Continuing to Explore

 
Detail. WIP

Detail. WIP

 

I'm still exploring this particular direction in the tank. It's not always working out ~ and it takes forever to create these images so when I screw up, I feel like I just wasted so much time. It's been a lesson in patience and acceptance ~ and remembering that time is never wasted when you stretch and grow and learn something new (even if it's what NOT to do) along the way.

Creating Language

 
 

I've been really, really busy in the studio these past few months and have been negligent in keeping my blog (and other social media sites) updated with news. This is not an apology. In fact, I'm very proud of the fact! I'm very protective of my time these days and when my energy feels at its best in the studio, that's where I stay.

 
 
 
 

But I'm emerging now to share in some of the goodness that has been happening in my world. Over the next few days, I'll share some of the exciting directions I've been exploring.

Today's images are from a little experimenting I was doing with creating backgrounds that I would then marble on. This idea emerged from the mini-residency my friend Liz Kalloch (check out her new website!!) and I did back in August.

 
 
 
 

She is a BILLION TRILLION times better than I am at making the backgrounds beautiful and interesting ~ but part of collaborating is being able to understand what your partner can and can not do...or needs to be pushed to do. By attempting to make backgrounds myself, I learned so much about the process (and how I can contribute to that process) and can communicate with her in a whole different way. Because that's what collaboration is all about: creating a new artistic language.

 
 

Weekend Fun

 
My studio altar.

My studio altar.

 

The conditions for marbling this weekend were horrible ~ temps in the 90s and humidity levels barely in the double digits. So I needed to work quickly in the tank. That meant working small and working simple (no complex patterns with lots of strokes).

 
I started out by creating simple backgrounds with vibrant colors and high-contrast colors.

I started out by creating simple backgrounds with vibrant colors and high-contrast colors.

 

But small and simple can be beautiful too!

 
Overmarbling the simple backgrounds with dense, bold colors or the same pattern but in a different direction takes them to the next level.

Overmarbling the simple backgrounds with dense, bold colors or the same pattern but in a different direction takes them to the next level.

 

Marbling can be such a finicky art form. I learned long ago not to fight the tank and instead adjust my expectations as well as my actions. And you know what? Some of my best work has come from these times. Work that may never have happened had I not been willing to make lemonade out of lemons.

Welcome to the New Site!

Hello Blog Subscribers and visitors! Welcome to the new BarbSkoog.com ~ a fresh website design to go with my new logo! Many thanks to those of you who had to re-subscribe to my blog. I'm thrilled to have you along for the ride ~ again!

My friend, Liz, was in the studio with me last week as we continued to work on our collaboration, New Ground, and I wanted to share a few work-in-progress pictures. This session focused mostly on working with the masks we have been creating that are inspired by cultural patterns and designs. These masks are then applied to paper or fabric and marbled. The resulting white space is yet another area for us to work in.

The pieces below are all on paper (Arches or Texoprint) and measure 20" x 25."

 
Liz works her magic on a marbled Native American-inspired geometric pattern.

Liz works her magic on a marbled Native American-inspired geometric pattern.

 
 
A marbled Islamic-inspired geometric pattern.

A marbled Islamic-inspired geometric pattern.

 
 
A marbled India-inspired design.

A marbled India-inspired design.

 

Happy Mistake

Believe it or not, these started out as a horrible mistake in the tank ~ wrong colors for an overmarble AND I needed more transparent paint otherwise it looked liked a blooby mess. But this is what I love about marbling: it's so forgiving. A last-minute tweak (tossed in the turquoise) and capturing the image on plain, creamy paper and suddenly I've gone from wrong to oh-so-right!

BarbSkoogMarblingHappyMistake

Work in Progress: Creating the Supporting Background

I am working on two projects where the featured piece needs to be supported by a strong but unobtrusive background. This is new territory for me as far as incorporating marbling into the process. I'm excited to be experimenting, especially with new materials and techniques, but I'm also feeling out of my element and therefore incredibly novice and, quite frankly, stupid. But what the heck...you only live once! Some shots from one of the projects:

 

Marbled Wood Panels by Ebru Artist Barb Skoog

 

Marbled Wood Panels by Ebru Artist Barb Skoog

Marbled Vintage Papers by Ebru Artist Barb Skoog

Marbled Wood Panels by Ebru Artist Barb Skoog

There are a few more layers I have in my head that I want to add here but I'll be taking baby steps with those. I'll share the process along the way. Stay tuned. Who knows what will happen!