Lucent Blues

I’ve got three of these “Lucent Blue” watercolor pin-punch pieces in the works.

I’ve spent an insane amount of time punching these little holes. So many…the paper is starting to feel a bit like textured fabric.

They are still in progress. Very much in experiment mode with these pieces.

I had to set up in the kitchen to use a window big enough to shoot photos. I think I’ll shoot again at another time of day to see if I can catch the sunlight coming through or maybe on an overcast day…so it’s not so bright.

I’ve also been getting some very cool shadows when the light goes through. Still working out in my mind away to photograph that. We shall see…

pin-ta-lism : playing with light while pushing the potential of pin punching.

is there such a thing as too much alteration?

yes & I don’t care….it makes me pleased as punch;)

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Lady Yellow & Pintalisim

Today my husband called my pin-punch, watercolor, drawing style “pintalisim.” This makes me smile and tempts me to trademark it or something…but only as a joke;)

Lady Yellow

It’s always interesting when faces show up in the work. They come from time to time. Always ladies, often with water or tears dripping from eyelashes. Not sad exactly…something else I can’t put my finger on. Just something I think about.

I think this Lady Yellow wears her ideas like a headdress. Maybe a “headdress series” could be on the horizon someday…again just something to think about.

Lady Yellow with front lighting

Lady Yellow Back Lighting

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Psychedelic flower power

For a million reasons I’ve been a little obsessed with the pinhole watercolor pieces. With no idea how they might become art pieces. I’m good with that…I just want to see where it goes.

These are explorations of using them in photography. Then pushing the color limits in lightroom…with some wild psychedelic effects.

and…this set has a bit of a pretty antique vibe…I think.

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Revamp a thing or two

sharing pin hole sketches today along with a post about posts…ah so very meta;)

So…about a year ago I switched things up and rebuilt this website. Like all things, it was a ton more work than I ever imagined.

I hoped that this new format would be easier for me to make blog posts. The good thing is…it is!

The not so good thing is…some people think that since the rise of social media…individual blogs are now obsolete. Apparently, with so much happening online no one has time for something as old-fashioned as blogging. I guess…I’m suddenly old-fashioned…who knew!

Something…I think a lot about is the need to stay close to the creative edge. To keep stretching into unknown places. To find the sweet spots where I’m following a path but not repeating myself. The only way to be there is to experiment and let things be a little messy…a little all over the place.

I want this blog to be a way to share the paintings. I also want to create a place to collect my random creative tangents.

Anyway…I’m thinking that in the coming year I’m going to use this space even more as a place to dip into the stream of consciousness. For the most part, I’ve been holding back because of some notion I have that a blog should be focused on one thing. I hate to say it but better for marketing…and all that blah. blah.

The shifts and upheavals of the pandemic are a catalyst to revamp a thing or two.

I’m not exactly sure what is going to show up here but I’m feeling an unexpected sense of freedom in being suddenly old-fashioned.

Please feel free to dip in here from time to time but going forward I’m not going to send out an email for every post.

I’ll send out a round-up post from time to time if something especially good bubbles up!

light from the front

back Lighting

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Experiments

I’ve been in an experimental mood…

A shift started in the spring with the Doodle Ladies and it has just carried through all summer. I think the pandemic rattled something loose inside me and pushed me to take a detour into works on paper.

In the studio, I’ve been playing around with pinhole punching in some very tiny drawings. That led to pin punching some bigger abstract drawings. Then before I knew it I was pushing the needle into even bigger drawings that became more elaborate.

This is one…I call them “Light Bright Ladies.” Although they could just as easily be called “Poppy Ladies” because I’m pretty sure they got their start from all the poppy photos I took this spring.

What I find interesting about these mixed media pieces is the way the light plays on the surface and transforms it when backlit.

It’s a little exhausting on the fingertips to punch so many holes through the paper but also surprisingly soothing. I just splurged on a fancy Pergamano tool so that should save my little finger muscles…(in case you were concerned;)

I like the braille effect when I run my finger over the surface. I also like to think of the process as paper voodoo or acupuncture for paper…it depends on if I’m feeling vexed or in a healing mood;)

Front lit

You might not see her if you look too quick…but she is there. Look for the eyes.

Back lit

These ladies are a little unruly…I mean ripply…to get these photos I had to tape them to windows and walls. I’m not sure how I would display this work as I’m interested in both the front-lit and the backlit versions.

This work is all still very experimental so anything can happen…But, one idea is to frame them pressed between glass but then I would lose that ripply unruliness that I’ve come to love. Another is to print them up along with all my mixed media lady drawings from this strange pandemic time into a book.

I’m not sure how long that book would be…since this strange time still hangs over our days.

experiments to be continued…

“If I cease searching, then, woe is me, I am lost. That is how I look at it - keep going, keep going come what may.”

— Vincent van Gogh

PS….If you are not already on my list…Please be sure to send me your email at siobhan@siobhanbedford.com to be added to my VIP list so I can keep you updated as we get closer to the open studio coming September 19 -20.