Impromptu in Red: Bad-Action Blade Wheel. 16" x 10" | 41cm x 25cm. Smalti, porcelain, vitreous, spring clips, hardware, jasper
Impromptu in Red: Bad-Action Blade Wheel
Adding to my Impromptu Series, I spent the last weeks working on a small piece in reds. I must confess that it was quite a challenge. As drawn as I am to explore this kind of shading, or gradation, it always proves to be a tormentingly masochistic adventure.
Yet, I cavalierly went down this treacherous path again! And this time, I could not just stick with a red to light red/pink, or even red-orange-yellow progression, but had to include peaches, roses, mustards, and even purplish tones. Whether or not it should be difficult, it just is difficult for me.
Still, at this point, every time I look at it, I see a piece here that is too dark, a piece there that is too light. The last mosaic that I did in this series was in 2009; like having babies, I forgot the misery of the process.
But it's finished, maybe, and I am ready to move on. For my work this year, I am focusing on some letting go, especially where my precision is concerned. Its an experiment. I want to see what other freedom I might experience if I set myself free... just a bit... regarding my hyper-controlled cutting. So, no grinder for this latest work, and that Mexican smalti is really a bitch to cut.
As far as the subtitle, Bad-Action Blade Wheel is a Tibetan Buddhist practice on which I will elaborate in my next post. For now, I'll just post this preliminary photo with its mocked-up frame. In the next few days to a week I will get better pics of the framed work and give more commentary.