Day 16 of the '29 Faces' Challenge: 'Forgiving River', an Original 11 x 13 Painting

"Forgiving River", an Original Painting Incorporating a Vintage Wooden Frame

It's with genuine satisfaction that I am posting this particular piece for my Day 16 Face of the '29 Faces in February' art blog Challenge.   This painting, which I call 'Forgiving River', has been knocking around my studio for THE longest time (see my 'Pile of Shame' in my previous post, "Unfinished Business") Comprised of one of my DIY painting supports that I create myself using vintage wooden frames, it's painted all over, including said frame, which has been incorporated into the overall piece.  I'm sort of amazed actually that the whole thing doesn't weigh 10+ pounds by now, what with the accumulations of paint I've applied to it all these years trying to get it 'just so'.  In any case, as I've written about previously, but will repeat here -- the following explains my painting-support-building process:

I have recently begun painting almost exclusively on supports I create myself utilising the old, salvaged wooden picture frames that cross my path from time to time (usually for free). I feel good about giving these unwanted homeless items a second life, not only because trees were cut down at some point to produce them, but also because by the time I get my hands on them they are usually destined for the landfill. The process of recycling these vintage frames into painting supports/canvases is a lengthy one, typically involving stabilizing the frames (which can be quite rickety), cutting thick paperboard to fit, securing it all and pasting and building up a painting surface with layers of overlapping scraps of paper. The end effect is a highly textured surface that adds dimension and depth to my paintings, complete with a built-in frame (onto which I often extend my painted images, incorporating the frames into the overall piece) into one cohesive, ready-to-hang whole....

So after working on this today, I'm just so glad I can finally declare it finished, after all these long years of it pestering me, ahhh.....

Plus interestingly, now that I think on it, my "Forgiving River' would actually fit the theme of this month's upcoming Nibblefest Art Contest (the theme for Feb being 'Moonlight') really well -- hmmm, kind of a coincidence there. (But no, I'm thinking it will be Etsy for her....).