New Transfers

I had my first meeting with my mentor last week, and it went quite well. It's so helpful to be able to talk to someone about what I'm doing, and to get an objective view. I think I'm in a good place overall. I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing, but I'm not completely lost, thankfully!

One of the things my mentor recommended was to gather different materials and do some physical collaging, verses my usual practice of combing things digitally. I just did a transfer today onto illustration board. I have never used this process this way before. I knew it was a possibility, but I always just assumed if that's what I wanted, I could just stick a porous substrate through the printer. This affect is actually quite beautiful though. The pigments sit above the surface in a luminous way that I just love!

These photographs don't show the luminance, but the idea is there:

 

I also drew a grid pattern on the board before I preformed the transfer. My original plan was to cut out parts of this grid to layer with other images, but now I'm hesitating because I enjoy the surface so much. I'll go for it still though. I can always repeat the process if I prefer it.

Voyage to the Moon

It was kind of like an epiphany. The past month has been frustrating for me. I've been experimenting with different approaches to my art making, but nothing has been striking a cord, so to speak. I sat down with my laptop and decided just to put a couple things together. I almost immediately created an image I was excited by. In the past, the digital aspect has always driven my work, so it should be little surprise to me that I was suddenly struck with several different ways to present the image.

It's a definite step towards simplicity. Often my composite images are over fifteen layers, and this one is about three. I originally was thinking of using it for a large mirror I have. Then I began to think about doing the image on several pieces of glass to fragment it, and layer the glass over the mirror. I haven't made a decision yet. I'm considering the moon as a motif. It has appeared in my art several times. In this image in particular, it relates to the tides, and conveys the sense of change, of things being in flux, and showing a sense of time.

This is a second image that came together quickly. Usually, this is a good sign for me. Art that comes together quickly is more intuitive, and less overworked.

The moon also reminds me the 1902 film, Voyage to the Moon, which was referenced in the 2011film Hugo. Hugo is a narrative about a child who lives in a clock tower in Paris, and through a series of events, discovers his past is tied to that of the early French filmmaker and illusionist George Melies.