Explorations with Jane Davies, Lesson 3

My objective for this two-week period was to continue exploring variety of contrast in a neutral palette, using collage, paint, line and pattern in a "cruciform" format. I wanted to have the busier areas contrast with quiet (but still interesting) backgrounds, and to include "transitional" areas between the busy and the quiet. All of these measure 16" x 16".

#1
This had the least amount of value contrast. Mostly I restricted the values to light
and medium. There is a bit of black in the text, but it doesn't "read" as dark.
I like the way I was able to break up the background into shapes, using
a soft charcoal line.

#2 is similar.
It has more value contrast, with several collage pieces a medium-dark.

#3 has more value contrast still, ranging from white to black.
The background is a touch darker than in #1 and #2.
There's a bit of white cheesecloth collaged into the centre of the X,
and some spattered black paint. I might yet tone down that black clot in the centre.

#4 has an even darker background, and a full range of value contrast.

Because we are expected to produce a minimum of six "explorations" for each lesson, I supplemented these with the re-worked efforts that were begun in Lesson 2. (I posted about them here. in both their original and improved versions.)

The response to these pieces was generally positive, though the instructor, Jane Davies, explained that "cruciform" formats are meant to have horizontal and vertical orientations only. If I want to push them towards the diagonal, I should call the format "radial" or invent another name.