Maprox Abstract

Spring Mix

detail view with silver threads

This is another demo of the faux batik method I showed my Park Hill class last week.  I just love that Thai Metallic Thread Unryu paper.  The threads are very thin, so you don't notice them until you move by the painting and you see glints of light.



For more information, click here to go to my website.

Blue Bliss

detail shot showing gold threads

This is a demo painting using the faux batik method.  I used rice paper that has gold threads (also comes in silver) running through it.  You can also see the fine lines created in the batik process.



For more information, please click here to go to my website.

Leaf Dance

These leaves are made from Viva paper towels.  The towel has a texture to it that you can see in the actual painting, but doesn't show very well in this photo.

The paper towels started out as my brush cleaner.  I noticed what great color they had, so I decided to recycle the towel as leaves in a painting.

How very green of me!

For more information about this painting, click here to go to my website.

Sunflower Trio

This was the demo piece I did for my class today showing how they could make their own collage papers and use them in a painting.
Several of the petals and the pot in this painting are from a recycled paperback book.

There are almost 50 individual petals on these sunflowers - each one torn by hand from my supply of painted papers.  Since I use professional grade Golden Fluid Acrylics to paint the papers, I am confident they will retain their vibrant colors.

For more information on this painting, click here to go to my website.

Spring Has Sprung

This is another in my latest kick of collage painting with torn papers.  I really like the variety of color this method creates.

Look at the individual petals and notice the numerous shades of color each one has.  It's because that particular piece of torn paper had those random colors in it.

I would never come up with that color variation on my own using a brush.  Maybe that's the secret to the appeal of these paintings.

I'm still trying to figure out why these are so appealing.
For more information on this painting, click here to go to my website.

Reverie

This portrait is an experiment using patterned paper.  I have been looking at the work of Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson, Florian Nicolle, and Derek Gores.  Each one of these fantastic artists uses collaged papers in their work.

I am fascinated by the look of printed letters and patterns, especially when applied to human faces or animals.  Is is because we live in such an information-driven age?

We are bombarded daily with thousands of words and images.  I've seen many contemporary artists who have used numbers, letters, and printed patterns as a design element in their paintings.  I like the effect.

My portrait series, where all the portraits were done in vibrant fauvist style, was also a little off the beaten track in it's approach. This painting is one of my first attempts at trying collage in portraiture.

For more information about this painting, click here to go to my website.

Tree Party

I had fun painting this one because I just threw caution to the wind and used whatever colors I felt like.

Never seen red, turquoise, or purple trees? No problem in my world.

This painting was a demo for my experimental acrylics class.  Sometimes it's hard to create "on demand" in a class or workshop.  My effort in class was not satisfactory to me.

The next day, home in my studio, I could see the problem more clearly.  I tore off the large corrugated paper tree that WAS on the right side and replaced it with a lighter weight paper and added more trees in the foreground.

For more information about this painting, click here to go to my website.

Lavender Wood

This painting features textured trees on a textured background.  Did I mention there was a lot of texture?

The "bushes" are made from shotgun paper target remnants.  What???
I was at a shooting range with my husband and son-in-law.  They were shooting at paper targets with their shotguns.  All over the ground were these lovely paper target pieces shot full of holes.  YOU CAN'T BUY PAPER LIKE THAT!

They thought I was nuts to be picking that stuff up.  Click on the painting to enlarge it to get a good look at the paper.


For more information, click here to go to my website.

Summer Glade

This is another in my forest series, using different styles of paper and burlap for textural effects.  I am happy for this color palette which is a change from my usual warm palette.  The several shades of green, turquoise and lavender are really refreshing.

This painting is for sale, but I cannot deliver it until 5/4/2012.  I am using it to advertise a mixed media tree workshop in May at Judy Patti's Studio in Littleton, CO.  Workshop details will be available soon on my website.

Click here for more information about this painting.

Gold and Red Leaves

The second in my current leaf series, Gold and Red Leaves, is similar to Green and Blue Leaves in every way except color family.

Sorry for the uninspired titles.  What else are you going to call these decorative panels of leaves?  I decided to go with a descriptive title instead of something like "Autumn Dance."

These leaves are shaped like aspen leaves, but they're a little oversized - more like a cottonwood leaf without the serrated edge.

For more information on this painting, click here to go to my website.

Green and Blue Leaves

These are not real leaves (people always ask me if they are.)  They are made from painted watercolor paper and mounted on a textured board.

I have done several leaf paintings this way.  It's fun to play with the colors.  I know it would be hard to find blue aspen leaves, but I thought they looked nice, so here they are.

The theme is reminiscent of the violin I decorated for the Denver Young Artists Orchestra fundraiser.  The auction Gala is coming up soon - I hope my violin sells for a lot.  That's mine on the invitation - woo-hoo!




For more information about this painting, click here to go to my website.

Perpetual Motion

A triptych always says more than a solitary painting.  This group of  three is a vibrant, boisterous celebration of colors and textures.
All three pieces are sold together as a triptych.

If something looks vaguely familiar, it's because I posted the first one of this group a couple weeks ago.  Remember this one that I was lukewarm about?


I wasn't really happy with this painting, even though some of you had very encouraging things to say about it.  You can see the revised version is on the right side of the triptych.  I jazzed up the color a LOT.

My husband - ever the critic - when asked what he thought would be a good name for this painting, said "Yuk, Yuk, and Yuk."  I laughed because I KNEW he would not like this one.  Ha ha.  He doesn't like abstracts, as you might have guessed.

For more information about this triptych, click here to go to my website.

Parkview 3

This is another in my Forest Series.  "Tangerine" is supposed to be the IN color this year.  That's right up my alley, since I seem to get some tone of orange into just about everything.

In this painting, I used several different papers and papyrus. Below are progress photos.


Here I've toned the canvas and started to add collage papers.


Adding the large tree trunks made from papyrus.  Darkened the left side to balance the dark trunks and to prepare a dark background for lighter tree forms to come.


Now the tree forms are glued down and I can stand the painting up on my easel.  Several more glazes of color to come.


Branches are added and color is deepened.  I thought the large dark brown trunks were too severe, so added some blue to lighten them up.

For more information on this painting, click here to go to my website.

 

I especially like the copper tacks on this multi-layered painting.
For more information, click here to go to my website.

Gemstone 3

Gemstone 3 is the third in this vibrantly colored series.  Above, you see all three mini abstracts in this series framed as a set.

Click here to see more information on my website.

THis is the second in my Gemstone series.  It is a vibrantly colored mini abstract.  For more information, click here to go to my website.

This is another of my foam palette plate abstracts.  Love those intense colors.  For more information on this painting, click here to go to my website.

Dream Remnants

detail

This painting is exciting (to me).  I love the color harmony. It's a new technique I discovered by accident - I'm always experimenting you know. Usually I'm very open about my techniques, but I'm going to be stingy about this one.

I might present it to my workshop artists.  Right now I'm too enthralled with it to share.

For more information about this painting, click here to go to my website.





I noticed that on my iPad, the image at the top of this post looked too dark. Above is a lighter version.  Variations in monitors makes it hard to judge how much light/dark to have on the photo, especially on a painting done with metallic paints.

Operetta

detail

wall view

This painting gets it's name from the musical symbols printed in the  piece.  Unlike grand opera, which is always tragic, operettas are kind of like the chick flick of opera.  There is romance, music and dancing and more of a light humorous approach.

This painting reminded me of a playbill pasted on a wall somewhere.  It has textural elements such as Egyptian papyrus  paper, printed papers, and strips of painted watercolor paper.

The  close color harmony of the palette, primarily metallic tones of copper  and bronze, with a touch of lavender and red oxide, makes this painting  soothing.  The dramatic value (dark vs. light) shifts make it a dynamic  piece.


For more information on this painting, click here to go to my website.

All That Jazz

This is another of my mini abstracts featuring a section of a foam plate palette remnant.   Since the central square is color left on my palette, it often leads to unusual color combinations.

There's a touch of pink that is a mystery because I don't know where it came from.  I am not a fan of pink, but it works in this composition.

For more information on this painting, click here to go to my website.