"Charlie Bear," A Portrait (Mixed Media play #2)

"Charlie Bear"
Mixed Media
9" by 12"

A Surprise

This is the second mixed media play project I started a couple of weeks ago. I didn't share it right away, as I decided that it worked out well enough to be a belated birthday gift, and, of course, the birthday girl got the first look. ;-)

Process

I found the layering of the colored pencil, india ink, and paint paints to be freeing. I'd like to try making an image like this again of a person or animal a bit more abstractly, but with the same varied surfaces, from implied textures, to somewhat flattened patterning, and soft colored pencil color transitions.

Detail: "Charlie Bear" 

Detail: "Charlie Bear" This is a nice point to show how the different mediums and implied textures came together.

Next

I have a couple of abstract mixed media test pieces to share with you all. I just pulled out the papers, pens, and acrylic paints and had at it. I was more pleased with the process when I started the second piece with collaging paper rather than swishes of paint. 

Mixed Media Play #3: Details

Layers of Paper Added to the Process

For this piece I decided to see if I could incorporate collage with the colored pencil, india ink brush pen work, and paint pen work that I have been playing with. Usually collage has been a major part of my mixed media work in the past. I'm quite interested in the physical texture and interest it can bring to a piece of art, rather than the implied texture that can be created with crosshatching or other patterning. I hope that the physical texture will absorb those who see the work.

Gained

I learned a lot. Using matte medium to adhere the papers really changed how I could use the materials. I was greatly suspicious it would do just that. I ended up using colored pencil and paint pens sparingly because they just didn't like to sit on top of that matte medium. Instead I used the india ink brush pens and acrylic washes.

Next Adventure

I may try laying in the paper later in the process next time to see if I can get a more similar effect to Charlie Bear's portrait my last Mixed Media experiment (He'll be the subject of my next post. :-)). The piece is close to being finished, but not quite there yet (and I'm trying to keep it under wraps until it reaches its recipient), so I'm sharing some exciting surface and color details today.

This has also reminded me of how much I need to do some abstract mixed media work. There is something meaningful and meditative about the mixed media process and I think that is something the viewer gets to experience too.

Detail: This is an early part of the process. All the papers had been adhered with Matte Medium
and I had started to layer in india ink brush pen work and paint pens.

The colors and texture in this part of the piece were so much fun, but the piece as a whole was not
cohesive yet. I need to pursue this kind of energy in a mixed media abstract work.

Detail: Here you can see a couple of different ways I tried out feathers in the collage
 process. I'm interested in the versatility of effects that can be created and that they are
more of a textural element than an obvious feather on the surface of the art.

In the little brown patch the very soft feather took on a wavy surface that reminds
me of hair and water while up higher in the various shades of white, cream, yellow,
 etc. the feathers have a much more bold effect prominently stepping off the surface.

Detail: A close up of one of the feathers worked in to the paint, paper, and pen work.

P.S. You may have forgotten the Whole Piece Series by now, but I haven't. :D  It has been too long since I posted about it! :-P That shall be remedied. So, keep an eye out!

Scribble Drawing Joy

9" by 12"
Mixed Media

This started out the other day, when I decided it had been too long since I just played when creating. I started out with a few squiggles, just expressive marks I made with an india ink brush pen and a colored pencil and from there I just kept going. I wanted to try paint pens and colored pencils together. Slowly a story created itself and time lost me. I'm really happy with the playful image that I ended up creating. I think it gave me ideas about mixed media play and free drawing from my head. In short, I must make this a regular habit.

The Fox, the Cock, and the Dog

The Fox, the Cock, and the Dog Illustration
This image is based on the Aesop's fable of the same name. I played around with several compositions and decided to go with this version because it shows a moment that involves all three characters.

The Aesop's Fable:

The Fox, the Cock and the Dog One moonlight night a Fox was prowling about a farmer's hen-coop, and saw a Cock roosting high up beyond his reach. "Good news, good news!" he cried. "Why, what is that?" said the Cock. "King Lion has declared a universal truce. No beast may hurt a bird henceforth, but all shall dwell together in brotherly friendship." "Why, that is good news," said the Cock; "and there I see some one coming, with whom we can share the good tidings." And so saying he craned his neck forward and looked afar off. "What is it you see?" said the Fox. "It is only my master's Dog that is coming towards us. What, going so soon?" he continued, as the Fox began to turn away as soon as he had heard the news. "Will you not stop and congratulate the Dog on the reign of universal peace?" "I would gladly do so," said the Fox, "but I fear he may not have heard of King Lion's decree." 

Cunning often outwits itself.

My Composition
I used the composition to create a sense of tension and threat, but the textures and the fox and rooster's expressions should offset that with playfulness. The viewer's eyes progressively move through the image as the story unfolds. The fox arrives first in the narrative and he appears here with the most vibrant chroma (color) and the most dynamic shaping/intentional distortion. The rooster who is pinned in by the fox and sits within the image at an active angle takes second precedence as it leads our eyes to the threatening though most subtle creature in the composition the dog.

They Were Parallel (Final)

They Were Parallel
Mixed Media
(I just had to make this big enough, so it has jumped the border
of my blog. I'm trying not to let that bother me. ;))

Compositional Concepts
I'm kind of fascinated with the effect of tangencies, static shapes like rectangles, and repetitive imagery in art. I like how they create tension, but I recognize they can feel like a mistake and can definitely be mistakes.

The Image that Emerged
In this piece I played with a tension that is created by using mostly peaceful shapes but denying them a dynamic interaction. They are parallel to one another but not quite interacting, so we are drawn to their mysterious connection. I like to think this kind of composition forces us to look for a connection.

Development up to this Point
This was another long overdue update on a project I finished a long while back. You can see where it started as little comps in the post Idea Building, then the Color Study, and then the post Finally Drawn.

P.S. Another statue, like a fine art piece I did, that feels alive and maybe even with it's own agenda, has popped up here. There will be more statues to come.

"Shielding Concern"

"Shielding Concern"
Mixed Media

I focused strongly on composition with the idea opposites/contrast in mind for this piece to create mood and meaning. As usual this is a mixed media piece with collage, colored pencil, acrylic, and ink.

James – A Personality

Mixed Media on Gessoed Watercolor Board
10" by 10" 

Here are the fraternal twin's portraits hanging out together.

I combined several photos of these twin boys to capture their personalities and kept the background exuberant in layers of paper. Their Mom said I got their personalities to a T. The mediums used are open acrylics, colored pencil, and collage.

Portfolio Blooms

I submitted this piece to Talenthouse, for their competition with the theme of "Calling All Portfolios." It doesn't look quite as vibrant on their website, so I wanted everyone to get a chance to see it looking more accurate.

The idea was to use portfolios as blooms and convey a sense of opportunity. Go to see (and please vote for) Portfolio Blooms at Talenthouse. My explanation of the concept is more in depth on their site.

Voting starts tomorrow, July 15th, and ends July 19th. So be quick about it. ;)

Thanks for your interest. :)

*Update: Unfortunately I did not win the scholarship. But I did create a new portfolio piece in the process. :)  I'm looking to see the silver lining.