colors come through for viewers on each individual's computer???

Okay, so here's the original masterpiece by Velazquez

I've decided I took on a big project starting in a new medium I've been working in less than a year and then taking appropriated images such as this one! The less well known appropriated images have definitely been easier to work with in some ways. Guess I wonder about the whole idea of well-known appropriated images and what makes them work, such as the Mona Lisa that has been appropriated, who knows how many times, such as this one:

 by Duchamp

Maybe as a body of work with the theme Mirror Mirror, the Velazquez images will make more sense. I guess every artist has doubts about their work, but ultimately we must free ourselves up to keep working and grow in the process.

More Mirror Mirror tomorrow.