"Edge of Red" mixed media tree landscape by Carol Nelson

 

It took me a while to do this latest one in my tree series.  The two canvases measure 24x20 inches, and 24x36 inches.

Various kinds of art paper were used, including corrugated paper, lace paper, watercolor paper, and Egyptian papyrus.  The sides are painted red - I like red.

The underpainting was red, with a layer of gold gesso over it.  This gives the painting a warm glow and soft sheen in places.  The most fun part to do, for me, was the freehand branches which were  mostly negatively painted.

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

"Forest Wonders" mixed media tree landscape by Carol Nelson

Forest Wonders

Another mixed media collage in my tree series - this one was a demo in my recent workshop in Lacomb, LA.  My students love doing these tree paintings when they get the hang of it.

I keep emphasizing "dark on light and light on dark" - its all about values.

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

"FROSTY MORNING", mixed media tree painting by Carol Nelson Fine Art

Frosty Morning

Frosty Morning, detail

side view

I wish you could see the tiny sparkles on the snow in this painting.  When I was teaching a workshop in Texas recently, someone gave me some white, sparkly paper.

I accepted it graciously and thanked them, but thought to myself "I'll never use this."  I have a bias against glitter, sequins and even sparkle - they just seem to belong in the craft genre, not fine art, which is what I aspire to.

I know I'm probably the worst person to say that since I love shiny stuff so much (think of the metals, foils, metal leaf, mica flake and even epoxy resin I use).  But I draw the line at glitter.  Maybe it's because you find it in the kid's craft section at Michaels.

So, as I was doing this winter scene, I spotted the glittery white paper, and thought Hmmmmmm.  Well, it's in there, and it turns out I love the tiny sparkles.  They look, for all the world, like light reflecting off snow crystals.

I did this painting as a demo for the class I'm teaching in mixed media trees.  And YES, it has an epoxy coating over it too (MORE shiny!)

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