Scabbet

I am mostly very happy with my David Sorg easel, but from time to time I have a problem with the support system and panels. The easel uses coarse grit sandpaper attached to flat boards top and bottom to hold the canvas, which is nice because you don't have flanges covering the art or overhangs casting annoying shadows. However, with 1/8" panels, there is less surface area to grip, and sometimes when I am getting enthusiastic with the palette knife it will come loose with an alarming crash.

This seems to be more of an issue with the top bracket, and with a larger panel, probably because it creates a long lever amplifying the force against it, and because the weight pulls it away from the sandpaper.

My solution is the Scabbet (scab + rabbet), a temporary backstop attached with Velcro. It makes a significant difference to the way it feels to paint, much more solid and dependable.

David Sorg's solution is simpler: http://www.studioeasel.com/tune.html

 In the interest of upping my masking game, I shaved off my beard. Inspired by seeing the bottom half of my face for the first time after twenty years, I attempted a self-portrait.

Pencil and ink wash  on toned paper  

Gateway City Arts show

"Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair" was in the recent 4th Annual Small Works Show at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it there to see it in person, but Gateway has posted a video walk through of the show along with more photos here: www.gatewaycityarts.com/small-works-gallery/the-4th-annual-small-works-exhibit/

New year, new sketchbook

 Made a new Montanapolitancroptic sketchbook, with white, grey toned, tan toned, and watercolor paper. Here are some favorites from last year's book.

Making some new Hor:Ratios

 Hor:ratio is a device I came up with to work with rectangular aspect ratios and proportional subdivisions. It has become an indispensable part of my kit, useful for analyzing compositions, copying works of art, creating thumbnails, etc. When they get worn out I just print out a new batch, trim, score, and fold to make a handy pocket reference and proportional protractor.

If you are interested in the geometrical aspects of artistic composition or curious about the arcane world of root rectangles, diatessarons, and hemiolions, you can get your own Hor:ratio and instruction booklet right here at www.matthewmattingly.com under the Hor:ratio tab. Free, no registration or personal information required. I would appreciate any feedback.

"Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair"

Will be at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA, for the 4th Annual Small Works Exhibit.

Pen and ink, watercolor

5" x 7"

www.gatewaycityarts.com/small-works-gallery

From “The Highwayman”by Alfred Moyes. I had this idea for Inktober day 4 “knot” but realized it needed a fair bit of research and preparation (like, what the heck is a love-knot?) and found a reference to a Celtic love-knot, which she is plaiting into her hair with red ribbons wrapped around the individual plaits. Later I discovered someone else had done the same subject, but pictured it as a probably more accurate and certainly simpler approach where she had tied the knot into a ribbon which she then braided into her hair.

You can read the poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43187/the-highwayman

Heath Street Stop

Pencil, 7" x 5"

This is in the 10th Annual Small Works Show at

Hope and Feathers

319 Main St.

Amherst, MA.

12/1/2021 - 1/11/2022