Another Egret?

Yes, I admit it: apparently I have a "thing" for painting egrets. But hey, in my defense, egrets have fantastically graceful lines that swoop, curve, and can move from bold to delicate in one mere brushstroke.

So here it is...another mixed media piece whose central figure is offset by papyrus paper and paper made with bamboo leaf inclusions. This piece has a bit of an Asian feel to it. Originally I planned to feature an Asian elephant abstract but in the end the figure of a flying egret demanded my attention. I decided to heed the call.

Of Water And Air is a 16" x 20" mixed media abstract, representing the grace and power of a great egret in flight. I will post this piece on Boundless Gallery tomorrow (1/15).

Secret Garden

Here is my latest piece, Secret Garden. As you can see, this is a continuation of my affair with fine art paper :o) This work is truly an exploration of mixed media and collage, as I have utilized my own hydrangea photographs, fabric, paper, acrylic paints, and molding paste.

Secret Garden is 18" x 15" on hand-stretched (by me) gallery wrapped fabric, which was archivally treated prior to beginning the collage. The fine art paper has real flower petal and bamboo leaf inclusions, making for a wonderful collage "springboard" of ideas. Some of the paper is tissue-thin, which I took advantage of to add interest and allow the pattern of the fabric background to show through.

As I worked with the collage, the hydrangea photos became graceful trees, with their stems twining like tree trunks, alluding to the roots below. It seemed to be similar to the way a child might see these gargantuan flowering shrubs in a garden. The rest of the piece evolved from the hydrangeas, with various textures and shapes positioned to lead the eye through the imagery.

This piece was incredibly experimental for me, and I had quite a bit of fun finding my way through it. Secret Garden will post for sale tomorrow (Sunday Jan. 11.) Be sure to stop by Boundless Gallery and check it out!