Last year, I kept a process journal, and I often posted work in progress on one site or another. But at the close of last year, I wasn’t sure where all the effort had gone. Small bits of progress in so many directions — feels like it doesn’t add up to much.

This year, I want to acknowledge the weeks as they pass, and the work that goes into each project I’m tending. It’s a short week — I’ve only just turned my attention back to art, after taking the end of the year off. But yesterday, I resumed regular art group calls, and revisited a digital series. Time to ease back in, and review.

The first order of business for the beginning of the year is clearing out some disk space. I’ve managed to fill up my online allotment again, and I like to move on from images I’ve used plenty already. That gives me space, physically and mentally, to create for the new year. Does anyone else run into this? I keep thinking I should have external storage drives, but someone I keep making do with the cloud, plus a networked machine for backup and removal.

Rectangles

I’ve been playing with my Rectangles project by trying different layouts in the studio — on the wall, on a wall divider. Over the break, an idea came to me: I want to bind the rectangle pieces into a book format!

I’m picturing a set of holes along the left side, and I cannot get the idea of bright red cord of some kind, holding all that beautiful paper together. Now I just need somebody to teach me bookbinding!

Aerials

I have a series, started in spurts over last year, that is grid-based, navigation, based, as if from above, but not literally. Mostly I want to contrast straight and naturally curvy lines.

Previously, I’d already added one of those aforementioned rectangles to this composition. Yesterday, I tried inserting an abstraction of rail cars; the colors and rectangles seemed to be in alignment.

I tweaked another one as well, and realized I have quite a few I like. Time to look at the series as a whole.

Board Books

I’ve admired Drew Steinbrecher‘s work on Instagram, and jumped at his offer of a free workshop on altered board books. I love reading, and so enjoyed passing it onto our kid, often with the same book! I did NOT use our own, saved copies of those much-loved books, but bought new-to-me used ones, so I could mess with them. Here, a new spread is drying at the studio.

Eventually, I’ll have to review the workshop for how to trim and finish.

Reusing Aluminum

I’ve been working on a big, old print that was rendered on matte aluminum. The composition has become its own new thing, but it’s not unified yet, and how I’ll finish it is still a mystery. Still, I had it on display during my December studio event, and my friend Andrea thought I should try sanding.

Here are some sections from the top left corner that got some pink paint and collage, and then got a little roughed up. Better!

For a two-day week, that’s not bad. Let’s see how I do next week, and a few months in! How was your week?