Have you ever done mixed media art? It is my new passion, partly for the product it creates, but mostly for the process. I love it because it mirrors life itself. It is messy, textural, organic, and holds the potential for beauty to come out of destruction.
I have been working on a painting the last several days….and nights. It has been in my mind for a month. I am creating it for an art show.
The Details
Is 2012 the End of Times? Doomsday? Armageddon? Well, if this is indeed “The End” my friend, K Space Contemporary has a “Final Countdown” for you! “The Apocalypse Show” is a huge group exhibition of artists from all across Texas and features their unique takes on the end of the world scenario. It’s also K Space’s 5th Anniversary this year so please come down, experience a fantastic show and help us party like it’s “1999″! If this is “The End of the World As We Know It”, you won’t want to miss possibly the last show ever!!! It’s going nuclear!
The Process
I am taking the painting through some of the painting layers that I learned at Tracy Verdugo’s Paint Mojo Texas Retreat. The process is complicated, and honestly, I am sure I have forgotten a few steps. But I am pleased with the parts I have remembered. I don’t want to make Tracy’s art. Instead, I want to explore my own themes, calling on some of what I learned from her.
One of the consistent themes in her process is to let the painting have its own life so that we never know when we will lose some little or big part of it that we have been in love with since it made its way onto the canvas. That is the push and pull of the process for me. I hate it because I sometimes am directed (by the process) to completely destroy parts of the image that I am totally digging. But the part I LOVE about the process is that I only destroy out of a sense of trust in the process itself.
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And that, my friends, is what I cherish about life…about being a Creative. That is at the heart of the work I am doing as a Life Coach. Trusting that something beautiful can grow out of chaos, pain, destruction, and difficulty.
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So, enough talk about the painting. Let’s see the progression.
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Wow. Just wow.
It was a crazy transformation, huh?!
Wow (I realize that’s already been said but sometimes the English language is limited) – what a transformation! That had to be totally intuitive because it certainly didn’t follow logically. And like you I love that about mixed media – there is no logic and there are buried details (treasures) and all kinds of lovely energy. Thanks so much for sharing your process!
Yes, it is very intuitive, Tammy. I didn’t have any idea that death creature would show up. In fact, I would never have planned it. But now I love it.
Marvelous creation ~ powerful! ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^
Thanks, Carol!
this is awesome Rae! Thank you for sharing the transformation I love watching how a piece evolves! xxx
I missed documenting one of the step. I wish I had that phase, but it is exciting to see. I agree!
I love this Rachel and how it transformed and shape shifted! Awesome piece.
Yah, Ann. Painting like that really does take on a life of its own….or in this case a life, death, and rebirth of its own.
Love that! Just great!
Thanks Lori! Always glad to see you stop by!
I love watching this as it develops. I think I may start (and work on a mixed media piece of art) after Thanksgiving. I won’t have access to a computer for a few days, so I will be art-ing on my own. SHOULD BE FUN! LOL… and after all these fantastic aedm2012 blog posts, I will miss everyone!~
Me too, Julie. Luckily, we can still visit and keep in touch. Yah? 🙂
I loved seeing all the steps and the result is terrific… what a great theme… and your interpretation is great fun…xx