Documented Life Project - Week #3 - Georgia O'Keeffe Homage

Hello Friends,

This week for Documented Life Project over at Art to the 5th Academy they featured a quote from the famous artist Georgia O'Keeffe. I really feel an affinity for this artist as she chose to make her home in the southwest like me. I also love her modern style and colors that were rare in her time. Of course she often painted flowers in very large scale and very close...which I think is great iconography for a female artist. The curves and sinuous lines of flowers often mimic the female form. So basically...I just think this lady was COOL. So instead of 'interpreting' the quote I decided to make a homage to the artist. Of course, my piece is mixed media in a journal instead of a giant oil painting :)


To start off I used a background I had done last week in my DLP journal, It was an experiment to try better blending of Gelatos over gesso. I also did a bit of stenciling in white acrylic and some drips and splatters over it.


I had printed off the Georgia O'Keeffe quote and a photo of the artist and trimmed them with deckle edge scissors (very old timey) and I wanted a similar edge to the whole layout. I cut a strip of paper with the scissors and then sponged over it with black archival ink. Usually a boarder would be last..but hey..I'm a rebel!


Next I attached the printed photo and quote I had cut out with Matte Gel Medium onto the page and while that was drying I made a quick pencil sketch on the opposite page of an iris flower. (hard to see)


Then I painted over the drawing with white gesso to help me see better and also to block out some of the bright color that might come through my painted image.


Next I painted in the image using acrylic paints and a brush. I also added a some color and little details to the photo and the quote using the left over acrylics on my palette.


My final touches were put in with a white gel pen. Little vines on the photo and a few words written in the corner.


I hope you enjoy this page. Leave me a comment if you do :)
<3 Shel



Comments

  1. I definitely DID enjoy this post! I would love to see your art in person just once!! I love that Iris and was FLOORED to see it was PAINTING! WOW!!!!

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    1. Thank you Heather. Maybe I can mail you something..lol

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  2. Your background is fabulous, no need for oil paints here, that's a great spread as it is, loved your process as well :-)

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    1. Thank you Ruth :) That means alot coming from a published artist! Congrats again on the book.

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  3. Your background is stunning, and I love seeing you go through the process to that lovely flower.

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    1. Thank you Win. I think it is time I make something bigger. All these art journal pages should translate to something on the wall :)

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  4. Your work is stunning, Shel, just stunning! I adore Georgia O'Keeffe, from the first time I studied her in High School, I was hooked. Her bold colors and sensual art just filled my senses. I love her Southwest art also. I think she truly captured the colors out here

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    1. Thank Sylvia :) Yes, I think she first introduced me to the southwest as being a place of beauty before I moved here.

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  5. Stunning. Seriously. And that flower! OYE. Now...did you seal the gelatos before you did the gesso flower? My experience seems to be that they move a bit I know you did use the Matte Gel - did they move when you put that on? It looks great - so I can't tell!

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    1. Thank You Dana :) No I didn't seal and there wasn't noticeable movement of color. The gel is thick though and not watery like the liquid medium so that may have made a difference. Also, the page had been sitting drying for several days.

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  6. Wow, just wow! That flower looks amazing! At first I thought it was a collage piece - it looks like some famous artist had painted it! I'd better research this lady - I thought it was just a random quote when I saw the DLP project. Great idea to dedicate the page to her!

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    1. Thanks Zsuzsa :) Hehe..I am not a famour artist? dang..lol Yes look up Georgia....She was awesome and kinda of my home girl living in the next state over.

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  7. Shel, this is absolutely Wonderful, All of the vivid colours on the page mixed with the vintage photo, bend brilliantly. Nice Job :)

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    1. Thank you so much Fran. I really like how it turned out. I wasn't sure what would happen when I wanted to paint over that pretty involved background lol

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  8. Absolutely FABULOUS! Shel- this is a wonderful make and homage to Ms. O'Keefe and I think she would be quite pleased! ")

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  9. I really love this painting! From the inclusion of the quote and picture of Ms O'Keefe to the intriguing background and to the amazingly colorful and beautiful Iris...it's all beyond words to describe. It's just strikingly beautiful!

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