The Art Blog

Trio - Alicia Tormey - Monotype Collage - 2009 Orange Branch - Alicia Tormey - Monotype - 2009 These are a few of my favorite prints from the Mary Margaret Briggs workshop I attended in March. They make magnificent collage elements but I also like the quiet beauty and simplicity of the prints alone. Ghost - Alicia Tormey - Monotype - 2009 The print above is a ghost image left on the plate after the first pass through the press. I find these residual images so much more interesting than the first pass images . This technique offers some wonderful layering possibilities. I am experimenting with incorporating the printed images into my encaustic work. This piece titled Summer Dance is my first attempt at mixing the monotypes with encaustic . I’ll post more results as the work emerges. Summer Dance - Alicia Tormey - Encaustic w/ Monotype Collage - 2009 Available for purchase through the Gilman Contemporary art gallery.

I was recently reminded about the artwork of film director, David Lynch. He identified himself as a painter long before he began creating with film. I find his art to be beautifully dark and compelling, much like his movies, but it's his philosophies about creativity that I find most inspiring. Lynch's celebration of ideas and his honoring of all the "accidents" that occur during the process of creation may help explain why he is such an artistic phenomenon. For instance, when an ill fated moth landed on a wet canvas he allowed the impression to remain in the paint as a detail in the work. Here’s an excerpt from an interview with Paul Young. David Lynch: "What I'm trying to do with each canvas is create a situation in which the paint can be itself, which means letting go of any rationalization. It's important to let ideas blossom without too much judging or interference. The beauty of children is their ability to look at the world openly, without being bo...

Ethereal I is on display now at the Gilman Contemporary I have had a lengthy absence from my blog so I feel a brief explanation is in order. Back in March my dishwasher sprang a BIG leak and flooded our entire kitchen and the room below it. The water damage resulted in a sudden and dramatic lifestyle change for me and my family. My paint studio and office became our temporary kitchen and living quarters putting a damper on my ability to paint (and blog). Although I did manage a few therapeutic retreats into the studio, all my energies for the last few months have gone into reinventing our kitchen space and living area. Before… This was our kitchen days after the flood. The big blue machines are dehumidifiers. After…. I chose this marble slab for the island because it looks like an encaustic painting. We are loving the new spaces that emerged from the ruins and it blows my mind whenever I walk in and see the transformation. Life is slowly returning to its natural rhythm here now and...