Ft. Clinch
full moon
Paper Sculpture
Cast paper sculpture has fascinated Dan Rountree since the 1970's when he experimented with paper pulp while working at H. R. Meininger Co., an art store in Denver Colorado.
Employees would gather for an evening of art, creating and educating each other on various disciplines of the arts the other individuals had not yet encountered. Paper sculpture was a combination of ideas from a colleague proficient at jewelry casting and a paper maker. Dan's first cast was of an exacto knife.
Fifteen years later, returning to Gainesville, Florida, Dan revisited the process of casting paper to produce paper sculptures. He enjoys the idea that the method uses discarded museum board, the Cadillac of pulp, so he uses material that normally would be thrown away. Paper sculpture also intrigues the engineer in him with the process of piecing together separate cast paper pieces to create a short story.
After completing the paper sculpture, he finds it necessary to hang the piece for over a month to see the effects of gravity upon the work. This reveals any weaknesses of the sculpture and enables him to stabilize and strengthen the final piece.
To see a selection of Dan's paper sculpture, please visit his paper sculpture gallery.
 Acrylic Paintings
All Dan Rountree paintings are acrylic wash on unsized paper.
Years ago, while was working at H. R. Meininger Co., the company received a shipment of Arches watercolor paper that had not been sized. Without sizing (a gelatin coating) watercolors would not bind to the paper correctly rendering it unusable for watercolors.
Being an acrylic painter the paper was perfect for the acrylic washes that Dan favored. Also being 1/3 the original price he cleaned out his bank account to buy the complete shipment.
Many pigments turn chalky when mixed with white. However, if the white of the paper is allowed to show through the transparent colors, he is able to retain the original brilliance of the pigment. Also by glazing complimentary colors over each other, such as green over red or orange over blue, he creates neutral tones that seem to dance more than when just adding or painting with gray.
To see a selection of Dan's acrylic paintings on this unique paper, please visit his paintings gallery.
Photography
Dan's introduction to still photography was at the University of Florida. Being privileged to study with Jerry Uelsmann, Todd Walker and Doug Prince.
To see a selection of Dan's photography,
please visit his photography gallery.
To learn more about Dan Rountree, himself, please see his Artist's Statement, where he speaks in more detail about the inspiration for all of his art, including cast paper sculpture, acrylic painting and photography.
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