New experiments and ACEOs

I love the graphic effect of linocuts. The lines are very bold and I find the stark contrast of black and white as well as the interplay of negative and positive space to be most interesting. I also love it when the color element is added as the colors seem brighter and the work has this "comic book" effect to it. I am in the position where I do not have the facilities or equipment (inks, press, linoleum) to recreate this method any time soon. So I improvised and created the following piece.





On the back of the card, I affixed the queen of spades playing card. I've been meaning to use these for ACEOs for awhile now and thought my little experiment here would be the perfect compliment. This is called a gouache relief and the resemblance to a hand-painted lino is uncanny to say the least. It is a beautiful process, albeit time consuming. I wouldn't say it is for the perfectionist especially since the effects are somewhat unpredictable.

I completed the following ACEO also. I entitled it, "Just the Right Size II," after a piece I completed some time in 2007 with similar content. I also added these interesting jewels as embellishment plants on the piece, a bit of experimentation on my part.