Creative Tallahassee

Forever Spring
Connie Betterley
fiber

I counted four fiber pieces and more than 20 photographs among the 40+ works in the Creative Tallahassee 2013 exhibit at City Hall Gallery through April 29. Yes, there are lots of exciting digital photo techniques  -- but fiber and paint and sculpture and ceramic and wood also offer unending possibilities. OK, OK -- I'm being petulant. City Hall Gallery is bright and welcoming, and maybe there'd be more fiber art if more fiber artists (myself included) entered the competition. Here's a little of what I saw the other day. Some of the photos are tilted, but I decided to include them anyway. For a level look, go see for yourself!

Blooming Brown FieldAva Prebysfiber

River Triptych

Mary Jane Lord

fiber

Flagler Beach Pier

Roger Raepple

digital photography

Red, Black, and Gold #1

David Maki

Acrylic

Little collages

I loved making this little collage for Rebecca's birthday.

acrylic paint, cotton, silk and tulle 

Finding Florida

We heard T.D. Allman, author of Finding Florida, speak about his newly-published history of the state, at Barnes & Noble Wednesday night. Allman was born in the Tampa area, but made his name (to me, at least) as a New Yorker writer. (also notable reporting in Vanity Fair and lots of other great venues.)

Clark didn't want to go at first, but he relented -- then took a seat smack in the center of the front row. Not where I like to be. So I began to cough -- no, not on purpose! I always cough during meetings and wherever else I don't like to be. -- When I got up for some water, Allman was genial.

An engaging speaker, Allman seemed surprised at the crowd gathered around him. He rambled in a friendly way -- that he lives in France,  has several homes,  speaks a handful of languages (including Nepalese from his Peace Corps days), and is brushing up on Spanish so he can appear lucid in an upcoming Univision appearance. He wasn't big on specifics from his book -- just indicated that it's probably going to offend some people who like the going story, saying that documents -- not oral history -- back him up. His blunt overview last night makes me want to read his history of our state. Besides, I just liked him. He wears suspenders.

Writing on stone

A couple of weekends back I attended a collage workshop with Amanda Wilke at LeMoyne. She taught us how to do lithography. I don't see much future in it for me. But whenever I say that, sometime hence there you'll find me, immersed in what I first rejected. So I paid attention to Amanda.
After she showed us, we did it ourselves.

Once I took a printing class -- for an entire semester I studied ... well ... something about making magazines and newspapers out of paper and ideas. Some info I stored;  most I shed. But I do remember that lithography means writing on stone. OK, now you've got me, Amanda. Can't do that with my iPad! Amanda assured me there are no stones involved. Any flat surface will do, so long as you can put greasy ink on top of it. The greasy ink prints, while the rest of the surface, being kind of wet, rejects the ink. That's the general idea of lithography, isn't it, Mr. Gutenberg? Oh, that's not your thing, Mr. G? Listen to Amanda then:

Lithography (Wear gloves)

Materials: glass, oil paint, gum Arabic (art supply store or order a big one from Graphic Chemical online), stand oil (I forget where you buy that -- probably an art store.)

1.    Find a high-contrast image.

2.    Make a copy of the image on a printer that is not ink-jet.

3.    Brush gum Arabic over the image.

4.    Sponge off the gum Arabic. Be gentle so it doesn't tear.

5.    Mix oil paint with stand oil to get it runny enough to coat the brayer. This is not always necessary. It depends on conditions, such as temperature and humidity. Your oil paint might work all by itself.
6.    Spread the ink on a piece of glass that has tape around the edges so you don't cut yourself. And "work" it until it is right for the brayer.
7.    Ink the brayer.

8.    Put your copied image on glass

9.  Lightly roll the brayer over the image.

10. Put the blank paper (or fabric) on top of the image. Roll with brayer.

11.    Sponge the image.

            12. Remove from glass.

Am I missing a step? There's only one way I'll find out -- by doing lithography on my own -- soon.

Azaleas

Azaleas inspire. Who knew I loved bright pink? I was working on a green piece, and it turned pink, thanks to these blooms knocking at my studio window.