Dead Fly 92 - A Grand Experiment

Dead Fly 92 - A Grand Experiment

Acrylic and silicone on canvas 18" x 24"

$300.00

I've been reading about pour paintings using silicone but have no idea how to do one. But I did have some extra packets of silicone laying around so one day slathered the canvas with it and then just started painting away. Sometimes the paint would sit on top of the silicone. Then it would sink to the bottom. It certainly didn't slow down the dry time, which I thought would happen. What was neat about it is that new colors layered over the old like glazes, but then dried so quickly that they could be blended. It's best to see this one up close and real to appreciate how the paint worked. 

Dead Fly 91 - Dead Fly on a Manila Folder

Dead Fly 91 - Dead Fly on a Manila Folder

Pencil on a manila folder

$100.00 SOLD

Harking back to the original dead fly which was on a manila folder, I created this piece of art using a manila folder and colored pencils. It took a long time and I have a stack of trial and error dead flies on manila folders that were all part of the process.

Dead Fly 90 - DIY Dead Fly Shadow

Dead Fly 90 - DIY Dead Fly Shadow

Mixed media on canvas 14" x 14"

$200.00

Here is an experiment. Sometimes I see things in my mind and then just want to try them to see if they work out in reality. For this I made a base out of aluminum foil then stitched that to the canvas. Then I covered it with plaster tape even wrapping the wire legs. Then I filled in the gabs with caulking and after several days of drying time painted it. The canvas is painted "manila folder yellow" to recreate the first dead fly on the first manila folder. When it's hung, depending on the light source, the fly casts it's own shadow which changes because light changes.

Dead Fly 89 - The Executive

Dead Fly 89 - The Executive

Mixed media - 12" tall

$200.00

This one was made using aluminum foil as the base, covered with Sculpey. The wings are made of copper wire twisted till it took shape. I tried again soldering them together buy need to learn a whole lot more about soldering before I'll ever be successful at it. The legs are pipe-cleaners, singed to make them look like fly legs, then covered with some Sculpey here and there. A quick trip to the thrift shop and I found a small lamp which I took apart for the base. This particular piece is sized right and would look great on an executive's desk. Hence the name - The Executive

Dead Fly 88 - Object D'Art

Dead Fly 88 - Object D'Art

mixed media 31" tall

$350.00

Here is the first sculpture I've done for this series if you don't count the little flies in Dead Fly 45. I used a paper bag stuffed with newspaper, then covered with plaster tape for the body. Used wires coated with plaster tape for the legs. The wings were trick. I thought it would be easy to solder the wing wire together and after many failed attempts, just twisted the wires in place. Yes, that's an old lamp base for the base. I thing the design on it looks like fly wings. The whole thing was then painted with Rustoleum to make it look like iron. Originally I had in mind to do a model suitable for an executives desk but got carried away with this one and it ended up bigger than I thought it would which leads to...

Dead Fly 87 - Picnic

Dead Fly 87 - Picnic

acrylic on canvas - 14" x 14"

$300.00

This one took a l-o-n-g time to do. I actually started this one a few months ago after I'd picked up a bunch of cheap acrylic paints from Michaels Art Store. I wanted to see what they painted like so went at it just kid of slapping the paint on the canvas using a picture I had in my mind. I wanted a dead fly on a picnic table. I painted in a glass of wine. Everything was all crooked as hell, but what the heck. Then came the struggle. I wanted clouds. Didn't know how to paint clouds so I went to YouTube and searched How To Paint Clouds. So many clouds! After much work this is what I came up with. The clouds looked good, The fly looked good. But the glass of wine looked like crap so eventually I gave up on it but had used so much paint in trying to get it right that the image was impasto. No amount of painting over it completely got rid of it so I decided to take sandpaper to the canvas and sand out the glass of wine. I was a little too over enthusiastic about this and went and sanded right through the canvas. Sigh! So much work and now I'd gone and wrecked the canvas. Well, I fixed it with a patch on the back and some plaster filler. You can still slightly see where the wine glass was, but it's not really obvious.

Dead Fly 86 - Self Portrait

Dead Fly 86 - Self Portrait

watercolor on canvas 14"x 14"

$250.00

Unplanned subject, but I felt like doing a Dead Fly using just the black watercolor pencil. It started out as just a nice study of a Dead Fly in the middle of the canvas, then I added some water, then just let going. I had an original idea of doing one of those lovely little black and white studies of the subject but as I worked I started to see a face in the lines and shadows. Then I thought, Hm, that kind of looks likes me. So emphasized that area. Then saw another one, and another one, and another one... How many do you see? 

Dead Fly 85 Flying

Dead Fly 85 - Flying

watercolor on canvas 14' x 14"

$300.00

Back to the watercolor pencils. I felt like just working with limited color to see what would happen. Like I said, at least I know what it will be a painting of.  It was tricky to add the yellow mustardy color to this one. One never knows what will happen when a new color is introduced. And like with all painting, you have to now when to let it go. Stop working on it. And say It's Done! After these watercolor paintings on canvas are thoroughly dry, I spray them with a quick coat of acrylic varnish.

Dead Fly 84 - We've Come to This

Dead Fly 84 - We've Come to This

acrylic on canvas with iron rust added

Six canvasses 14" x 14" each

$500.00

This is my Fourth of July 2019 painting. I've been at this Dead Fly Project for a couple years now and each Fourth of July I wax patriotic and do a USA themed piece. This one took a while. First the layout. Then the painting. Then I carved the stars out of block vinyl for printing on the canvas. I carved six stars each one a little different and then as they were stamped onto the canvas, I took an extra slice out so that each one is different. Much like our own states. Each one has its own personality, problems, successes, political leanings. At this time I feel our country is falling apart. We're so divided. If we keep it up - well, Dead Fly. It's meant to be hung haphazardly like depicted. Troubled times. Even the stars lack order.

Dead Fly 83 - Experiment with Water Color

Dead Fly 83

watercolor on canvas 8"x 10"

$100.00

I picked up a set of watercolor pencils and felt like trying them out.  One of the things that's fun about this Dead Fly Project is that when I do feel like experimenting with a new medium I don't sit there for an hour debating with myself about what I should paint. It's going to be a dead fly. So I just tarted drawing. Then brushing and spraying water on the canvas till it was done. I kind of like this medium. This one looks like stained glass. I like using it on canvas as well. That saves framing and matting which can be expensive when done properly.

Dead Fly 82 Modern Art Fly

Dead Fly 82 - Modern Art Fly

acrylic on canvas 14" x 14"

$200.00

     I bought some really cheap acrylic paints from our local art store, Michael's, to be exact. Big tubes, six colors - red, yellow, blue, green, black, and white. With the 50% off coupon I paid $16.00. I wanted to see what they would do. So I figured I would just start painting lines, shapes, colors slapped on quickly until the painting no longer disturbed me. Figured I might as well work a dead fly into the mix as well and make it a part of the series. This one still disturbs me, but at a point you just have to call it a day and let them go. I don't think artist's are ever completely satisfied with anything they turn out. Joslyn says this is why when you go to an artist's studio there are so many paintings turned against the wall. On the other hand Greg - my husband who gets to see all the works in progress and beyond - when he overheard a phone discussion where I said I might just destroy this one - said -" I like it this one." I guess there's something for everyone.

Dead Fly 81 - Chaos

Dead Fly 81 - Chaos

acrylic on canvas 14" x 14"

$300.00

     Still at it with the drips. I had a rather disturbing week and needed to work stuff out. Started with red paint on canvas - heavy coat with extender - dropped on some black - tried to make flies out of some of the drips and splotches. That dint work out. Decided to destroy the painting but not the canvas so took it outside and ran it under the spigot. At a point of all the heavy paint getting washed away the images started to take form and at which point I shut off the water and brought what was left inside to dry flat. Then played with it for a couple of days here and there till it looked done. I feel better for having painted this one. Thank you.

Dead Fly 80 - Swarm

Dead Fly 80 - Swarm

acrylic on canvas 8" x 10"

$100.00

     This is another experiment using that same paint but this is a wet on wet. Slather a heavy coat of white paint on the canvas this time adding some extender, drop on some black using the same, then go at it with a pointy object to draw out the flies. My daughter has refined this technique to a fine point. She uses a steak knife. After watching her do this for several days I just wanted to try one myself. Hers are much better. It's kind of like Jackson Pollock. He had total control over his drips. Anyways it was fun to try.

Dead Fly 79 - Tumult

Dead Fly 79 - Tumult

acrylic on canvas 8"x 10"

$150.00

     I am trying out some new paint here and deiced to play fast and loose with it. A splotch of watered down black paint on the canvas, step back, see if I can see the fly - then a few quick strokes to bring it into focus. Key here was Work quickly! Paint dries fast!

Dead Fly 78 - Goth Fly

Dead Fly 78 - Goth Fly

hand-cut silhouette on paper in pewter frame

$200.00

     Early in the beginning of this Dead Fly series I found this picture frame at the thrift shop. It's a beauty! I have tried my hand at cutting silhouette profiles of people and actually have some success with it. I had always envisioned a hand cut silhouette of the dead fly in this frame with a deep red velveteen mat. More than just the fly, the entire piece was to become the work itself. I did find what I was looking for as far a mat - it's actually a double mat - plain black is used to define the edges. The red is red suede. I had the mats cut at Brushstrokes in Lewisburg, PA, where the man has an oval cutter. I love the way this one came out! The double mat cost an arm and a leg but I wanted it to look really good. It matches what I had in my mind. Absolutely beautiful!

Dead Fly 77 - Dead Fly with Red Apple

Dead Fly 77 - Dead Fly with Red Apple

pastel on paper 9" x 12"

$200.00

     I actually used those pastel pencils to create this work. I used them for the fine detail. I still like the sticks better, though. The chalk goes on more like paint. This sat on the easel for a while with me going back and forth on the shadows. I could stand to try it again at some point. The apple at on the table long enough to rot. Had it been summer, I'm sure it would have attracted flies. As it was, I tossed the apple outside for the chickens to peck at and used my tiny fly sculpture for the stand-in model.

Dead Fly 76 - Dead Fly with Green Apple

Dead Fly 76 - Dead Fly with Green Apple

Pastel on paper 9"x 12"

$200.00

     Still going with the pastels! Now that I broke them out I'm having fun with them. Here I went to the grocery store to buy just the right apples - brought a red one the same day - to just have fun working from life. Of course the fly is already dead. I had to use a standing for this sketch. It's a small model I made of the original dead fly which I use upon occasion when I need a model.

Dead Fly 75 - Study in Purple

Dead Fly 75 - Study in Purple

pastel on paper 9" x 12"

$300.00

     Back to pastels. I do like pastels because they allow me to work fast - just throw on the color with no drying time between layers. This is the way I like to draw in pastel - those pastel pencils (see 69) Dead Fly seems pretty restrictive to my style. If you notice, in the bottom right corner you'll see different strokes of color. When I work with pastel, I use an area of the paper that won't show when the painting is framed as a pallet - to test the color as well as the hardness or softness of the stick I'm using and how it strikes the paper. This is important.

Dead Fly 74 - Circles

Dead Fly 74 - Circles

acrylic on canvas 16' x 20"

$350.00

     This one sat on the easel for a while just sketched out in charcoal. I drew the circles and wanted to see where it would go once color was applied as well as legs.

Dead Fly 73 - Santa Visits The Froggy's

Dead Fly 73 - Santa Visits The Froggy's

pencil on paper reproduced to create a Christmas card

$200.00

     The previous year (2017) I made up a Dead Fly Christmas card for certain friends and family and figured they'd be expecting on this year as well (2018)  I only print 24. Then I mail them out.