Peace on Earth

During the Christmas season, 2010, Lighthouse Art Center where I teach sponsored an Exhibition that was underwritten by Mrs. Kathryn W. Davis. Ms. Davis is 103 years old and she continues to do her own work. The winner of first place in the exhibit, Ahni Sallaway brought her work all the way from Annapolis, Maryland. For that exhibit I created a mixed media distressed painting titled “Pacem in Terris.” I’ve since discovered that for many people the title conjures visions of Pope John XXIII encyclical of the same title in which he outlines his ideas for establishing world peace. I have no problem with that. However, my vision was to stress inclusiveness of all religion and human spirituality under God, who resides with all of us, no matter our religion. I know immediately that makes me something other than Christian in the mind of many a fundamentalist. Sad, isn’t that. I doubt that Jesus himself would see it their way.

Peace to all.

The Waterworks

Last April 20, 2010, the day of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster, I was taking pictures on the beach in south Florida. I looked down at my feet and put the shutter on auto repeat for the first time as the waves washed back and forth over my feet. I created a photomontage from those pictures, which I documented in “The Artwork of John Bittinger Klomp.” After that I made more photomontages based on photographs taken at every beach I visited. Additionally, I recommenced a series of mixed media paintings that rely heavily on distressed paint surfaces. I had done many works using the technique back in the 1980’s and 90’s. Most of these new works are based on water. Coincidentally all of my pastel drawings and gay themed photomontages are about water as well. So, I’ve decided to call all my artwork, “The Waterworks.”

In this particular journal, I will detail the creation of that part of “The Waterworks” based on the mixed media distressed paint technique. I began making a set of small 8” x 8” artworks because these could be done more quickly than larger works. The example above is the second of the eight small pieces finished in the past three months. I will add images of the other mixed media distressed paintings during the next several weeks, as well as larger artworks as I make them.