Here’s the finished collage! I really enjoyed collaging her shell – I used quite a mix of texture for it. And with the background I wanted to make it look somewhat abstract and out of focus so that you could hone in more on the actual turtle.
And the collage is finished! The lizard that inspired this collage lives at the National Zoo, and I noticed that its skin was a little pink around its lips. Thus the way it looked inspired the title.
And now I’m off to work on a turtle piece. The photos will be posted shortly.
And it’s done…for now. I might revisit this one in the next few weeks. But in the meantime, I need to move forward and complete the rest of the critter collages in time for my July and August exhibits. Busy, busy!
So the finished composition turned out a bit simpler than an earlier toucan collage that I completed a couple years ago. I seem to do quite a few bird collages. I think it’s because different bird species can be really colorful and are thus more interesting to use as subjects in my work. Anyway, I’m off to get started on a new lemur piece…
Here’s the finished lion – you can see I added a lot of texture to his mane and reshaped his face a bit. He was inspired by another trip to the National Zoo. I’m lucky to live so close to the Smithsonian museums/zoo – I can always find something there that inspires me for future works of art. I should probably swing by some of the museums sometime soon – I have a tendency of spending most of my time at the National Zoo when places like the Natural History Museum also have a variety of exhibits that are useful references for animal collages. Anyway, I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! I’m off to enjoy the sunshine!
Above is the finished “Barn Owl” collage. The client gave this piece to her sister (who is expecting) to go in the baby’s room. The color scheme I worked with matches the colors used to decorate the room.
It’s been a while since the last time I made a penguin collage. This guy was inspired by the Natural History Museum in D.C. I wasn’t able to find inspiration from the National Zoo (like I usually do) since we don’t have any penguins there. The Natural History Museum has quite a selection of rocks and minerals and of course, taxidermy. And their animal collection has definitely helped me out with quite a few collages. I usually need some sort of point of reference in order to make a work of art. When it comes to exotic animals or even just ordinary animals, their collection helps me out a lot.
Here’s my first attempt at collaging a chameleon. Next time round I’d like to play even more with the texture of the lizard, and perhaps have some fun with focusing on what chameleons are known for – changing colors. There are all kinds of possibilities…just think of how many unique backgrounds or settings could be used for the chameleon as it tries to blend in.
In other news, last week my solo show in Manassas ended. It was wonderful getting the opportunity to share my work at the Candy Factory, it’s just a shame that the time flew by so quickly. I was pleased to see that several collages now have new homes. As great as it is to sell your artwork, sometimes I find myself thinking “Oh no – I hope I can make something just as good to replace the sold work.” There’s always the worry of having enough consistent and cohesive work to exhibit in upcoming solo shows.
I’m going to be pretty busy working away on artwork for future exhibits this year and next year. After that, I think I’ll take a break from exhibiting my work so often so I can focus more time and energy on other projects like short animations or another children’s book.
I have to admit that one of my favorite things about collage is how it’s always a surprise how a collage will turn out. Sometimes you can find some pretty interesting textures and patterns in magazines, and when they are cut a certain way – voilà, it all comes together. Other times you can end up with some pretty unsatisfactory results, but all in all, it’s an exciting process. I was pleasantly surprised with “The Otter Sisters” – at first I wasn’t too sure what to think of it. But after setting it aside for a while, then returning to work on it briefly, I was happy with the mix of texture on the otters and in the background.
This piece was inspired by Happy the Hippo who used to live at the National Zoo. Aside from the meerkats, Happy was one of my favorite animals to visit there. Unfortunately they moved him to Milwaukee Zoo in 2009, although he must be happier there since he’s around other hippos. Anyway, the above collage is inspired by the many times I stopped by the zoo and Happy was outside in his pool. He’d hold his breath underwater for several minutes, as impatient tourists would stand by with cameras ready when he’d resurface. Whenever he did resurface, it was only for a few seconds before plunging back down into the water.
I’m currently working away on several new animal collages. And I’ve also started thinking about taking a break from exhibiting my work in galleries. I’d kinda like to focus on other projects instead of taking on the workload of promoting exhibits…we shall see what I end up doing…