abstract landscape class…

This past weekend I took an abstract landscape class with Patty Hawkins.  I have long admired her work and knew I wanted to study with her.  While  it is always good to meet other artists and hear about their perspective on life and art I don’t take as many workshops as I once did as I have pretty much found my way.

Yet workshops challenge me in unexpected ways!  I have a fabulous studio custom made to my specs. I don’t share it with anyone or anything.  For me to work in a small shared space with all sorts of distractions is a challenge but one well worth it this time.

I have lousy depth perception when it comes to making art so my many attempts at horizons have often been curved…the world is round, no? So it was a great delight to consider abstract ways of constructing the landscape.

I chose this photo of Lake MacDonald in Glacier National Park for my starting inspiration. I am not going to include the fisher-person and boat as the leafy branches provide enough interest for me. 

This is a black/white/gray fabric prototype of the photo.

I have completed the forest and one of the mountains in the background using a Hundertwasser mosaic technique.  I am next creating more mountains as I am leaving the dreaded water reflection to last.  If I can conquer my reflection anxiety then I have a lifetime of fabulous images from which to work!

Because I cannot work in a totally cluttered area I spent this morning finishing up some things in progress. I finished sewing a stack of embroidered linens together to paint and made cloth storage bags for the new recently finished works. Now my  studio is free of that clutter and ready for me to create new clutter as I press on (pun intended) with this new work. Stay tuned…