Posts in Category: Artwork Series
New Artwork: “Dragons” Mixed Media Series
I’ve been working on a new series of mixed media acrylic paintings, which I call the “Dragons” series. In my sketchbook, I had this noted as a completely abstract series. Sometimes things evolve a bit from the initial concept though!
I have a lot of just notes and quick, rough sketches in my sketchbook, rather than “good” art. I’m not all that fond of sketching and drawing, really. Perhaps I’ll do a post about my sketchbook sometime, so you can see my thought process. Just remember, there’s no ‘wrong way’ to use a sketchbook! If it works for you, that’s all that matters.
I currently have 8 dragons planned. They’re all 8” x 10” portrait-orientation pieces on canvas that combine acrylic painting with various other materials. I’m about 2/3 of the way through the series, though it’s slow going at times for some reason. None of the pieces is completely finished either. I haven’t quite figured out what to do with the eyes…
So, I suppose this is more of a sneak peek, work-in-progress post. I’ll have to update you when again they’re actually finished.
But I’m not about to leave you hanging! Here are some of the Dragons:
This is the Water Dragon.
He uses some of that shredded plastic stuff that people use in gift bags. I think some of it is also Easter grass, from Easter baskets. I’m not entirely sure… I found it on the ground in the neighborhood. I was ‘inspired’ by my Inspired Art piece that I told you about here, so I’ve been continuing to collect some of the interesting trash I find on my walks. I also used glass seed beads for texture. I quite like the look, so I’m planning on incorporating beads into all the Dragons.
Another Dragon I’ve been working on is the Shadow Dragon.
He uses pieces of purple ribbon and a grey velvet fabric that used to be part of a hair scrunchie.
Here is the Song Dragon.
I used sheet music that I printed out and then tore into pieces, much like my torn paper collages. I used Golden Acrylic Soft Gel Medium as an adhesive. There are also pieces of reflective/metallic plastic strips (more of that shredded gift bag stuff, I think).
Forest Dragon is a little different.
He uses pieces of lichen-covered bark and some dried mushroom stuff that is supposed to be ‘vase filler.’ I think it works much better here! The horns are actually three-dimensional, made with Golden Light Molding Paste, which I also used to build up a base to hold the mushroom piece, so it’s firmly attached and well-supported.
The Fire Dragon and Ice Dragon are in the very early stages, so I’m not going to show them just yet. I call it the “Ugly Duckling” stage for a reason! I haven’t really started on the Wind Dragon or the Lightning Dragon. They’re sketched out onto canvas, awaiting my attention…
I’m considering still doing a fully abstract dragon series. There’s no reason I can’t have more than one, right?
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Sneak Peek: Leaf Linocut Print Series
I’ve been making a lot of flower prints lately, which is fine. I like flowers. I’ll have to post some of them soon—I’ve been a bit lax at sharing my newer work on here, though you can always see what I’m up to on my Instagram. Feel free to follow me there @tamarajaegerfineart !
But for a bit of a change, I’m currently planning out a series of leaf prints. All the fantastic colors last fall inspired me! I collected a bunch of neat-looking leaves to use as references and I’m all fired up and ready to get started!
In addition to my standard black ink on white paper, I’m thinking about trying out some colors—maybe green on white paper. I’m also planning on trying out more of a variable color, with yellow, red, and green printed at the same time, which should give a neat effect, with the colors of each individual print being different and unique from the others. I also have some cool-looking colored paper that has an iridescent surface made from shell emulsion that I think would work well. There are so many possibilities!
What color schemes and leaf types would you want to see? Tell me in the comments.
Want to keep updated and see more of what I’m working on? Sign up for my mailing list here and get a totally FREE digital download of a tiger linocut print. (I promise not to be spammy with my emails—I hate that too!)
Artwork Series: Elementals
Earlier this week I talked a bit about creating art in a series. I’d like to talk a bit more today about one of the series that I mentioned in that post—my “Elementals” series.
I created the “Elementals” with the intention of exploring color and texture within the framework of the four (western) elements: fire, water, air, and earth. I decided there would be three pieces for each element, each piece would be on the same size canvas, and the pieces for an element would use the same color palette. I also wanted to title each piece with the name of a mythological creature. The exact title was generally chosen after the piece was completed since the exact form of each wasn’t specified in advance—the processes I used to create the pieces weren’t really conducive to pre-defined layouts of shape and color.
I started with the fire pieces: Dragon, Phoenix, and Firebird. These were done in red, oranges, and yellows and as you can see, the textures and designs are quite varied. The water pieces—Hydra, Kelpie, and Kraken—were done in blue-green tones while the air pieces—Pixie, Griffin, and Harpy—were done in blues and whites. The earth pieces—Golem, Satyr, and The Green Man—were done in browns and greens. I also tried to bring in texture that suited the element when possible—feathers for Griffin or the lacy, airy fabric for Harpy, for example, or the rough, earthy burlap of Satyr and the moss and pinecones in The Green Man.
This series was about exploring how I viewed the colors and textures I associated with the four elements, my feelings behind them, rather than attempting to create predefined physical representation of the elements.
Tell me about a series you’ve worked on or have planned. I’d love to hear about it!