Magical Machu Picchu

At an altitude of about 8000 feet, Machu Picchu (Old Mountain), now one of the 7 wonders of the world, is a small city in the Andes, about 44 miles northwest of Cuzco and about 3000 feet above the Urubama Valley. Inca ruler Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui built Machu Picchu in the mid-15th century. It appears to have been a sacred, ceremonial city and astronomical observatory. The largest peak in Machu Picchu, called Huayna Picchu, is known as "hitching post of the sun." The setting high in the mountains is magical.

Most of the roughly 150 buildings in Machu Picchu were built of granite so their ruins look like part of the mountains. The Inca made regular blocks of granite fit so tightly together (without mortar) that there are areas where a knife cannot fit between the stones. Many of the stones used in the site construction weigh in excess of 50 tons. More than 100 stone stairways connect the upper and lower levels of the site.

Many buildings had trapezoidal doors and thatched roofs. They used irrigation to grow corn and potatoes. Smallpox devastated the Machu Picchu before the conqueror of the Inca, the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro, arrived.

The iconic Huayna Picchu Mountain rises up above Machu Picchu. Brave visitors can hike the narrow trail up to the peak which is higher than Macchu Picchu. When I visited, my husband went up and I stayed at our hotel Inkaterra to visit the fabulous gardens with many species of orchids.

Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham discovered the ruins of the city in 1911. It is pretty clear that the site was never really "lost." Bingham got a lot wrong in his book on Machu Picchu, but there is no doubt that his work in Peru brought the world's attention to the ancient culture of the Inca.

I created several works based on archival pigment prints of digital photos I took of the stones at the site. I then used traditional printmaking techniques to layer images on top of the stone photos. I also used silk organza transfers of traditional Incan motifs. The flowers refer to my visit to the gardens at Inkaterra, our wonderful hotel.

InkaTerra 4

Inka Terra 3

Inka Terra 2

Inka Terra 1

Monotypes- My Favorite!

Monotypes are an immediate and intimate form of printmaking. Unlike, say, an etching, which once created allows a printer to apply ink at a later time and repeatedly produce multiples, for a monotype the artist paints directly onto a smooth surface, or matrix, such as a sheet of Plexiglas. Then, before the ink has a chance to dry, the matrix is run through a press, transferring the image to a piece of paper. It is a unique image that is not created to multiply. Hard to categorize, they are prints, but you could just as easily argue they are drawings or paintings. It’s opportunity for rapid, intense experimentation. The matrix is essentially destroyed in the process of creation. I like the immediacy of the process although I often have apply many layers which can take time.

Working directly over the original matrix is one way of experimenting or playing with differences—different kinds of refinement, accent, tone, playful variations, using collage or other mixed media. Derived from places, memories, and emotions, I explored compositions and content that is fueled by the elusiveness of the subconscious and the shifting of memories, most often of travel.

In Ferns and Trees (above), I have used several different modes of printmaking including monotype, silkscreen and stencil. I also added collage to complete the image as I wanted it. Inspired by travel to England's Cotswolds, I wanted to evoke the beauty and mystery of nature in this location.

This monotype is on display at Da Vinci Art Alliance's Home and Away exhibition until May 22. Visit www.davinciartalliance.org for details of hours and special events.

William Morris Influences My Work!

On my recent trip to England, especially the Cotswolds, I was reintroduced to William Morris. William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, novelist, and social activist. Associated with the British  Arts and Crafts Movement, he was a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile arts and methods of production. His literary contributions helped to establish the modern fantasy genre, while he played a significant role in propagating the early socialist movement in Britain.

Morris is recognized as one of the most significant cultural figures of Victorian Britain; though best known in his lifetime as a poet, he posthumously became better known for his designs. Founded in 1955, the William Morris Society is devoted to his legacy, while multiple biographies and studies of his work have seen publication. Many of the buildings associated with his life are open to visitors, much of his work can be found in art galleries and museums, and his designs are still in production.

i love his wallpaper designs and have incorporated some of his floral and nature designs in some works I am doing.

I am deciding whether I want to use them on their own or incorporate them into elements of collage for mixed media work such as: 

 

Cotswold England- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Cotswolds is one of the most 'quintessentially English' and 
unspoiled regions of England where you cannot help but fall 
in love with the uniqueness of it.

The unique region officially covers an area of 790 square miles in the 
upper part of the southwest region of England and is the country's 
largest officially designated 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.'

Popular with both the English themselves and international visitors from 
all over the world, the area is well known for gentle hillsides (‘wolds’), 
outstanding countryside with river valleys, water meadows and 
beechwoods, sleepy ancient limestone villages, historic market towns 
and for being so ‘typically English’ where time has stood still 
for over 300 years.

I created 4 one of a kind works on paper, capturing the hills, colors 
and essence of this beautiful place.

Rolling hills and farm fields typical in the Cotswolds landscape

Cotswold Natural Beauty 1

Cotswold Natural Beauty 2

Cotswold Natural Beauty 3

Cotswold Natural Beauty 4

From Travel to Art: The Process from Otavalo to Series

How do I interpret the landscapes, people, events of my travel into the art I create when I come home? I take many photographs. I think about the things that had impact on my eyes, my senses. I wait a while to see what stays in my mind's eye. I remember the colors and textures that stand out in my memory.

So the roundness and colors of the fruits and vegetables at the market place

become the colors and textures I use in the art.

The rich volcanic soil that makes this area such perfect farmland

morphs into my interpretation of the patchwork views of farms seen from the Andes' heights.

The indigenous people from Otavalo are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool that is sometimes as black as a raven.

The colors and textures of the textiles, the landscape and all my memories become part of the art.

There are 4 more in this series. Visit lindadubingarfield.com to see those and other series inspired by travel.
 

Linda Dubin Garfield, 10 years of Art and Caring @ Philly Fringe Festival

For the past 10 years on her birthday, Linda Dubin Garfield has a party and asks her guests to make collages on a theme. Months later, at the Book Trader, as a part of the Philly Fringe Festival, Linda exhibits these, as well as her own art, and invites the public to participate. Proceeds from sales go to charity. This year's theme is "Family," and the recipient is Family Support Services.

https://youtu.be/wcZn9VIuRU0

Thanks to John Thornton for making this YouTube video!
For more information and images, go to my website http://www.lindadubingarfield.com

Otavalo Art Series- Mixed Media

Travel to the Ecuadorean Andes in the Otavalo area provided much inspiration for artwork. The colorful clothing and textiles, the lush Andes, farmland patterns, abundant flowers, deep rich soil... all contributed to a vast visual vocabulary transposed into these 8 mixed media pieces.

Otavalo 1- Journey of Discovery

Otavalo 2- Heightened Moments

Otavalo 3- Where To Find Me

Otavalo 4- Traces Within

Otavalo 5- Everything Is Possible

Otavalo 6- Wisdom of the Land

Otavalo 7- Landscape Of Possibility

Otavalo 8-Joyful Intersections