I’ve created some experimental works for the Polk Museum of Art’s Art2 (Art Squared) exhibition. The works must be in a square format – 5″x5″ – 12″x12″. I began with a trio of plywood planks, each about 12″x12″. I was thinking about a triptych but it evolved into a diptych and another separate, but similar work.

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The white panel began as a white paper portrait/collage with graphite and white paint. As it developed, I abandoned the original portrait idea and on a separate piece of paper I painted a new portrait. Once it dried, I cut it out and applied it to the panel and painted multiple layers of a polyurethane finish to it, anticipating a golden honey yellowing.

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Two panels were painted black and multiple layers of white charcoal drawings were added to each panel between coats of polyurethane. Again, portraits were painted on separate pieces of paper and after they dried, they were affixed to the panels and coated with several layers of the polyurethane. The paper was allowed to bubble and curl as the effect was quite pleasing.

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The black works were donated to the Polk Museum of Art for their Art2 fundraiser, as the white portrait required several more layers of poly and much more drying time. This is a shot of the works on display on the museum’s wall.

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“Self Portrait Teetering”

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“Self Portrait Tottering”