Project 1

For my first project I first applied some layers of tempera paint onto a wooden panel washing and rubbing it off, reapplying and repeating the process.  I then crushed and applied oil pastels, covered it with paper and then pressed and rub them into the wood.  I continued with different layering techniques, washing and rubbing in between.  I noticed this left interesting pattern on the papers and I kept them aside as they would become a part of project number two.

24HR1
20"x30", tempura, oil pastel, ink, and acrylic on wood

Project 2

For the second project I used the monoprints I had set aside from the first project and wheat pasted them in layers.  Next with my hands I formed the texture within the layers of papers and then finished it with black tempura paint for the edges, and my touches of ink and glaze.

24HR2
20"x30", monoprints, wheat paste, tempera, ink, and acrylic on wood

Project 3

For project three I recycled a previous 18"x24" canvas of mine, adding textures with torn paper from one of the monoprints from the first project, as well as a swatch of denim.  I finished it by adding layers of paint, acrylic glaze, and ink.

24HR3
18"x24",  acrylic, paper, denim, and ink on canvas

Five inspirations :
1.  Joby Downs and the performance piece from Not Me Artist Show.
2.  Denim... the element of my art for the semester.
3.  Printmaking as in the experience of process of transferring imagery from a source where media was applied.
4.  The idea of a spiritual representation of a being that manifested inspiration to being the subject of the art, as also the media for the represented form.
5.  The belief of the imagination developing creation.

Denim.... Surprise!  it's been my theme this year.  It started with using it as a material source to paint on it.  I have seen other artists stretch it and make a canvas out of it.   I wanted to not be so traditional with it, so I took swatches of old recycled jeans, mostly my own, and began sewing them together.  I am not a great sewer so I used my non-skills as part of the process when creating my denim hide used for my work Eight in Six, shown below:

I am even pushing denim further in my practice by exploring it as a medium.  I have already deconstructed it down to a dust and to make a pigment out of it as part of research.  I will continue to explore this further.  In my current project I have used it as part of a medium/ material by incorporating it within the composition as swatches, and threads:

I have also been playing with other material as newspaper and rubber matting as seen above.  I will share more on this work as a finished project next week, in the meantime see the update process in the response section.

Another use of denim as media that I have found a new love for is mixing the painting on denim as a canvas then dipping it into a wheat paste and forming it into sculpture.  I will be exploring this idea further in my current works that are in progress.  Below is a one project completed.

Painted denim formed with wheat paste makes this:

Caz
Denim Dan, 2015
acrylic, denim, cardboard, cord, rubber matting

Shred....

Begin here....and

Rip....

Roll....

Chop....

Denim as a pigment.