Veils

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Description shared by “Veils” and “Passing Moments…”

There is a meditative practice sometimes called “First Stroke” in which you center yourself, become present, then make your brushed mark… before thinking, before the intellect, ego or inner critic can intervene.  Perhaps a first cousin to automatic writing, the ink drawing arises more from the unconscious, or perhaps the whole person, rather than from the sliver of the self focused on final product or external acceptance.

This is a series of 6 “First Stroke” ink paintings on Japanese paper. Part of the mark(s) are chosen to be elevated and “constrained’ in a rectangle of gilding, yet we see drops and other marks poking out from the edges of the gilded area.  …Creating a tension between the fluid freedom of the ink and the restraint needed in prepping and gilding paper.  …Contradicting the valuing of the “First = Best” premise by editing the ink and elevating the chosen parts with precious metal.  The gilded rectangle situates the stroke in a composition… and so–while placed squarely on the sheet–is not necessarily centered on it.

“Veils Series” begins the same way that “Passing Moments: Constrained” does… but builds a sort of layered interference of the original strokes.  The gilded area has additions of subtle pattern; and is  softened or ‘captured’ by a top layer of Silk Tissue that bears a last layer of looser, fluid ink “knots” echoing the original drawing.

These are difficult to photograph.  The slightly darker, matte center is the Silk Tissue sitting lightly on the main sheet.  The brighter margins are the gilded main sheet extending beyond the edges of the tissue.

Series of 6.  Each sheet: 11 x 15″  Bichu Toriniku handmade paper (17 g/m2), with 9×12″ area gilded in Double Dukat gold leaf; Overlay is Gampi Silk Tissue.