collage work

I've been working on some more collage pieces on canvas these past few days, in between other stuff. Seems like I've always got multiple projects going, but I guess it just keeps me from getting bored.

This was Sunday afternoon on my drawing table: I'd had this blank canvas on my wall for awhile, with a little pressed plant taped to it, waiting for me to do more. A couple weeks ago I printed some black and whites that I thought I might use, then finally dove into it on Sunday. This is a personal exploration project, so sometimes it gets pushed back by other projects with deadlines. You can see I've started not just coloring the photo but extending the image onto the canvas. (The white tape is holding the photo down while the gel medium dries - I couldn't wait to start coloring!)

Yesterday on my worktable: personal exploration alongside a little production work. I put together nine new "Flower Garden" collages in anticipation of the different art fairs I'll be doing soon. The new untitled piece got more color & extended imagery, which shifted colors when I used the matt medium on it & collaged on the pressed plant. Not quite what I was envisioning, but next step will be acrylics, so I'm sure I can get the pallette back to where I want it, it will just take time and work.

Today back over to the drawing table: I put the final varnish on the "Flower Garden" group and the untitled personal exploration artwork goes back on the wall. I started to apply some acrylic to it, but it will take more time and concentration than I can give right now. These things take time...

field trip part two

Photos from last week's field trip -

This is looking back at the twenty students Peggy & I took out. Walking through the greenbelt with their journals - most also kept the camera around their neck -

At the river end of the greenbelt we stopped near a playground, drinking fountain, tables and several large black walnut trees. The students were given an observational assignment - after a while one student came back and announced, "I have become one with nature." I was completely tickled - I just love it when teens are relaxed enough to let their inner child out to play.

A huge clump of California native black walnut - pretty much melded into one tree - students counted between six and nine individual trunks. I was busy keeping track of them and trying to stay on schedule, so I'm not really sure what count is most accurate.

On the river side of the levee there was a small footpath that broke off the bike trail and gave more of us a chance to really get into nature. The banks of the levee were too steep here to comfortably allow twenty students any closer to the water - to the disappointment of a least a couple.


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Troy journaling off trail -

Trees growing on the levee - mostly cottonwood and some oak - There's been alot of debate the past couple years about trees growing on levees here in California. The US Corps of Engineers claim trees need to be cut for easy maintainance and levee stability; new studies provide evidence to the contrary.

Heading back to the greenbelt - sunlight and shadow play on foxtails.

second saturday reception

Yes, this was last week and it is the digital age, so I should have posted this at least six days ago but I can be old school slow sometimes.

I took some shots at the "For the Love of Trees" opening reception at the Artisan Gallery last week. Unfortunately, looking at these photos now, I realize I missed shots of some great art by people I love dearly, so please forgive me...

Great sculptural works in metal by Angela Ridgway.

One of my "Open Oak Woods" handpainted photos and metal sculpture by Wayne Kern.

A great centerpiece for the show: metal sculpture by Robin Wellwood.

Joseph Finkleman's hand colored black & white photographs. I've known Joe for over twenty years now; we've worked together on occasion (I was his assistant once upon a time) and have influenced each other's work just a bit.


My favorite fire tree sculpture by my close friend, Kristen Hoard; the two of us coordinated this show - she says it's all my "fault" so I guess I'll take the credit!

I took a little walk down the street - it is called an art walk - and couldn't help but catch this plein air painter at work.

Joe with "Portrait of a Tree on Her Day Off" which was also at one point known as "Tree All Dressed Up for Saturday Night," so there they are together on a Saturday night.

Another one of my closest friends, Michelle MacKenzie, painted these great acrylic works. And if you look real close, you can see work by Jared Konopitski back through the doorway - sorry I didn't do better by you, Jared!

On the left a photograph by my soon to be studio mate, Wendell Minshew, and on the right a metal tree sculpture by Wayne Kern.

Another Minshew and Kern pairing; I really like how the tree sculptures echo the two dimensional pieces. And as a photographer, I love the shadows on the wall, too.

In another photo/sculpture pairing, my photo based work on the left and a fire tree on the right by Kristen Hoard.

Here are the Oakleaf sisters - no lie! - Susan and Sarah, (not sure who is who.) They have other siblings, too, who weren't at the reception, but I was tickled to meet them and they were tickled by my oak themed work.

Full view of my "Quercus Woodland" panels flanking "Spring Oak #6".

walking field trip from JFK

April 17, 08
after lunch
out with Peggy's classes - actually about half of her 5th & 6th periods -
clear blue skies, warm, light breeze
Greenhaven greenbelt - near Bear Flag Elementary School
Relaxed feeling with the kids
An airplane buzzes overhead - a power tool in the distance, a bird flies noisily into a tree.

Farther down the greenbelt a couple big black walnut trees stand guard near a playground

empty half of black walnut found on the ground

(Robert becomes one with nature.)

Took kids up on levee, film & digital shots later -

On the walk back, I get a shot of little daisies in the lawn of the greenbelt.

Back at our lunch spot I show the students the Crown Graphic 4x5 and take them through the shooting process step by step, including figuring out the exposure in my head & zone focusing - then the T55 processing. I didn't figure the exposure perfect but they got the idea.

evening, after dinner

April 16, 2008
evening, after dinner at home making sure my bag is packed for tomorrow's field trip with JFK students

It's going to be a fairly small group and I want to give them a taste of some different aspects of photography.

They'll each use a simple plastic lens 35mm loaded with twelve exposures of film. Limited shots helps students focus, as they don't usually want to waste their film.

I also found some old Polaroid Izone film that isn't too funky. I might give them cameras to share and have a few tiny sticker photos to put in their journal on the spot -

for the love of trees

Been working on a couple of different tree projects lately -

First a gallery showing titled "For the Love of Trees" at the Artisan Gallery here in Sac. It's a group show with about a dozen artists all together, including some of my closest & dearest friends. If you're in the area, join us this Saturday night from 6 to 10 p.m. for our reception - always a good time at the Artisan.

Today I got everything ready to deliver tomorrow morning, including my multi-panel work, "Quercus Woodland."


(click on image to enlarge)

I'm taking thirty-six of the panels to the Artisan for this show. you can see them on my studio table. The spare two on the left are going to be with another artist friend in support of another tree project I'm working on.

The Legacy Trees Project acquires large old trees that have to be taken down and puts the wood into willing artists' hands to create an artistic legacy for these gentle giants. Being a tree lover, my artwork is a natural for helping to promote this project, so I've been working on a limited edition giclee portfolio available through SEEART to benefit the Legacy Trees Project.

This image, "Reaching" is one of the images included in the "Tree Lovers" portfolio of giclees and will be available for sale and to order on May 3rd, at another event coincidentally titled "For the Love of Trees."

The originals of "Reaching" and all of the other images in the "Tree Lovers" portfolio will also be available for sale at the May 3rd event to benefit the Legacy Trees Project - more details on that event later.

winter vineyards

The other two images from my current mini series of vineyards - also printed in the black & white darkroom last week, finished coloring last night...


(click on image to enlarge)

I call this one "Winter Vineyard," taken on a late winter morning at Sogno Winery last year - it really does take time for some of my work to come to fruition - this is about 6x7" on 8x10" paper, the first of twenty prints this size, painted with watercolors, then finished with colored pencils for details and oil pastels because I felt like it. It will retail for $195 matted to 11x14" or $250 framed.


(click on image to enlarge)

This is "Winter Vineyard with Tree" taken the evening of the same late winter day, after I had spent that day at a winery art show. Again, about 6x7" on 8x10" paper, the first of twenty prints this size, painted with watercolors, then finished with colored pencils for details and oil pastels in the sky. It will also retail for $195 matted to 11x14" or $250 framed.

Interested? Email me for details: judith@judithmonroe.com.

vineyard fruits

One of the things I've been working on lately is a small series of vineyard images. I printed these from black & white negatives in the darkroom last week and finished hand coloring them yesterday.

These are from a day I spent in a private vineyard in the foothills with some of my plein air painting friends last fall... Sometimes it can take a while for me to get through the whole artistic process. ;)


(click on image for enlargment)

This one is called "Starling Arbor," it's about 6x7" on an 8x10" sheet of photo paper, and the first of only twenty prints made this size. It's painted with watercolors & colored pencil and retails for $195 matted to 11x14", or $250 matted and framed.


(click on image for enlargment)

This one is simply "Vineyard," also about 6x7" on an 8x10" sheet of photo paper, and the first of only twenty prints made this size. This one has watercolors, pencils and a touch of oil pastels to get just the right feeling in the sky. I aim to be consistent, so it retails for $195 matted to 11x14", or $250 matted and framed. Just contact me if you're interested in these or any other pieces you see on my blog or website.

working in the studio

Haven't made it outside much - my allergies have tormented me since that walk on Easter Sunday - but I've been working on several things in the studio.

These are a couple of vineyard images, printed in the darkroom last week, painted, waiting for pencil and maybe a little pastel. I've got a couple more vineyard shots to paint this morning, too, before I head out to a meeting about a tree print portfolio... more on that another time.

And of course, the Quercus Woodland is growing, with the tree show coming up at the Artisan. Second Saturday reception will be April 12th, I've got to get everything to the gallery early next week!

My new canvas series peeks in at the bottom corner of this studio shot, too: Flower Garden will have several different flowers against turquoise blue skies and charming garden weeds in the collage. Funny how charming the weeds can be after I've pulled them...