It's winter, the gardens are sleeping, the ground is frozen, and I am busy indoors creating nature inspired artwork.
Here is a recently completed mixed media painting commissioned by my dear friend Charlene.
I created this piece using acrylic paint, colored pencil, paper and dye. The circles, swirls, and vines are created by tearing tiny pieces of colored paper and adhering them, mosaic-style, to the canvas with modge-podge or matt medium. Although tedious, I love this technique and use it in almost all my artwork. Sometimes I purchase colored paper, but usually I recycle paper scraps and dye, paint or color the paper to a specific color. A few years ago I saved a bunch of my receipts and dyed them all bright yellow using dye made from the spice turmeric. The owl's eyes in this painting were created using small pieces of these dyed receipts. There is also plenty of brown bag, tissue paper from gift boxes and fabric scraps recycled into this painting.
On the lower left of the painting, beneath the layers of paint and paper, reads this:
"Know that you carry the wisdom of the earth."
It's true, you do.
"Then draw near to nature." ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
