Firestorm Series - abstract paintings

[ibclare]

These paintings were made after the southern california wildfires of 2003 and 2007, specifically in san diego county. Two were made before the fire, the before firestorm natural state.

Oddly, in 2009, I had my easel set up in the garage when we had a fire there. The painting survived. I had to patch some canvas back on, though I could have (maybe should have) left the irregular holes. I haven't finished restoring it even yet. Maybe it takes a certain mood which just hasn't happened.

The before paintings.

Spirt of the Wood (a large paininting almost 5 x 4 feet)


Belly of the wood


Snow follows Fire
This next was my first in the actual wildfire years, and I think it's the best, done in 2003, which I sold for $600, and now wish I had back. But, spread the love . . . I guess, lol. It marks the last of the series, but is the one that inspired all the others.


closeups


Cry of the Sentinel


Silence of the Sentinel


Cascade at the Watchtower


Stand of Three

Embers and Ashes


The Morning After


Descent of the Angel


Rain Dance


Wild in the Canyon


First Frost

 

[Paul]

Amazing paintings Clare, did you stick pieces of wood to the canvas then apply paint techniques to the whole thing?

 

[ibclare]

In addition to acrylic paint (I don't like the fumes of oil paint, though it is so workable for days and very tactile), I used the bark of eucalyptus and ribbon trees, dried wild flowers and chapperal detritus, and small burnt branches of trees.

For The Morning After painting, I mixed dirt and other grit into the paint to effect the ashes and disruption of the groundsoil.

The before paintings, also acrylic, used tissue paper to create the raised and textured areas.

 

[IamSam]

These are spectacular Clare! You have definitely been holding out on us! I love mixed media especially gels and tissue. The textures are tremendous. This is the first time I've seen wood fiber used in this manner. Color me impressed.

 

[Paul]

Stand if three and embers and ashes, likey much.

I have been playing around with similar effects but as yet not completed any, thanks.

 

[ibclare]

AAWWW, you are too kind Sam. Yeah, well this is a Photoshop forum and I haven't seen much in the drawing and painting area, so I was shy (yeah, right) and the photos were god knows where. I found most of them (took some new ones) on, luckily my external drive, which I bought when my PC died a sudden and tragic death. Luckily the geeks (Geek Squad) were able to save all my documents.

 

[ibclare]

Paul, I used a number of mediums to attach the various objects to the canvas. Primarily I used tiling (what's that called? the stuff you paste it down with. I'll remember tomorrow morning), acrylic gloss medium, and even some spray fixative. Oh yeah, some of the paint itself ws used to adhere things to each other, small gobs of form a nice plastic seal. I applied the paint after, yes, though sometimes I painted parts of the backs of things first. Harder to get around the branches and delicate flowers once they are on the canvas.

Much of the paint used was mineral metallic paint, like gold, silver, copper, bronze, and an obsidian like color.

 

[Paul]

I keep saying to my wife i will get back into painting used to be doing it all the time but life gets a hold and bills need a paying you know what i mean, i will being getting my old brushes out now thanks Clare.

 

[ibclare]

Yep, I am also now inspired to finish that other painting and do some drawing. I look at the pen of Wayne and I know I can't draw like that anymore. Not that I couldn't but at this point . . . back to the live model/AKA nudes drawing classes for me, I'm afriad. Why be afraid, you say Paul?

 

[ibclare]

Stand if three and embers and ashes, likey much.

I have been playing around with similar effects but as yet not completed any, thanks.

Paul, when you get to something you like and are satisfied with, will you post it on the forum. I'd very much like to see what you are doing.

I forgot to mention something about the process. Many if not most of the bark and flowers and other small plant parts were very delicate. I coated every thing with matte or gloss medium to protect it and give it a plasticity and flexibility. So I did this to a lot of pieces before adhering them to the canvas or to each other. Sometimes sparyed them first if they were about to fall apart.

Because of the gloss media and the metallic paint, a lot of these are very difficult for an amateur like me to photograph and do them justice, the light bounces around so much. I think you would have liked descent of the angel as much as the ashes and embers. They are the same size canvas, same stretcher size I made for both, and were done in tandem. one being the end of the fire, the other, a beginning of rain and restoration. I gave them to my sister for her birthday.

They are very complimentary, but that is hard to see on many of these due to the difficulties I mention above. Not to mention that I don't have the original ps files at my fingertips and the sizes of some jpegs are so very small. The 2 you mention, those and the descent painting, were the smallest, something like 14 or 16 X 20.

 

[Paul]

Yeah no problem when i finally get to finish one that is ha ha, i just love paintings with texture be it thick oils or as you are doing incorporating other elements.

 

[ibclare]

Paul, what kind of subject matter interests you. Sometimes I think when I am painting again, I will change to something different. When I was doing more photography back in the 80s and 90s, I started a series of "Modern Madonna" (and child) photos. Then I would turn them into drawings then into paintings for my favorite pics. Maybe I will start a new series of abstract madonnas, using a variety of materials, sort of assemblage, but not. Are you familiar with assemblage? It utilizes painting, sculptural elements, found objects, objects out of their usual element, to create an artwork, often 3 dimensional, sometimes collage-like. I would find it interesting to try.

Assemblage in the United States - google search images

The two best known assemblage artists:

Richard Rauschenburg

Jasper Johns

 

[ibclare]

To me, oddball context, humor or rebeliousness, are what constitutes the "message" of this artform.

 

[Paul]

I like some of the assembly typed art not all, the joining of a liquid and a solid to get a message across a bit like humans really.
I love renaissance art the old masters, fond of Picasso and his colours