Black gesso, wire and paper

A few years ago I had a year of black gesso. And copper wire. And paper I made and molded. And wood. And bronzing paint. And it infected other artist friends who all got into black gesso, wonderful medium to play or work in.

All the pieces are created using found pieces of styrofoam or board, sardine cans, wire, handmade beads, all kinds of interesting toys.

There's the series of three faces, starting with a figurative kind of likeness of a face



then deconstruction one




then deconstruction two




There's the little board with the rusty saw blade I found on the road, and twigs, and a bead I found, too,



to create a sunflower.

And the double pieces, with molded paper faces, wire and metallic pens swirling with paint.





And the dancing figures, handmade beads and wire, knitted, too.



The same figures, presented differently, using sardine cans, beads and wire inside



each different, to represent a different real person.

And the giant face, molded handmade paper with a potholder added.



No gesso here, but bronzing paint all over. And the bones and feather piece





Then there's the three bones piece!



this scares some people.

And, to bring us up to the present day, a work in progress, a hanging created from plastic bottle carriers, installed in the opening to a closet in preference to a door.



A matching one will be installed in the other closet in the same room, so they can be seen at once.

Many years since the earlier pieces, but the feeling for reusing and recycling is undimmed.