Silk Road Wandering

Countdown - Grand Canyon

This is the first completed digital silk painting from my winter photography class.  I lightly printed the photo onto silk and then over-painted it with French dyes.  After steaming, I used gloss medium to seal the fabric.  I then fused the image to 2-ply mat board before cutting it into tiles.  Why tiles?  Well, those sunrises are intense at the Canyon so I added a structural element to lead the eye and calm things down a bit.

Make it a Grand New Year

  Support Colors of Time with your tax-deductible donation.  Expires Jan. 31

I am so honored to have been awarded a residency at the Grand Canyon North Rim this coming Spring.  Not surprising, this honor has become my themesong of 2012.  I have planned a year's worth of activities relating to "the canyon". 

Next week, I am off to the South Rim for a photo tour to orient myself and attempt to get over the "shock" of the grandscape.  I'd like to get a jumpstart on letting the canyon find me rather than the other way around. 

In May, the main thrust of my residency will be to create a large panorama on silk, helping Park visitors key into the colors they see at various times throughout the day.  I strongly believe that art (under the influence of the "hand of nature") can be made accessible to everyone, especially using digital media.  To make my project relevant to visitors, they'll experience the canyon from the standpoint of physics and geology. 

Here's how:  I will print a digital panoramic view of the canyon onto six, four-foot-long panels of silk.  The image will be lightly shaded to show form.  Every two hours Park visitors will learn to mix the colors they see.  I'll paint the colors onto the panel specific to that timeframe.  They'll experience how the changing angle of sunlight can alter their perception of color.  During the painting process we will talk about sedimentation - that the patterns and colors of the canyon were created the same way that pigments are deposited onto the silk.   After the painting is complete, I will texturize the panels with thread painting and enter the work in ArtPrize, 2012 in Grand Rapids.  The fundraising effort, Colors of Time, will support the costs associated with the project.

On September 12, I will speak about the Grand Canyon and the making of "Colors of Time" at the Ann Arbor Public Library at 7 p.m.

 

Legacy Land Conservancy Residency Journal. Final Chapter

The exhibit of works by artists chosen on behalf of Legacy Land Conservancy was titled "Stand in the Place you Live".  The exhibit runs thru February 29th at the Chelsea Center for the Arts and features a variety of media representing the work of 16 local artists.  I so enjoyed getting to know the history, the land owner, Legacy's stewardship, and the features of my assigned property.  I'm happy to say that two of my 4 pieces have sold.  I was also asked to propose a commission of 25 digital silk paintings of local wildflowers similar to those in the show.  And I got a favorable review in the news. Annarbor.com review.  A big thank you to the sponsors: Legacy Land Conservancy and Chelsea Center for the Arts.

 

Legacy Land Conservancy Residency Journal. Chapter 4. Artworks

Teaching and caring for my mother kept me out of the woods this summer.  I have begun 6 pieces inspired by early Spring wildflowers and sculptural shapes. 

This first work began as

After printing the image onto silk, I painted the shapes I found with my French dye.

 

Finally, I took a photo of the silk painting, manipulated it in Photoshop Elements, and printed it back onto my silk.  I "tiled" the image for balance.

 
 

 

Legacy Land Conservancy Residency Journal. Chapter 3 - Sculptures in the Woods

Besides wildflowers, there are plenty of natural sculptures to be found, photographed, and made into digital art.  Enjoy...

1.  Acorns and Aliens

      

2.  Wood Sculpture and Digital Silk Painting

      

3.  Remember to look up.  Check out the original and the digital interpretation.

      

 

 

 

 

Legacy Land Conservancy Residency Journal. Chapter 2

Spring wildflowers are out - I have to be careful where I step.  The highway noises have faded.  Birdsong is everywhere.

Spring Beauty

Trillium

Hepatica

Duchman's Breeches

Trout Lily

Legacy Land Conservancy Residency Journal

First Impressions

My assigned preserve is located near where I-94 and M-14 join, just to the northwest of Ann Arbor.  There are about 5 acres of woodlands. Being early spring, one can hear traffic noise from the freeway.  Once the trees have "leafed out", it will be quieter providing a "time out" from the traffic.  I can't help being awed by the generosity of the original owner for this place, a protected jewel amid the frenetic pace of the day-to-day.

Legacy Land Conservancy Residency

In celebration of Legacy Land Conservancy's 40th Year, 16 artists were chosen for residencies.  I am honored to be among them.  Each of us has been assigned a preserve to visit for inspiration through October, 2011.  An exhibit in mid November, "Stand in the Place Where You Live" will feature the works that were created during the residencies. The residencies and exhibit are jointly sponsored by the Legacy Land Conservancy and the Chelsea Center for the Arts.

Back to Synchronicity

Synchronicity is a lovely gallery near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park in Glen Arbor, Michigan.  The gallery staff are especially gifted at displaying artists' work.  There is a nice variety in subject and medium.   Unlike most galleries where each artist's work is hung in separate sections, the works at Synchronicity are intermixed so that they complement each other.  From my experience hanging exhibits and viewing others, this method of display is not easy to do well and even more difficult to keep it looking fresh for the season.

So, I am thrilled to be asked back for "the season" again.  (The season starts in May).  This weekend (April 9) I'll be dropping work off.  Last year, my digital silk pieces sold well.  I am adding some abstracts from my Special Places series.  So, please stop by Synchronicity Gallery.  You won't be disappointed. 

Nancy McKay, Silk Painter and Teacher

My fine art is available this Fall through Synchronicity Gallery.  Also, the River Gallery is hosting a special fiber arts exhibit at Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan.  Two of my pieces were included in this invitational exhibit and are available from River Gallery.

During Fall 2010 and Winter 2011, I am teaching "Sumptuous Scarves" and "Discover Silk Painting".  Contact Ann Arbor Community Education

About my work:

My silk paintings feature natural subjects, close-ups of flowers, abstracts, and intimate landscapes.  To further enhance the luminance of the silk fabric and dye, I often texturize and augment the color by free-motion stitching.  Some of my latest work incorporates what I call “digital silk”, where portions of my original photographs are printed onto the surface of the silk.

Silk Painting is an ideal medium to nurture the creative process.  Like no other medium, the awareness of lack of control is constant and therefore fosters experimentation and risk-taking.   Being present in the moment, in the flow of color across the surface of silk is a walk with beauty.  When I teach silk painting, I encourage my students by making it safe to play, to experiment, and to engage.  They are often surprised by the results.  For me, it is so very gratifying to share their surprise - that “a ha” moment in the light.