Cozying Up to a Triptych

Here's how to find out if your studio is too small: try painting large. Of course your studio is too small! Unless we're working out of a 40,000 square foot warehouse, we never feel like we have enough square footage in our studios.

This week, that idea hit home when I began working on a triptych -- a painting created on three separate canvases. This one is comprised of three canvas panels, each of which measures 12x36 inches. Placed side by side, the overall measurement is 36x36 inches. It's going to be a mixed media piece, featuring paint, collage, inks, possibly even fibers and clay embellishments.

Those dimensions may seem laughably small to some people (like the artist whose studio is a warehouse) but when you work in much closer quarters ...well, let's just say things get quite cozy when you tackle a work of any size. It can feel like you're working on and around something the size of a Smartcar! (I'm exaggerating a bit, but I swear that's how it feels.)

Anyway, this triptych and I have finally reached an understanding: if I don't fall flat on my face trying to navigate around it, it will be set free (in other words, finished and shipped to its new home) by the end of next week.

Meanwhile, here are some photos of this work in progress:

I've masked off parts of the canvases to protect completed areas across the top.   ©2015 Lynn Edwards

Another view  ©2015 Lynn Edwards

This is where the fun begins: "auditioning" painted and stamped collage papers   ©2015 Lynn Edwards

More possibilities   ©2015 Lynn Edwards

Some papers that made the cut.   ©2015 Lynn Edwards

Stay tuned...I'll be posting more pictures as work on this progresses. My next project, after this one, is a work on FOUR 12x36 inch canvases. For that one I'll need to rearrange the furniture!

Text and images ©2015 Lynn Edwards