I’ve been having a blast with Dr. Ph Martin’s Dyes! These colors are super bright and look lovely when combined with brown or sepia ink. Here are some smaller mazes and mini-mazes that I’ve played with since the completion of my super-secret project. Several of these originals are now available on my shop, and would make a great present for maze-loving family or friends!
micron
Collaboration Part 1
I find making circular mazes a challenge. I have designed a few flat circular puzzles and then redrawn them as steps and buildings, but the results are unsatisfactory. The final work feels heavy and burdensome. They are overly complicated. So when I discovered Henry Cheung’s Instagram feed @henryscheung I was inspired! He photographs the circle mazes he has elegantly doodled in coffee shops adjacent to lattes on warm surfaces of wood, tile, or stone.
Detail of @henyscheung April 25, 2018 Instagram post.
After liking a bunch of his photos, Henry and I chatted about mazes. He was cool with me trying to convert one of his puzzles into my style! I printed out a few and got to sketching. The first one was a little lumpy. For my second attempt, I laid down some guidelines to keep the isometric under control. This was better.
The guidelines help me translate Henry’s lovey shapes better. I loathe rules, but some structure in the beginning can really help. You can see me marking off parts of the original as I go.
I’m happy with the puzzle, but I’d like more detail. My original is only a few inches wide, so the stairs are especially gnarly. Upscale the old-timey way!
I drew my version too small. I wanted more detail, so I scaled it up to ink onto larger watercolor paper. I will eventually paint it, but for now I’m happy with the digital coloring. This way I can play with color choices before laying down the real thing!
Collaboration between me and Henry Cheung. The foundation is totally his puzzle. See if you can match how his fits!
The final result is great. Collaborations are awesome! Follow @henryscheung on Instagram, your feed will be more beautiful.
New Watercolor Maze
The previously posted towers were studies for this new watercolor maze. The colors are more gentle than my earlier trials.
Simple Towers
These are Strathmore watercolor postcards. Studies for a larger piece coming soon!
Apart
Loneliness
Watercolor and Ink
Still playing with ink and watercolor.
I'm really into the artists Cinta Vidal and Sadi Tekin right now. Vidal paints beautiful multi-perspective buildings and interiors. Like my cube mazes, but intimate and fully realistic. Tekin is a very clever illustrator with great line work and often gentle colors.
So here, the maze is simple, but I wanted the paths to be on every visible side with the steps connecting them (Vidal). I also tried to use the least amount of pigment to emphasize the lines and space. (Tekin)
I quickly added the labels digitally for posting with one of my favorite photo apps, Halftone.
Ink and Paint
Full non-digital maze! Very fun to make. Using watercolor in such an uptight way seems to run against the medium, but too bad. Possibly I'll make some prints available. Email me if you're interested!
Goldenrod Maze, 2017. 11"x9" ink and watercolor.
Non-Digital
Opening the ink and paint for the metrocard project has made me excited to continue the non-digital stuff for a bit. Before trying to paint an entire piece, I made some tiny watercolor studies. These are a little shaky, as I'm still adjusting to the different pen widths. Also, watercolor is WAY out of my comfort zone.
It is very fun though!
SingleFare4
These are tiny mazes I made for SingleFare4, a fundraiser for the New York Academy of Art. Artists from all over contribute small scale paintings on NYC metro cards. I will also be attending the opening, to show my support and pick up some great work.
It has been a while since I've worked with real brushes and ink, and it is a joy! Also, the work is SMALL! I'm still adjusting to the scale. Some of the miniature oil paintings submitted are quite amazing. Some color ballpoint work is just insane. It is open to all, but the deadline is August 23.
You can see more on Instagram -@singlefare and #singlefare4
Acrylic with Micron pen. I gessoed the cards first.