[Irish]

Tidewalker,

I thought this might be a good place to show you what I was saying in our PM.

Your Mom's painting are beautiful! The Whittler is spectacular in the use of the limited pallete and in his hands. She has the knife and wood block perfectly set inside his fingers ... !

I love the lighthouse, I love the free flowing sway back roofs that lead into the rigid lighthouse lines. And I love the drama of the deep blue sky against the stark white stone of the lighthouse.

Sasha is to die for!!! That is a perfect expression for that dog. The head tilt is just great! I know that dog!!!!

Anyway, Air Space for framing. Again, it could be the crop of the photos but I want to show you just a couple images tightly framed and framed with air space.

For both the portrait of my Great Granddad George Shay and the Shaman notice in the tight crops how the frame actually sits on top of their heads. You don't see a framed picture - you see a framing sitting on someone's head. For the Shaman the tightness of the framing not only sits on his head but also means that the buffalo wool in his head dress must be hard and rigid to support that frame.

Then look at these where I have lots of air space between the framing, matting and the painting. In the Shaman notice how the extra air lets his feathers feel softer and the buffalo wool feel soft and fuzzy.

So ... the paintings are gorgeous! Now, add air space and your Mom's work becomes outstanding!!!!!

Susan

[Irish]

OOOPS! Sorry!

The basket hen is all about air space. Air space surrounding the baskets, air space behind the baskets and air space in front of the baskets.

All those unworked areas, air space areas, create the air space inside the painting. It creates or emphasises the air space captured inside the baskets and between the baskets.

Air space is extremely important in our relief carvings. You want breathable room between elements and between the elements and the outer boundries of the frame or border.

Compare the air space in the basket hen to the air space Ashby is using in his beautiful 18th century girls portrait.
Starting a new project

Dylan captured lots of air space in the front of his covered bridge scene which allows and accents the air inside the bridge.
New Relief Project

Kathy, in her Calla Lilies has lots of room above both of her flower forms so that the border does not touch or weigh down on the petals.
Calla Lily Relief

Maybe I should have titled this post "Air Space in Relief"

Susan