Miranda Dyson, Children’s Education Associate
As I admire the monumental acrylic paintings in the exhibit, The Art of Ezra Tucker, on view now through June 28, several elements stand out to me. The precision of anatomical accuracy, the storylines woven into many of the images, and the variety of textures created from different mark making techniques. Whether portraying historical figures from early America like the Buffalo Soldiers, or walking viewers to a candid look at animals on the prairie, Tucker brings his images to life using many methods of mark making. In the example below called A Desert Dandy (Gray Fox Portrait), layers of fine, short strokes add up to create the fluffy coat of the fox that looks soft enough to reach out and pet!
In this Saturday Studio, we’ll explore different kinds of mark making in a non-objective painting, looking to Tucker for inspiration.
You will need:
- Paper or canvas
- Paint
- Paint brushes
- A sponge
- A stiff paint tool, like a paint knife
Anything with a unique texture will work, so I chose a few other tools to apply paint, like bubble wrap!
In Majesty of the Plains (Bison Bull Standing with Bison Cow Reclining) we see two bison, standing and sitting in the light of the sun. These bison are positioned in front of a soft, simple background, with all the attention being drawn to the animals themselves. Looking at their manes, there are areas with blobs of paint, highlighting their thick, fluffy texture. The raised marks give a more painterly appearance, rather than leaving the surface completely smooth. To imitate this I’m using a sponge, making a similar pattern that is more organic and less predictable.
This will be the background of my non-objective painting, so I cover most of my page in this dark green. I leave some areas with more negative space and others I passed over with the sponge multiple times to fill in gaps.
In Breaking the Silence (Multi-Racial Maiden Paddling a Canoe Through Morning Mist), a woman is canoeing next to reeds and lily pads. In the background are mountains, partially covered by fog. The water shows the reflections of the surroundings in this early morning painting. Colors reflect the morning sky and the woman’s clothing, with horizontal strokes of blue, pink, and ochre yellow. Short and long strokes were pulled horizontally and stacked above one another. This mimics the gentle ripples made in calm waters.
I’ve imitated this by using the thin side of my paintbrush to pull strokes of pink paint on top of my green background. The green and pink paint on my paper are creating a subtle “x”, which brings balance and movement to the piece.
Next, I want to play with the bubble wrap! Using a brush, I apply paint to the surface of the bubble wrap and press it like a stamp onto the paper. Similarly to the sponge, multitple passes could be done to fill in the gaps with this texture. I made three areas of blue forming a triangle of color.
A pallet knife, or in this case, a pottery trimming tool, works well in making long, thick strokes. This tool can also scrape away the paint, making sections translucent. I added three sections of this color, mirroring the blue triangle.
After the addition of a few more textures, I have my finished piece! What would you do differently for your own non-objective painting? What colors and patterns would you use? The next time you find an interesting tool lying around, use it for mark making in a textured artwork!
To see the impactful paintings in The Art of Ezra Tucker, visit the FWMoA by June 28th!