Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Two new works for Nucleus Gallery in Alhambra, CA...

Just submitted two new works to Nucleus Gallery in Alhambra, California. Here they are, with detail images....
 
"The Florentine" (detail) pencil on paper

"The Florentine" (2013) pencil on paper

"The Florentine" (detail)

"The Florentine" (detail)

"Loretta" (detail)

"Loretta" (2013) pencil and watercolor on paper

"Loretta" (detail)

"Loretta" (detail)

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Tying Off The Loom -- Next Week I Weave

I mentioned in my April 9th posting that I'm taking a weaving class at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. I've been making steady progress on getting the warp wound on the board, the reeds threaded and in the loom. These past two classes, I've been threading the heddle, "combing out" the strands,  getting the appropriate tension on the yarn, and tying off the ends. Next week, I should be able to start filling my shuttle and putting in weft. Very excited to get to this part! In the meantime, some pictures.... 
The back of the loom--the yarn is under tension


The front of the loom, where I'll sit to weave. I
tied off all the ends before I left class today. Next Tuesday,
I'll begin adding weft. I plan to start with lime green,
move to my yellow-orange, and then to the purple-pink
(the weft yarn colors are visible by clicking here)

Monday, April 22, 2013

Nucleus Gallery in CA and the genesis of a work...

Today, I've been working on some pieces for Nucleus Gallery's "Power in Numbers" benefit exhibition and sale....I finished one, and then decided to photograph the progress of the other. Here they are:
My messy studio drafting table. "Gillian" is close to complete; "Maeve" has
not yet been started. My awesome vintage Binney & Smith watercolor set that
I got from the fantastic store, Becaruns.etsy.com a year or so ago.

A close up of "Gillian" (almost complete) and the underdrawing for "Maeve"

Progress...adding watercolor...can you tell I like green?

Maeve is a red head.

And now, the sky...

Adding blue shadows...

The addition of stars in white acrylic begins....

Savannah Schroll Guz, "Maeve" (2013) pencil, watercolor, white acrylic on paper

"Gillian" (2013) pencil, watercolor, white acrylic on paper

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Studio Pictorial Thursday

Today, a glue bath for colored tissue paper....the stuffed toys on the floor
are Jasper and Fred's, not mine. ;-) No, really.




Lavender tissue paper taking a dip in the glue bath....

The magenta colored tissue paper is clearly not colorfast....

Time to dry.....

My secret stash of tissue paper and sticky-backed glitter paper that I purchased
at Pearl Paint in NYC during spring break of 2000.


The basis of something new....experimenting here.
What am I listening to now? Something from 2008: the Dublin-based band One Day International, which for the record, is awesome and just doesn't get nearly enough play. You can listen to I'm Not Over You by clicking on the Youtube link below.
http://youtu.be/6qlQVIINzHw

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Author Series: Herman Melville

Savannah Schroll Guz, "Herman Melville Has a White Whale in His Beard" (2013),
media: ink, watercolor, cardstock, copy paper, ink, colored pencil, and acrylic paint on handmade paper
Right now, I'm working on a series of author portraits for a licensing project....here, my background is a gorgeous, heavy handmade paper I got at Michael's Craft Store last week, when my Michael and I had date night. It takes watercolor beautifully, and feels like there has got to be cotton in the mix because it's so soft. I have to go back and get more. My next post should be Agatha Christie, who is on my studio table halfway completed!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Weaving Class

I've begun taking a weaving class on the third floor of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. I've chosen some wild colors for my scarf. The warp is the variegated multi-tonal worsted wool on the upper right. The woof will be the yellow-orange wool, the purple-pink wool, and the lime green wool that surround it. So excited to start weaving! Right now, I'm still in the heddle-threading stage. 


The colors of wool that I chose! A little wild, I know, but I think they will be
beautiful when put all together. The pattern will be twill.


Designing on the heddle itself. I'll have a lot of combing out
to do.
 More on my other projects very soon!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

New Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook Pages and...


Another page from the Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook
Project (still in progress but almost complete!)

Another mixed media work on paper, still in progress.
(We're to the sewing portion now....)

Page 7 of the B.A.L. Sketchbook Project, now completed.
To see if before, click here.