Flying Redhead

Chiaroscuro

flyingredhead — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:07:29 +0000

Chiaroscuro, an Italian word which means light-dark, is used to describe shading in painting to reveal or conceal form. I love to take apart words, Chiaro, or clear or light. Reminds me in a way of Charro, the tiny hispanic spitfire dancer of the 70s. She was a bright one, funny, happy, sparky. Scuro, or obscured, hidden, shadow. This word got me to thinking about dark and light in others work as well as my own.

Other’s work: Jonathan Talbot, Dianna Shyne, Vermeer, Georges de la Tour

Here Jonathan Talbot added shadow after the collage pieces are set into place. This creates a sense of 3 dimensions where there are indeed only two.

Dianna Shyne allows the terra cotta soldiers to emerge from the earthy background. One can hardly tell where foreground and background begin and end, and the soldiers just rise up out of the field, nearly blending into each other as well.

Vermeer completely obscures the background in darkness, allowing the subject to become the only focus. There is plenty to look over, of course, in the one subject. She herself, fades into the darkness, her clothes, her head wrap and her neck all succumb to the darkness on the right side.

Georges de la Tour, master painter of candle light scenes. Here the foreground is obscured, revealing only a tiny portion of the scene in light. This is so theatrical and focused, and what a mood it creates: the subject’s posture, uncertainty, melancholy, and privateness all contribute to the scene’s drama.

The way I work most often is like Jonathan Talbot, above. I layer materials to create images. In using this method, I’m not usually thinking very much about light-dark in terms of revealing form until the last step when I will choose a light source direction and add some highlights and shading. I tend to be more interested in how the chosen shapes, images, textures all work together on a 2 dimensional surface, and I’ve allowed light and shadow to be an afterthought. So now I’m wondering how different my work can be if I think about light-dark ahead of shapes, images and textures. In collage, it’s easier to just begin and not to plan ahead, but that’s not the only way to make collage work. And who says it has to be easy?

To bring this idea into a psychological realm, I’m thinking about how chiaroscuro could be used for emotional impact, to create mystery, or to obscure edges of things, people, and locations. To blend the edges of people into places, to blend the edges of people into each other. Where can I add mystery, create a sort of co-dependent painting….where do you end and I begin? If our edges or boundaries are in shadow, how can you tell where the edges are? I remember times in life and relationship when personal boundaries were obscured; in a way this ‘connection’ is comforting, but it’s also dark and binding. It took time and lots of talk therapy to change my perspective about personal connections, which has resulted in the way I live my life now, maintaining my relationships as interdependent, not co-dependent. There’s more darkness for me in that co-word, and more light in the inter-word.

“Love is heavy and light, bright and dark, hot and cold, sick and healthy, asleep and awake- its everything except what it is! (Act 1, scene 1)” ― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Light and shadow. In a way, shadow in art reveals as much as light does, in that one can create focus by taking away the usual distractions of a scene by placing them in shadow. Is the glass half full or half empty, or is it half in the light and half in the shadow? Does the half in the shadow even exist? Who is in that shadow, anyway?

Idea sparkler for possible upcoming posts:

Sfumo, or smoke

light sources

hidden edges and edge issues

shades of gray

25 Collage Series

flyingredhead — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:59:16 +0000

I’m bringing back my 25 inches of art for $25.00! Here’s how it works — you choose 1 image and 1 word and I’ll make you a collage!

The collage is 5″x5″ (25 square inches).

Play along with the Flying Redhead!

There are 50 words from which to choose, but I’ll only use each word once (and some are gone already):

enigmatic-SOLD
boisterous
juxtaposed-SOLD
esoteric
Mighty
contemplation
joyous -SOLD
ethereal
sweet -SOLD
contradiction
squiggle -SOLD
insight
Understanding
ponder
flashing
tasty -SOLD
light
winsome
poised -SOLD
Joy!
modern
generous
fleeting
persnickety -SOLD
snake
Grace -SOLD
transformed -SOLD
flighty
transparent -SOLD
uncommon -SOLD
circus
Twirl
buttoned
stiletto
sublime -SOLD
Heaven
melody
pretty
inviting
architectural – Available for sale
wrapped
simple
Mercy
tasty
Grandiose
meditate
peaceful
beautiful -SOLD
Simple
Fabulous

Here are a few of the images to choose from:

Have fun with me and play along!

Link to the 25 Collage Page

Lynette Hensley, the Flying Redhead!

Crossing the Bridge from “Art” to “Product”

flyingredhead — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 06:24:23 +0000

I remember when I first began to consider selling my art. There were a few factors that led to this decision. I wanted to be recognized for the work that I had accomplished, I wanted other folks to like it enough to put it in their homes, and hey, I could use some extra cash! That began a thought process that has taken me on an interesting journey. I’m going to talk about these in some order, though the process was anything but orderly!

First there were practical considerations. Where would I sell the art? Who would want to display it? Where did my art “fit”? How much should I ask for each piece? How much would I actually make and how many of those dollars would I have to share with the venue? How would I get the word out? How much time will this take? How do I balance art making and marketing my work — not to mention the other aspects of life?

Second, there were the emotions. Was I confident that people would like my art enough to buy it? How would I measure up to more experienced artists? How would I feel about rejection? How far will this go–could I possibly make a living making my art?

Third, there was the resistance to actually parting with my work. Related to the emotional aspects of deciding to sell my art, I called the resistance “this hump I have to get over”. These were my precious creations, and like babies growing up and going off to foreign lands, I knew I’d never see most of them ever again! I know this is not unique to me.

Here’s a bit of background. For about 20 years I was a costumer and a costume designer, so I had almost always used my creativity for something that I didn’t keep in my possession. The costumes stayed with the theater, put into storage after the run of a show was over. But these pieces I was now contemplating selling were things that I made without someone else’s direction, not theater collaborations. I had not made them with the idea that they would become “products”, in fact, by it’s very nature this work is much more personal to me. It speaks of my thoughts, humor and ideas. So on the one hand I was used to letting go of my work, and on the other, this new non-theater work, the paintings, collages and assemblages were all made solely from my own creativity.

To be honest though, after awhile I didn’t have enough room for it all!

The first thing I had to find was the willingness to part with the art. So how did I get over “this hump I have to get over”? For me it was a conscious decision to let go of the art. That sounds simple, and it really was like crossing over an emotional bridge. It was a shift in my thinking about art as a precious thing to keep close to myself as opposed to a product to sell. (Truth is, it’s actually something in between.)

I also had to find the confidence to put myself out there in the public eye. Sometimes a lack of confidence will creep in, but overall, I LIKE my art, and others seemed to like it as well. It really takes both for success in selling art. And the good news is, one can find acceptance even in tiny niche markets. My and your art don’t have to be universally liked to succeed, it just needs to appeal to enough folks so that the effort of selling the art one makes is a sensible proposition.

In addition, focusing on the practicalities of getting ready to sell my art helped to allay the fears and resistance that I had. Taking action helps! So does inviting company along for the journey. In order to boost my own confidence, I applied to my first show with two other local Seattle area artists, Maggie Yowell and Amy Peacock. I studied up on what needed to be included in an application, we all set up a day with a friend to shoot professional photos of our work, labeled everything, and together we put together a proposal. Submitted with slides and cover sheets and clever artistic packaging for the submission, that carefully worked out application got us the group show, though it was scheduled for 1.5 years into the future. I wasn’t going to wait around, so I submitted applications in several other places. Many were even accepted.

It may be cliche’ but it’s true: success breeds success.

My first art show was actually a solo exhibit, way before the group show, and I lucked out. I entered and was accepted into the Greenwood ArtWalk, and placed into a dress shop that was about to close permanently, Moki Dugway. The proprietors were extremely welcoming, and allowed my work to stay up all month. As their inventory dwindled, so did mine. I had decided that as a beginner exhibiting artist, I should price my art reasonably. I really wanted folks to take it home. And take it home they did.

By this time I was hooked and the issues I listed at the start of this article were nearly all moot points. This decision to sell my art launched a highly creative time in my life. I’ve since learned so much about marketing my art that I’d like to share with you. There are lots of practical things I can share, and there are things I’d love to talk over as well. I’m far from expert on the art process–I’m definitely still learning so so much!

To close off this post I’d like to share one more thing. One of my fears was that I’d be selling out in order to sell my art. But I found as time went on and I spent time talking with people that took my work home, this is far from true. It surprised me to discover that people sort of fall in love with the art they choose to take home which is a charming and humbling side benefit to sharing my art in public this way. Relationships like these are unique to artists and artisans. I get to make personal connections in a way that most people don’t.

We’ll be talkin’.

Lynette Hensley
Flying Redhead

Details: Let’s Play What If….

flyingredhead — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:59:20 +0000

What if shoes were soled with fur?
Then you would walk softly…

What if collars were lined in maps?
Then the world might know your pulse.

What if corset stays were made of feathers instead of bone?

What if quilting was done with glass rods?
What if I stitched fortune cookie fortunes into pocket tops, collars, cuffs?

What if I wore a picture of my love on my sleeve?
What if thread was elastic?
What if clothes were higher than our heads, wider than our shoulders,
longer than our hands….etc.
What if clothes were only for comfort and not for beauty?
What if a shirt told you exactly what I was thinking?
What if pants truly fit?
What if socks were the gaudiest thing I wore?
What if the reason for wearing clothes was to make the most noise?

More to come….

Details: To Begin a Project Series with Witnesses

flyingredhead — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:15:14 +0000

I think I’ll call it Details, at least as a working title. And the first challenge always, is to simply begin. I have this sign on my office/studio wall: There is always now. Simply begin while you still can. I don’t know who said it, it might have even been me.

So we begin. I say “we” because I’ve offered this up to witnesses. The rules of engagement, should you choose to be witnesses, are these: Offer encouragement, support, and positive feedback, or simply be a witness, silently. I will not take in suggestions for what direction to go, or any negative feedback whatsoever. This is not a critique opportunity. There may be a critique opportunity later–we’ll see how the project goes. While this is not the only way I create art work, I’ve found that having witnesses can add some spark to my work–movement and impetus, some accountability, and as long as I can remain within myself for ideas and direction, the learning that I do in the process is quite valuable.

I often start with books. Ideas come from everywhere of course, but books are not fleeting and so can be used as reference material.

I’ve gathered materials. The ideas that I have now are that I’d like to do a project with fabrics, and details of historical fashion. I was inspired by the book, Historical Fashion in Detail.

Come along with me? I will go at my own speed–I’ve done this once before, and really enjoyed the process and the result, and learned mucho!

Feel free to comment on the blog posts, and the pictures along the way, within the parameters of being a witness.

Thanks–talk soon!

Lynette, The Flying Redhead

Details: Idea flows

flyingredhead — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:12:22 +0000

I’ve begun a canvas by using Golden Matte Medium to essentially laminate linen canvas to my canvas. It was a canvas that had another idea start on it, one that didn’t take. That happens a bit. Oh well! It gave me an interesting surface, with some scattered bumps on it.

Now while it’s drying, I want to get an idea flow started. I begin with my inspiration, and dump ideas on it. What can I do with this, how far can I push it? What is the nature of the materials–what can they do and what can’t they do? Do I want to use materials other than the traditional fabrics to see what will happen? This is a non-judgmental moment. I don’t care if it’s been done before, I don’t care if it’s a stupid idea…it’s my process and nobody has done my process before in this present time…they are not me, now. Judgment and editing comes later.

Stays, boning–very interesting to me
edgings
lacing
buttonholes
buttons
hooks, loops, eyes
collar
slashing
cording
quilting
pleats, gathers
pockets
applied decorations.
shoes
sheers
leathers
silk
linen
grosgrain
linen thread
silk thread
silver/gold bullion trim
cotton net

good design
colors–all whites? not sure–like contrast too

Hawaiian shirts and other prints excavated
no people
Just details

like museum display?
Like Audubon drawings but clothes not birds?

set limits
materials
colors

not a fabric experiment, but an art experiment.

nothing to wear.

Shapes,
different size canvasses.
most small–it’s details!

I love 12×12
I wonder if the wood ones will work best. check cost

Fabric canvasses will allow me to sew.

Sew before it’s assembled? or after–depends on detail

Details:
1. back of stays with tabs
2. buttonhole ground — useless buttonholes and buttons
3. grosgrain ribbon edges–what’s inside?
4. lacing (cris-cross)
5. leather vest manikin
6. sheer pleating
7. linen collars.
8. silk roses.
9. straps with hook and eye closures.
10. Shoe buckle on sheer — sheer shoes. Incongruity
11. sheer stays–sheer bra
12. velvet ruffle

There’s a few ideas. More are allowed!

Lynette Hensley, The Flying Redhead

The Book Borrowers, Exhibited at Bellevue Arts Museum

flyingredhead — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:23:40 +0000

Call me a snob, I don’t care–I love art museums. The curators get to choose the finest, most intriguing work, and they’ve done it again at the Bellevue Arts Museum. I’ve been wanting to see this one for a while. As one of the early “Altered Book” artists back in the 90′s, this was intriguing to me.

Link to Book Borrowers Page

Larry and I talked it over after seeing the work, and we liked most of, but not all the same things. Something called a book excavation was interesting to me, related to, but a few steps beyond the well known book The Humument by Tom Phillips. It appears that the artist would take a book, (or three copies of the same book in one case), with illustrations, and page through the book, choosing which illustrations to retain and cut out around and feature, in one case, animals. Leaving words that relate to the pictures, the animal pictures are left in situ on the page, and most of the rest of the page is cut away. Page by page the artist goes through the book, excavating out the excess and leaving a sculptural collection of animals. Ah shoot–just go see it!

There were also stacks of books that had been sandblasted into various shapes, cutwork, altered, revised, upended, rolled into log like shapes that looked like a slice from a tree, book covers turned into lace paper, inked, and books that were merely the background for some fascinating machine puppet animal skeletons made from wire and string. Fascinating.

Lynette, the Flying Redhead

A 30 Hour Painting

flyingredhead — Mon, 26 Jul 2004 06:22:42 +0000

July 25, 2004

That would be my painting. We will see just how long it really takes, but I’m already way past 2 hours. On this day, the last day of vacation, I painted. I shopped and then painted some more.

I think perhaps this will not be a fool painting, but the second in the costume series. She doesn’t look like a fool. So now I need to figure out who she is and what she needs. I think the border will use the stencil (pictured below) in some very subtle way, and a rubber stamp that I recently carved by hand that has some similarity in the shapes but is in a different scale as the stencil. That would add some variety, depth and interest without taking focus off the figure.

OK, so who is she? Mrs. Carlysle? High society, alternately ignores and criticizes her family, her domestics and her friends. She needs to learn a lesson or two. So this play could be about poetic justice. Or it could be a farce. Fast moving, frills bouncing, doors slamming, mistaken identities. Think on this, it will determine all. I think it is a comedy, and she is the wife who thinks her husband is seeing someone else, but she is wrong. Yet she has to go through the play thinking the worst, and she gets a happy surprise in the end.

I’ll sleep on that.

Yours, Lynette

A 2 Hour Painting

flyingredhead — Sun, 25 Jul 2004 06:37:38 +0000

July 24, 2004
Dianna Shyne, an extraordinary artist right here in Seattle, painted a beautiful, evocative acrylic on gesso coated watercolor paper in two hours, the space of time allowed for the workshop today at Daniel Smith. With her paints stored not in tubes, but in fishing tackle boxes, and a method for keeping paints wet that amounts to a simple but effective wet paper towel in a tray and a piece of palette paper on top, she masterfully talked us through this wistful painting of her friend at the kitchen counter. She laid down a Quinacridone gold background, then using rubbing alcohol as an eraser, the lighter areas of the composition were defined. From there, she built up the shapes of the lights and darks, cooling them and warming them to her taste. It’s best to see her in person, and this is hard to describe, so I won’t go on. But it was amazing to watch this person who just KNEW what needed to happen next.

I had already signed up for her two day workshop in August, and now I’m looking forward to it even more.

While at Daniel Smith, I purchased 3 inexpensive hake brushes and some watercolor postcards. I can never leave without buying something. Plus it was air conditioned.

Did I mention it was still hot? No? It was still hot. I bought an extra fan, and dressed like Stanley in a Streetcar Named Desire. I take that back–Stanley never wore a skirt.

Yours, Lynette

Sizzling Blockbuster Film day

flyingredhead — Sat, 24 Jul 2004 06:39:31 +0000

July 23, 2004

It BOILed down to this: the HOT topic of the day was film school. Today’s plan was to take Katherine to the Arboretum–and draw stuff that we saw there, plants, people, whatever. But it was (may I quote “Damn Yankees”?) just “TOO DARN HOT“. What? Seattle over 100 degrees? Yep. So we SIMMERED and STEWED, and in the end decided to reduce our plans to just the necessaries.

Katherine, my 19 year old daughter, is looking at film school for 2005 or 2006. SFI, Seattle Film Institute, offers a 40 week intensive course where the student comes out the other end of their studies with a portfolio of projects after a comprehensive dive into what goes into being a filmmaker. Right now her target is to be an editor, though of course that could change after this total immersion course. We had an appointment at 1PM today with David Shulman who I would say is an entirely warm hearted, passionate individual, and who talks, ALOT. I’m glad he did, we learned ALOT about the program. I can see why the film school has succeeded to it’s current state over the last 10 years. It is located in a gray house on Capitol Hill, with another gray two story building behind it. The back building houses a lab/studio/equipment room and the offices. The front house has the editing room and a newly remodeled classroom. I say newly remodeled, but it’s nothing fancy. This facility is about pure practicality. It’s not impressive on it’s surface at all.

But what IS impressive is the work I saw coming out of the students. This is where it becomes remarkable. We attended a screening of 10 years worth of student work, followed by a feature film that one of the faculty just completed. The student work ranged from old-timey Chaplinesque slapstick comedy to a fast-moving farce called “Rent’s Due” set in a Laundromat where the dryers were apartments and schools, offices, etc, and the people were climbing in and out of the dryers, multiple children piling out one by one like so many clowns from a little teeny car, there was an eviction, a chase scene, and of course the eventual resolution. (I had to say that so as not to give too much away. You may actually be seeing this one someday.)

I don’t care if the facility is non-existent, if this school can make this kind of work happen, they are doing it right.

No pictures today. And it’s still HOT.

Yours, Lynette