Slowly

Used a nail punch to score lines into the surface of the panels which were then used as guides for a cube pattern.

Random combination just to see what the new pattern looks like next to image.

Initial fabrication is now done on the 15 2x4's and 18 2x2's. 

Now it's time to set the nails, putty the holes, sand, prime and sand again. Hopefully two more weeks and these will be done. 

Work: 5-31

Last night was spent exploring further configuration possibilities with the new triangle panels along with some sanding. The non-traditional format really helps these paintings feel like objects, surfaces to collect marks, document images and to stand as a testament to time. My father likened these paintings to plants in a garden, once started they need tending, pruning, nourishment and the inexplicable degree of grace from God to become something. I like that. No timeline should dictate their completion only that they consistently be tended to and allowed to grow with integrity and God's grace. Than at some point when they are ready, they will be done.

Bad photo, I apologize. Looking at a variety of different types of panel and "wedge" sizes here. If you note the sliver of tan/blue wood that separates the top square panel from the rectangular one to the right of it. That is a result of having to fill in extra horizontal space created by pairing the two vertical panels in the lower left corner together. I'll need to craft an additional wedge to fill in the remaining half inch gap on the far top left side. I like these drastically smaller elements which could provide hits of color and contrast. Quilting with paint and wood. Currently 73"x72".

Considering Alternate Panel Formats

For some time now I have been considering if I should depart from the strict confinement of the 2x2 and 2x4 wood panels and begin to work in different supports and sizes. Above is a sketch of sorts pulled from a few things around the studio.

The cloth in the upper right corner is a scrap from the arm rest of the couch I had in college. 

 A lot of old t-shirts are used as rags in my studio and gather random paint marks. I decided to stretch one last night to see how it looked when combined with the wood panels. I like the original graphic still showing through.

Detail of the wood and cloth juncture.

One Panel, May 2010 through Feb 2011 — Continued

Continued to work on this with the top panel for a day and then separated the two to see how the single panel felt when alone.

Working with the addition of some cerulean blue for shadow tones really seemed to help balance out some color. 

One Panel, Progress From May 2010 through Feb 2011

The following images show the life of one 2x2 panel which was begun on May 19th 2010. There are several images missing from around late October when my hard drive crapped out on me and I had failed to back up a few weeks worth of in progress shots. 

This panel felt good at this stage and I considered it done for several months until it lost something for me and I felt like I had to go back into it.

This is a VERY bad image, but is the only one that documents some of the patterning/ sanding and varnishing that took place before I began painting on top of everything this past week.

In an effort to keep the documentation of the history alive the patch of pattern in the lower left hand corner has been purposefully avoided while reworking the image on top. Too forced?

For some reason I have been focused solely on this image for the past 3 days.  Not sure why I feel to urge to resolve this panel or to fit it into something, but that is what I have wanted to work on in the studio this past week. The addition of the top panel was an effort to add some surface to which I could apply paint that would more accurately describe the crop on the source photo.