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Cutting Garden I

by Meg Black | Jul 6, 2014 | Uncategorized

Cutting Garden I and II, installed.

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Cutting Garden I and II, installed.

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megblackstudio

Meg Black creates nature-influenced paintings and wall sculptures for public and private collections. Sign up for newsletter and get 20% off. 👇

Like many New Englanders, I long for the summer mo

Like many New Englanders, I long for the summer months when mindlessly strolling along the ocean shore, intent on finding treasures of sea glass, clam shells, and other primordial objects demands my full attention.

Seascape painting, in our long held tradition, seeks to capture this longing, or does it? While we currently might think of seascape painting in the same vein as sun and fun, historically this was not always the case.

Take for example, Theresa Bernstein (1890-2002). The Immigrants, 1923. This painting, captures the experience of traveling to America in steerage class in one of the many large ocean liners that arrived in the port of New York in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

During this lecture, I will share this story of Ms. Bernstein's painting along with more contemporary views of the sea, including my own painting on exhibition in the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade.

Registration is limited to 50 peopl#massachusettsculturalcouncil

Register:
https://topsfieldlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/gifts-from-the-sea-seascape-painting-in-the-new-england-tradition/?fbclid=IwAR1kWjp-zxjR9kXC51jm7eYeQHedEklTwQFHRMz2Ben7qndIxnJzWSgUXGs

Sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Topsfield Cultural Council.

#massachusettsculturalcouncil

Like many New Englanders, I long for the summer mo

Like many New Englanders, I long for the summer months when mindlessly strolling along the ocean shore, intent on finding treasures of sea glass, clam shells, and other primordial objects demands my full attention.

Seascape painting, in our long held tradition, seeks to capture this longing, or does it? While we currently might think of seascape painting in the same vein as sun and fun, historically this was not always the case.

Take for example, Theresa Bernstein (1890-2002). The Immigrants, 1923. This painting, captures the experience of traveling to America in steerage class in one of the many large ocean liners that arrived in the port of New York in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

During this lecture, I will share this story of Ms. Bernstein's painting along with more contemporary views of the sea, including my own painting on exhibition in the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade.

Registration is limited to 50 people, so please register soon. Register:
https://topsfieldlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/gifts-from-the-sea-seascape-painting-in-the-new-england-tradition/?fbclid=IwAR1kWjp-zxjR9kXC51jm7eYeQHedEklTwQFHRMz2Ben7qndIxnJzWSgUXGs

Sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Topsfield Cultural Council.

#megblackstudios #topsfieldlibrary #massachusettsculturalcouncil #capeann #PEM #mfa

I'm excited to be featured on the Saatchi Art Home

I'm excited to be featured on the Saatchi Art Home page this week. Shown here is my very new abaca wall sculpture, Sea Glass, which is available on the Saatchi Website. The sculpture is mounted on 1 inch Gator Board so it can be exhibited in public spaces including healthcare and corporate or other high traffic settings. Please visit the Saatchi home page and have a look for yourself. #megblackstudios #saatchiart #abaca #abacaart #artforhealthcare #artcollection #artcurator #corporateart #artforhomeoffice
#rebeccawilsoncurator
https://lnkd.in/eriy_Ga

What can I say, my palette matches my shirt. Why i

What can I say, my palette matches my shirt. Why is the abaca pulp so slimy? I add tororo-aoi to it. Tororo is a plant based secretion that allows the overbeaten abaca to flow onto the surface of the artwork more smoothly. Without it, the pulp would be too clumsy and would not adhere properly. Actually, I’m using a synthetic of tororai known commercially as formation aid. Purchase at @carriagehousepaper and give it a try. #megblackstudios #puplpainting #paintingwithspoons #paper #paintingwithpaper #painting #artistatwork

I'm excited to be featured on the Saatchi Art Home

I'm excited to be featured on the Saatchi Art Home page this week. Shown here is my very abaca wall sculpture, Summer at the Seashore. I pearlescent pigment in the pulp to give the work a silky three-dimensional quality and make for a great conversation piece. The sculpture is framed under a plexiglass hood vitrine so it can be exhibited in public spaces including healthcare and corporate or other high traffic settings. Please visit the Saatchi home page and have a look for yourself. #megblackstudios #saatchiart #abaca #abacaart #artforhealthcare #artcollection #artcurator #corporateart #artforhomeoffice #rebeccawilsoncurator

https://lnkd.in/eriy_Ga

I'm excited to be featured on the Saatchi Art Home

I'm excited to be featured on the Saatchi Art Home page this week. Shown here is my very new abaca wall sculpture “Early Morning Shadows.” I used multiple layers of texture and color in the pulp to give the work a three-dimensional quality and make for a great conversation piece. The sculpture is framed under a plexiglass hood vitrine so it can be exhibited in public spaces including healthcare and corporate or other high traffic settings. Please visit the Saatchi home page and have a look for yourself. #megblackstudios #saatchiart #abaca #abacaart #artforhealthcare #artcollection #artcurator #corporateart #artforhomeoffice #rebeccawilsoncurator

Excited to have my artwork featured on the Saatchi

#megblackstudios #artinembassies #capeann #rockpor

#megblackstudios #artinembassies #capeann #rockportma #seascapepainting #newengland

Working on these four smaller paintings for a grid

Working on these four smaller paintings for a grid composition to be installed in a private setting later this year. Being Immersed in color in my studio is my favorite state of mind. #megblackstudios #paperartist #pulppainter #abaca #paperart #irises #gardens

At work on a particularly long landscape painting.

At work on a particularly long landscape painting. I received a DM recently asking about mold. More specifically, do I have problems with mold gathering on my materials. The answer is no. Organic materials breath. Canvas, paper and wood expand in humidity and contract in dry weather. Im no expert, but mold grows in conditions that are dark and damp as far as I know. Always good to be asked and answer questions about my art making process. #megblackstudios #pulppainting #paper #paperart #paperartist #paperartistcollective

It’s all in the wrist. One of the most important

It’s all in the wrist. One of the most important characteristics of being an artist is a willingness to experiment with materials. Never settle on what the world considers materials or tools. I’m a painter who never uses paint brushes. Why? Because I paint with pulp and pulp is too goopy to apply with a brush. My paint brush of choice is a simple plastic spoon. I’ve been painting with spoons for 30+ years and I’m still learning how to use this tool to the best of my ability. What is your artistic tool of choice? #megblackstudios #paintingwithspoons #pulppainting #abaca #paintingwithpaper #art #painting #seascapepainting #capeann

Just entered this beauty into the #codaworx compet

Just entered this beauty into the #codaworx competition for private residence commissions. The title of this resin/abaca sculpture, “Laura’s Prayer Shawl” alludes to the pearlescent stripes and translucent colors resembling a Rabi’s prayer shawl. Very spiritual in nature. #rabi #prayer #prayershawl #megblackstudios #resinart #resin #abaca #codaworx #artcommission

WHAT A STORY! I remember this lovely couple callin

WHAT A STORY! I remember this lovely couple calling me and asking if I would be willing to paint their favorite place in the world for them. Of course I answered. Well, that means you will need to spend the day with us on our boat. Sure thing, I responded, and shared my fee for a half day of photography and sketching services. Sounds like a reasonable price to us, they shared, and off we went. They were gracious throughout the commission process and loved the resulting artwork. I had it professionally photographed once it was installed. I love this painting and the beautiful photo of it installed in their home. If you have ever considered commissioning an artist to paint your favorite place in the world, here are a few tips to consider before you start: 1. Decide on your budget. The size of the work is not always in proportion to the hours the artist needs to complete it. This is often misunderstood-small work does not always equal less money. The cost of materials, and the amount of detail required in the composition need to be factored in as well. Think of those tiny Dutch still life paintings that required the artist to use a magnifying glass to complete. Small works that took long hours to produce. 2. All of the hours the artist spends including sketching, visiting the location of the intended work if it is to be representational, and shipping costs need to be factored into the price. Think of “inviting” the artist to spend the day with you on your boat or at your favorite spot as labor for them because it is. Wedding photographers attend the reception, but as paid employees, not as invited guests. The couple pick up the tab for their meals. 3. Get it in writing, including what you want (this typically includes the subject and palette) and what you don’t want (colors you don’t want included in the artwork). It is very important to have a clearly written contract that all parties agree to in advance of the commission. If you are interested in commissioning a work of art, visit my “commission me” page on my website. Link in bio. #megblackstudios #commission #artcommission #art #capeann #capeannartist #essesx #ipswichma

I’m excited to share that I have been accepted i

I’m excited to share that I have been accepted into FIBER STORIES, an exhibit of fiber artists sponsored by the Society for Art and Craft, Boston. I will be exhibiting my seascape paintings in this still virtual exhibit. Updates to follow. Shown here is one of my 20 x 20 , 2 inch seascape paintings, wind currents. #megblackstudios #societyforartsandcraftsboston #pulppaintings #fiberart #fiber #abaca #capecod #capecodart #smallworks

Why paint with spoons? It allows the pulp to sit

Why paint with spoons? It allows the pulp to sit on the surface thus creating the texture so unique and desirable in pulp paintings. I allow the pulp to dry without pressing it down and thus disturbing the important characteristic of this ancient medium. ⁠
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This short video shows my painting process for using spoons to apply overeaten abaca to a landscape painting. ⁠
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#megblackstudios #handmadepaper #pulp #papermaker #papermaking workshop #handmadepaper #handpapermaking #paperartistcollective #abacapainting⁠

👩‍🎨One of the most common comments I hear

👩‍🎨One of the most common comments I hear about my artwork is how much people love the textured surface. I am able to create texture because of the materials I use. I am a paper artist, that is, I work with cotton and abaca fibers beaten for up to 20 hours in my Hollander Beater. The Hollander Beater is designed after the water wheels of Holland-thus its name. The machine is able to beat abaca fibers into finely textured pulp which is then pigmented with light-fast (non-fading) color and used as a painting or sculpting media. ⁠
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🤫What is Abaca you ask? Abaca was the original material used to make huge sailing canvases used during the Renaissance-you know, those ships that sailed the ocean blue. Eventually, some bright person got the idea to use a scrap of canvas to paint oil onto and the tradition of oil on canvas painting was born. ⁠
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👩‍🎨So, while I am using this historical medium, I am using it not as a surface to paint on, but as a medium to paint with. This is why my work is so unique and yet becomes part of the historical use of this versatile material. ⁠
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#megblackstudios #wallart #wallsculpture⁠
#homeofficedesign #abaca #artcurator #sculpture #womansculpture #womansculptor #rasberry #chartruse #blue #orange #cotton #pulppainting #handmadepaperart #paintingwithpaper⁠

👩‍🎨One of the most common comments I hear

👩‍🎨One of the most common comments I hear about my artwork is how much people love the textured surface. I am able to create texture because of the materials I use. I am a paper artist, that is, I work with cotton and abaca fibers beaten for up to 20 hours in my Hollander Beater. The Hollander Beater is designed after the water wheels of Holland-thus its name. The machine is able to beat fibers into finely textured pulp which is then pigmented with light-fast (non-fading) color and used as a painting or sculpting media. ⁠
⁠
👩🏽‍🎨This framed wall sculpture was made with mixture of cotton and abaca pulp beaten in my Hollander Beater for 23 hours. By beating the pulp for that long a time, it strengthens the fiber to an incredibly durable surface. ⁠
⁠
🤫What is Abaca you ask? Abaca was the original material used to make huge sailing canvases used during the Renaissance-you know, those ships that sailed the ocean blue. Eventually, some bright person got the idea to use a scrap of canvas to paint oil onto and the tradition of oil on canvas painting was born. ⁠
⁠
👩‍🎨So, while I am using this historical medium, I am using it not as a surface to paint on, but as a medium to paint with. This is why my work is so unique and yet becomes part of the historical use of this versatile material. ⁠
⁠
Shown here in situ in a home office, this wall sculpture, which I have named "Pops of Color I" because it is, well, very colorful, measures 40 x 20 x 3.5 inches and is framed in a custom made frame by my furniture maker friend. This large scale format fills a room with color and texture. ⁠1950.00 available on my website. https://megblack.com/galleries/pops-of-color/⁠
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#megblackstudios #wallart #wallsculpture⁠
#homeofficedesign #abaca #artcurator #sculpture #womansculpture #womansculptor #rasberry #chartruse #blue #orange #cotton #pulppainting #handmadepaperart #paintingwithpaper⁠

Including art for healthcare environments has show

Including art for healthcare environments has shown to have a positive impact on the speed of patient recovery and at minimizing the stress of staff and visitor experience. This painting, installed in Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, acts as an example of this research. The subject, natural imagery throughout the seasons, evokes the colorful world for which the ultimate designed work is reminiscent. ⁠
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#megblackstudios #handmadepaper #supportlocalartists #papermaking #paperart ⁠
#artforhealthcare #commissionedart #corporateart⁠
#red #blue #yellow #gold #green #nature ⁠
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Including nature-based art for healthcare environm

Including nature-based art for healthcare environments has shown to have a positive impact on the speed of patient recovery and at minimizing the stress of staff and visitor experience. This painting acts as an example of this research. "Through the Seasons" a painting that highlights scenes of a pond as it moves from the dense colors of late fall to the height of color during the summer, is installed in the waiting room of a healthcare facility. The subject, natural imagery throughout the seasons, evokes the colorful world for which the ultimate designed work is reminiscent. ⁠
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#megblackstudios #handmadepaper #supportlocalartists #papermaking #paperart #newenglandartist #abaca #handpapermaking #northamericanhandpapermakers ⁠
#artforhealthcare #commissionedart

This short video shows my in-progress painting of

This short video shows my in-progress painting of a landscape using overeaten abaca as my medium. ⁠
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#megblackstudios #handmadepaper #pulp #papermaker #papermaking workshop #handmadepaper #handpapermaking #paperartistcollective⁠

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(no title)
Gifts from the Sea: Seascape Painting in the New England Tradition, Thursday, June 24, 7:00-8:00PM. Zoom lecture.
Stay with it: practice and determination are the keys to success

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