Description
Aerial Ballet by Lindsey Kiser
Aerial Ballet is an original artwork by Lindsey Kiser completed in traditional scratchboard by removing the black ink off of the surface of the panel with a knitting needle to expose the white china clay underneath. Aerial Ballet showcases a male ruby-throated hummingbird about to drink nectar from Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’, which is commonly known as Hummingbird Summersweet Clethra. The fragrant white blossoms attract hummingbirds.
Clethra is a native plant to Kentucky, and ranges from Maine to Florida and even Texas. This species of Clethra grows thirty to forty feet tall and wide at a slow growth rate. It has yellow fall color and prefers moist acidic soils.
THE ARTISTIC PROCESS
I studied the hummingbirds on Clethra during my tenure as “Artist-in-Residence” of the Friends of Boone County Arboretum in July. I took several photographs of the white blossoms and hummingbirds and composed the composition in my mind’s eye back in the studio. I etched the scratchboard with a sharpened sewing needle to reveal the white clay under the black layer. This 8″ x 8″ scratchboard is dramatic in black and white to showcase the beautiful cross-hatching and wide range of shades of gray.
Please note: This piece will not be shipped until it has been received back from the Janice Mason Art Museum. This piece has been included into the Janice Mason Art Museum Biennial Juried Show that runs from October 18 through November 30, 2024. I can make you an alternative artwork if you’d rather not wait. Thank you for your kind consideration. If you want to email or call me about the process, please do.
