AffirMAILtions

I have started on a series of Postcards that incorporate images with inspirational words that can either be mailed to someone, or just kept as a piece of art.

Im thinking of calling them Affirmailtions. I am hoping to make enough of them to take them to the Chase CornStock, and then later add them to the Etsy store Im hoping to get up and running by the end of August!

They incorporate bits of paper, paint, ducting tape (the shiny type for actual ducting) and machine sewing.

Cosmos

16”x20” on stretched canvas.

Acrylic paint, various papers, various fabric scraps,
used dryer sheets,diaper liners, eyeshadow, tiling grout.

Cosmos began as an experiment using tiling grout as a modelling
medium.
The resulting “ripples” reminded me of a time-capture photograph
of the night sky, and so a celestial body was born.

This piece was lots of fun to make. I started by collaging papers onto the canvas, followed by applying tiling grout (yes the stuff holding your tiles together in your bathroom!) all over. I then let the grout set up a little, and then used a toothed trowel to model the grout into ripples.

After it had fully dried, I collaged more materials (softer, flexible items that would mold to the ripples) to the piece. I then started applying washes of colour until i was happy with it. After all the paint was dry, i brushed luminescent eyeshadow powder in places to add some sheen and highlights.

It resulted in a cross between space and the ocean. It has so much yummy texture, it just sucks you right in!

Thalassic Swell

18”x24” on stretched canvas.
Acrylic paint, various papers.

Thalassic swell stems from my childhood spent on the mid-north coast
of N.S.W., Australia. The power of the waves crashing against the rocks
is something that has always left me in awe of nature. The persistence
of the ocean slowly wears away at the strength of the rocks, turning
them into the soft sandy beaches. This transitory act of nature inspires
me.

I started this piece by collaging various textured papers to the canvas. I then started washes of colour, originally planning a dawn scene, with a quiet ocean, using reds yellows and oranges. The quiet ocean didnt gel well with the large rock outcrop, so i added some waves- which in turn clashed with the sunrise in the sky!. I then darkened the sky and turned it into a blue dawn, with little flecks of stars in the sky.

I actually did alot of this painting using my fingers, applying a separate colour to each finger and then brushing my fingers lightly across the surface of the painting to apply the paint. It was alot of fun, and allowed me to "feel" the right places to put the paint.