Monday, March 30, 2026

 Writing About My Work


Yesterday I started putting my recent collection into individual resealable clear plastic bags - the kind that greeting cards sometimes come in.  It was a nice chance to take another look at all the pieces I have created this year and notice how my work is evolving. 


Although I am enjoying the current look of the work and the process I use, I am always craving novelty and growth.  I was able to see how I've made some small changes that feel like I have improved the final product.


One big change is that instead dragging the ink in straight lines horizontally and vertically, I have started curving the lines.  I also allow the ink to sometimes leave trails as I go across the page - this happens when I don't put sufficient ink down to make it from one edge to another. 

I'm looking at a framed piece I own by calligraphy artist Timothy Botts which is hanging in my studio, and I see exactly those same effects in his background: curved lines and trails of insufficient ink.  I never noticed that before!


Another change, or evolution - is that I am decorating the backgrounds so much more than I used to.  I remember, in the early pieces, I would think to myself, "That's enough," after adding a few marks here and there.  Now I keep going and although it might seem busier, I think it really adds more interest and texture.  Plus, creating surface design just makes me happy.


I seem to have favorites in each of the sizes I'm working in.  I wont list them here because I don't want to share every thought that comes into my head.  But after putting most of the work into plastic sleeves, I'm feeling like I could work more in the 9x9 size. I think I really prefer the square shape at the moment.  I recently bought some 11x14 bristol, which I could easily cut down to 11x11, so that might be in my future, also.


I need to upload all the scanned photos of my work, and get scans made of the last four 5x7s I finished last week - and then I can post photos of what all I have been talking about here.  But as part of my homework, I have been assigned writing about my work, so here I have done that. 

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