Showing posts with label grids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grids. Show all posts
Saturday, August 15, 2020
New Color
Making new color block-printing pieces. I use a small, rubbery block to print rectangles in a grid. I mix the colors as I go along, generally beginning with a bright color and moving towards mixing a gray. Over all paper size 40 x 26 inches. 
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Thursday, April 16, 2020
16 x 12 It Is
At least for this week the 16 by 12 inch watercolor paper seems to be the best option for working at home. I have four Arches cold-press watercolor blocks at that size. Each block contains 20 sheets of paper so I have plenty of material for the next few weeks. Yesterday I moved over to washes with acrylic paint. I have had this idea on my mind for awhile now so I'm happy to get around to it finally. These three are just a start, I began with the gray and the color is a bit of a stretch for me, we will see where they go (if anywhere), but engaging for now.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
New drawings from the last couple of days. These pieces are rarely finished in one day as there are two or more layers on each one and one layer needs to dry completely before adding the next. I do work on multiples simultaneously making the progression a little inexact to track. As I have done in the past when I initially begin a color exploration I start with orange and blue, opposites on the color wheel, and generally making a neutral tone (gray) when mixed.
That is a lot of color and I backed off from the intense chroma. I am using some acrylic paint that I have on hand because I want the color to be permanent once it dries so I can lay on the next layer without disturbing the wash below. In my acrylic paints is a wonderful 'Indigo' color and once I ran across that (drawing above left) I had to make more using that color. I am still figuring out how dense the washes could be, things look more intense as the go on wet and mute a bit when dry. I am also thing about changing the arrangement of the rectangles on the page.
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| Michael McGuire - 3 Untitled Drawings - Acrylic Paint on Arches Watercolor Paper - 16 x 12 inches each |
New drawings from the last couple of days. These pieces are rarely finished in one day as there are two or more layers on each one and one layer needs to dry completely before adding the next. I do work on multiples simultaneously making the progression a little inexact to track. As I have done in the past when I initially begin a color exploration I start with orange and blue, opposites on the color wheel, and generally making a neutral tone (gray) when mixed.
That is a lot of color and I backed off from the intense chroma. I am using some acrylic paint that I have on hand because I want the color to be permanent once it dries so I can lay on the next layer without disturbing the wash below. In my acrylic paints is a wonderful 'Indigo' color and once I ran across that (drawing above left) I had to make more using that color. I am still figuring out how dense the washes could be, things look more intense as the go on wet and mute a bit when dry. I am also thing about changing the arrangement of the rectangles on the page.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Working From Home
I had trouble knowing exactly where to begin working at home during this temporary relocation of my studio. I have a large commission which I work on diligently but I cannot solely focus on that, I don't have the stamina or the concentration. So I have been making smaller black and white grid drawings related to earlier work of mine from a few years ago that I made on panels at the time. My media is Steward Semple Black 2.0 and a white Molotow acrylic paint pen. I up scaled one piece to 22 x 30 inch paper size but am unsure if I like them any larger than 16 x 12 inches.
Lastly I'm posting a photo of the large commission drawing I am currently at work on. You can see my improvised drawing table at home. This month I am so grateful for my fantastic view of Chicago out my window. I draw much inspiration from the city and its' forms.
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| Michael McGuire - Three Drawings - Acrylic Paint and Molotow Paint Pen on Arches Watercolor Paper - 16x12 inches each |
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| Michael McGuire - Untitled - Acrylic Paint and Molotow Paint Pen on Arches Watercolor Paper - 22x30 inches |
These were a few 3D pieces I was working on just before I moved my studio home. Made out of simple craft sticks/coffee stirrers and painted black. They cast fun shadows. The middle piece is based on a Sol Lewitt drawing from his series 'Isometric Drawings'. I plan to make more from that series.
Here are a few other 'Stir-stick' pieces that I had in production at the studio last month. I hope to finish the large one eventually. There is a connection to some of my recent black and white drawings only these are 3D instead of acrylic paint on paper.
Friday, December 13, 2019
New Rubber Stamp Pieces
Between my Holiday cards and a large commission I have had the rubber stamping materials out this past week. As long as I have the process going I thought I might explore a couple ideas I never finished up the last time. Mixing these colors from a fairly basic set of water-based printing inks is always a good exercise. The results below in chronological order.
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| Michael McGuire - Untitled - Block Printing Ink on Arches Paper - 40 x 26 inches |
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| Michael McGuire - Untitled - Block Printing Ink on Arches Paper - 40 x 26 inches |
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| Michael McGuire - Untitled - Block Printing Ink on Arches Paper - 40 x 26 inches |
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| Michael McGuire - Untitled - Block Printing Ink on Arches Paper - 40 x 26 inches |
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
October 2019 Work
A few new pieces
Finished this drawing up recently, it had sat in the drawer half finished for six months. Color study using very optical colors. Technically orange and blue sit across from each other on the color wheel. The blue triangles are a collage element, Arches watercolor paper painted a bright blue.
These three have been in the drawer for a few months but I have shown them to no one. Very Franz Kline derived but conceptually different. I am using the very mat black acrylic paint I have been drawing with for the last year. It changes them as any brush marks completely disappear and the image become purely graphic.
I had the yen to make a few botanical drawings too. I think it was fall moving in that made me want to capture the lush summer that had passed. I worked back into three of them with white.
This is my newest drawing, made just this week. I plan some variations on this theme.
Have I shown you this? Made earlier this summer. I made the drawn part of the piece bleed off the top and bottom.
Finished this drawing up recently, it had sat in the drawer half finished for six months. Color study using very optical colors. Technically orange and blue sit across from each other on the color wheel. The blue triangles are a collage element, Arches watercolor paper painted a bright blue.
These three have been in the drawer for a few months but I have shown them to no one. Very Franz Kline derived but conceptually different. I am using the very mat black acrylic paint I have been drawing with for the last year. It changes them as any brush marks completely disappear and the image become purely graphic.
I had the yen to make a few botanical drawings too. I think it was fall moving in that made me want to capture the lush summer that had passed. I worked back into three of them with white.
This is my newest drawing, made just this week. I plan some variations on this theme.
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Monday, January 8, 2018
New Year, New Work
Bitter cold here in Chicago for the first week of January 2018. What else is there to do but work? The studio is cool but workable, and I have been treating myself to movies and the occasional cocktail with friends. But I have gotten some work done too.
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| Michael McGuire- Indigo Overlapping Grids 3 - Watercolor, Acrylic Paint, Arches Paper - 40x26 inches |
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| Michael McGuire- Tinker Toy Grid 3 - Acrylic Paint, Arches Paper - 40x26 inches |
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| Michael McGuire- Untitled - India Ink, Acrylic Paint, Arches Paper - 40x26 inches |
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| Michael McGuire- Untitled - India Ink, Acrylic Paint, Arches Paper - 40x26 inches |
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| Michael McGuire- Untitled Collage - India Ink, Archival Glue, Arches Paper - 30x22 inches |
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| Michael McGuire- 3 Studies - Acrylic Paint, Arches Paper - 9x12 inches each |
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