ROCK-SOLID ARTIST ARTIST DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM STONES THEMSELVES.Byline: MARK KELLAM Valley News Writer She gives new meaning to the phrase ``she rocks.'' Charla Puryear (photo, below) of Chatsworth doesn't paint rocks, she uses rocks to create paintings. Using a technique called frottage frottage (French; “rubbing”) Technique of obtaining an impression of a raised, incised, or textured surface by placing a piece of paper over it and rubbing it with a soft pencil or crayon. , Puryear goes out into nature, spreads a canvas across a large rock and, using broad brush strokes Brush Strokes was an Esmonde and Larbey sitcom set in South London and depicting the (mostly) amorous adventures of a good-looking, wisecracking house painter, Jacko (Karl Howman). , covers the canvas with a coat of paint. She uses acrylic paint because it's easier to clean up outdoors. She then takes a wet cloth and rubs the canvas -- while still on the rock -- to capture the rock's texture. When choosing her colors, she often looks at plants and flowers around the rock and matches them. She then uses the textured canvas to create a final painting using oil paints. Puryear got started with the frottage technique by accident. Back in 1994, she was living in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. and preparing a canvas for an abstract painting of a group of rocks. She wanted the background to appear burnished bur·nish tr.v. bur·nished, bur·nish·ing, bur·nish·es 1. To make smooth or glossy by or as if by rubbing; polish. 2. To rub with a tool that serves especially to smooth or polish. n. , so she tacked a piece of canvas to her studio wall, brushed on a wash of oil paint, balled up a wet rag and began to rub the paint around. ``Inadvertently, I transferred the texture of the studio wall onto the canvas and the light bulb went off,'' Puryear said. ``I took another piece of canvas into the woods, wrapped it around a rock and performed my first frottage, (titled) `Waterfalls.''' She has created many frottage pieces using rocks and sometimes trees. Almost all of her paintings have sold, she added. Puryear moved to the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. from New York City last August. Her daughter, Jordan, 15, had a successful theatrical career in the Big Apple and wanted to pursue a career in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Things happened quickly for Puryear and her daughter. Jordan applied to schools in the L.A. area and was almost immediately accepted at Buckley School in Sherman Oaks. Puryear found their apartment in Chatsworth through Craigslist.com and they moved shortly after that, never seeing the apartment firsthand first·hand adj. Received from the original source: firsthand information. first . They liked the apartment, Jordan liked her school and surprisingly, Puryear found her haven -- the many large rocks that are familiar sights in the Northwest Valley, particularly Stoney Point Stoney Point may refer to:
She goes out one to three times a week capturing the textures of large rocks there and at other locations. She's exhibited her paintings -- and scultptures, also made from rock and tree textures -- in many group and solo exhibitions, including the National Academy of Design in New York City; the Fassbender Gallery in Chicago; and solo shows in the Central Park Arsenal Gallery and the June Kelly Gallery, both in New York City. Puryear earned a bachelor's degree in art from Brown University in 1980 and a master's degree master's degree n. An academic degree conferred by a college or university upon those who complete at least one year of prescribed study beyond the bachelor's degree. Noun 1. from Pratt Institute Pratt Institute, at Brooklyn, N.Y.; coeducational; chartered and opened 1887. Founded by Charles Pratt as a school for practical training, it now offers general and professional studies, including programs in fine arts, art education, art history, library and in 1987. She works part time for Hallmark Lighting as a model maker. The designers create sketches for lamp designs, then Puryear sculpts the prototypes, which are used to manufacture the final products. Puryear said she has always been fascinated with rocks, even before her switch to frottage painting. ``I feel rocks have a life of their own, though it's different from ours,'' Puryear said. ``They have a certain energy about them because, if for no other reason, they've been around such a very long time.'' Describing herself as a ``rock advocate,'' Puryear said people for many years have found that rocks possess healing and calming properties. ``I believe they do because they understand pressure,'' she said. ``They can absorb it from us.'' Puryear's paintings are on display through June 10 at the M. Hanks Gallery, 3008 Main St., Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. . For more information, visit www.mhanksgallery.com. Her work will be on display June 10 through July 8 at the Artpeace Gallery, 2317 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. For more information, visit www.artpeacegallery.com. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Charla Puryear Mark Kellam/Valley News |
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