Three Generations

On our tour again this year are three generations of one family........ At Diana Bullock's location along with her work in mixed media, Sumi-e [Japanese ink painting]  you will find watercolours by Grace MacPherson, her mother and multi media work by her daughter Allison.

This is the link to the article in  Good Life magazine from earlier this year. Grace turned 90 this past summer, still paints and has many new pieces.

Diana has been also very busy with several different media types

And Allison's work has taken a striking new direction 

Something lurks

Their Studio location is #15 on this years tour. Stop by and say hello!

Diana Bullock

Studio Tour artist Diana Bullock shares with us the process of wet mounting a Sumi-e [Japanese ink painting] work. Visit Diana's studio number 15 on the tour. Her mother Grace MacPherson and her daughter Allison Bullock also will be exhibiting work. Three generations of artists all in one place. Visit www.alternativesinart.ca to see more of Diana and Allison's work.

```````````````````````

Painting Sumi-e work requires patience. I can't count the number of times I have gotten to the last stroke in a painting only to ruin it. This is a very unforgiving media, if you make an error you must start over. 

The next step after the painting has dried is to make the painting more stable by adding another layer of paper behind the work. This also improves the colour of the ink. You can dry mount it, which I have never attempted or you can wet mount it.   

There are places that will do it for you but  I prefer to do it myself. After many years I have got a system that works for me. Bear in mind that both of these papers are a little bit heavier than tissue paper. The "rice paper" that I use is strong if you know how to handle it when it is wet but it can easily tear especially when wet!

First you lay the painting upside down on a clean board.

After lightly spraying the painting with water you paste the back of the painting with an acid free rice  paste.

 

 
Placing a slightly larger piece of rice paper on the painting you gently rub the rice paper to the painting using a piece of parchment paper to protect the work from tearing. 

 
 Carefully lifting the work up it is now turned right side up and place on a clean support [some people use their doors, I don't]. The edges are taped down with packing tape [the worst part of this proceedure for me because I am always losing the end of the tape!]

 
You then have to babysit the work until it drys; sometimes the tape will break away and that can cause a ripple. 

My birds are now drying. Once they are very dry I will add my seal and sign them, all ready to be framed.

 

If you are looking for something different to do this weekend why not visit the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre for the annual show Shades of Ink. Studio Tour member Diana Bullock has four paintings in this show and two of her older work is part of a calendar that will be on sale. One was selected for the cover.

There is a lovely tea room and demonstrations all day long of Sumi-e or Japanese ink painting.  Diana will be demonstrating at 3 pm tomorrow [Sunday] afternoon.

Stop by and say hello

Lemonville Group of Artists Show

Four Studio tour artists are also members of the Lemonville Group of Artists. Their annual show and sale is April 30th and May 1st, Lemonville Community Centre 10 am to 5 pm.

Diana Bullock, Sandra Cole Burke, Joan Humphrey and Pamela Wright will have work at this show. More information is at www.LemonvilleGroupofArtists.com

For Japan relief

Studio Tour Artist DIANA BULLOCK has decided to use her art to aid disaster relief in Japan!

If you send Diana confirmation of a donation toward relief efforts in Japan, you can have your choice of the art posted on her blog.

Visit http://dbullockalternativesinart.blogspot.com/ for more details!

Grace MacPherson & Diana Bullock art exhibit