Creating Digital Art

Usually my media of choice is paint on canvas, but recently I've started to do a little bit of digital collage.  This image has quite a few layers, can't remember how many anymore, but it is a nice mix of some of my original painted work, some Photoshop brushes and Photoshop effects.  The background layer was developed from one of my original paintings as was the tree image.  I added more layers, filters, created some new brushes, arranged, and rearranged until I found a pleasing composition.  It was nice to be able to create art when I was traveling and paint wasn't an option.  I am offering fine art reproductions, posters, and greeting cards of this image.  Visit here for more information on purchasing and availability.  My paints will probably remain my favorite tool for creating art, but it was nice to take a little vacation and experiment with digital imagery.  

Red Texture

Experimentation with texture continues!  I had a great time with this 16x20 inch abstract.  Crackle paste, fiber paste, gesso, fabric, and a whole lot of red paint worked together to create this painting that I call Morning Grit.  It is fresh like morning yet gritty like the streets.  Contact me if you are interested in purchasing the original painting; posters and fine art reproductions are also available for purchase.  More details are here.  You can visit Fine Art America for more red abstract paintings.

Earth and Sky and Modeling Paste

Earth, sky, and some modeling paste for texture were the inspiration for this abstract landscape painting.  I am fascinated by the sky, the way it changes, it's infinite size, but I also am curious about all those things underground:  rock, dirt, minerals, pebbles, stones, fragments, fossils, and moisture.  All of these ideas worked together to help me create this painting.  The original painting is 16x20 inches on canvas, but I have also made prints and greeting cards available to those who might be interested in placing this work in your home or office.  Visit here for more details on price, size, and reproduction options.  Visit my website or my Etsy shop to view some of my other works for sale.

Exploration

Although my blog may appear as though my artistic life is slow, it has actually been a very busy summer.  I have done quite a bit of traveling and exploring new media.  Abstractions have garnered my attention and I've played a lot with acrylic paint and the incredible array of mediums available.  The abstract painting above is one that is appropriate for this back to school season because it celebrates handwriting in this digital age where young people no longer learn the art of using cursive.  You can read more about it at this link.  I've also been dabbling in digital art.  Visit again soon and you will be able to see more of my work. 

Story of the Red Fish

This red rock fish emerged from my canvas late one evening as I was spattering paint.  It began with a big swath of color; some yellow, some blue, some red.  The paint dried and I stared at it for a long time.  I rotated the canvas and stared some more.  The yellow and blue and pooled together creating a deep, rich green, but the red just stood alone and grumbled.  The next morning the faint outline of a fish began to talk to me.  It said, "Give me an eye."  With a little help from my brush and some yellow paint, an eye appeared.  Then the spots, then the fins. Eventually the fish said, "Thank you," and I put my brush down.

Visit here to learn more about this abstract fish painting.

Temper Tantrum

Summer is quickly passing.  I hope everyone is enjoying the season, relaxing, and recharging their batteries.  I've been doing some of that myself.  In spite of the title, this painting is one that created a lot of pleasure as I painted it.  Splashes, swirls, and lots of color were fun and allowed my creativity to exert itself.  The original painting is 9x12 inches, but can also be purchased in larger sizes in the form of a canvas print, framed print, art print, acrylic print, or metal print.  The most exciting part for me is that I can also offer this painting in the form of an iphone case.  It makes a really cool iphone case. Click here to view purchase options.  Hope you continue to enjoy your summer and take some time to relax.

Wolf Country

Today's painting came from my imagination, reading Jack London stories, and a childhood in the wild country of Alaska.  Using a palette knife, thick acrylic paint, and a lot of scratching around on the surface brought my idea to life.  I imagined hiking in the snow of a dark evergreen forest, with wolves lurking on the boundary  as I pass by.  In addition to greeting cards, reproductions prints are available for purchase on fine art paper, canvas, and as framed prints in a variety of sizes at my website.  I hope you will visit.

Summer Morning

Sometimes planning just doesn't work.  I try to be organized when creating a painting.  Sketching thumbnails, creating value scales, and choosing appropriate colors in advance is the way things are supposed to work.  When I paint with oils, that seems to be the case, but when I paint with acrylic paints, some kind of crazy mind altering vibrations seem to take over.  I'll spend the morning planning, preparing, and doing all the things I know should happen for a successful painting.  Then I paint and it doesn't work.  I wipe out the work and try again.  It doesn't work.  I wipe it out.  Finally, I figure I've ruined a canvas, so it doesn't matter what goes on it.  I start to doodle with shapes and colors and something magical emerges.  This abstract painting is the result of one of those days when the muse took over and I quit thinking.  If you are interested in purchasing the original 8x10 acrylic painting, please contact me at smallimpressions@hotmail.com. This painting is also available as a canvas print or art print in a variety of sizes up to 23.5x30. Visit my website to make a purchase. Or click here.

Underground

One of the things that I really like to do when creating is to combine representational and non-representational work.  At the top of this canvas is a landscape, but the foreground became the underground where flower petals, mud, roots, and all kinds of structures took over.  It was fun to mixed it up with color, texture, and design.  The painting was created using acrylic paint on an 11x14 inch canvas.  Contact me at smallimpressions@hotmail.com if you are interested in purchasing the original.  Greeting cards and fine art prints on canvas, paper, and metal can also be purchased here from my website.

Spider and Fly

Today's painting is the final result of layers and layers of paint, glue, paper, paint, and ink.  There are quite a few different media below the surface of this painting.  It began as an experiment using glue to create texture.  I drew the outline of a dragonfly with black glue onto an 11x14 inch canvas.  Then I added some texture with clear glue.  Then I got the idea of adding color with torn paper  and collage.  Then I decided I didn't like the way the dragon fly was looking, so I painted the entire surface with red paint.  The outline of the dragonfly still was showing and the more I looked at him, the less I liked him.  My next step was to draw some random geometric shapes with black paint.  Using some additional paint in yellow, blue, and white, I painted in some of the geometric shapes.  Finally, I splattered some alcohol ink on top.  I think the dragonfly has been annihilated, his corpse is hiding under a web of all those layers of paint, paper, glue, and ink.  Now I'm satisfied.  I must have been a spider in my previous life.  Reproductions of this works are available from my website.  Fine art prints, canvas prints, metal prints, or greeting cards can be purchased in a variety of sizes.  If you are interested in owning the original, please contact me at smallimpressions@hotmail.com.

Playing with Color; Playing with Texture

This is one of my recent adventures with color and texture.  It was fun blending colors, shapes, and texture.  When I started it wasn't clear where the painting was going to go or what would be created, but I am pleased to say that this is the result.  The work is 11x14 inches on a stretched canvas.  Fine art prints are available for purchase at my website, Nancy Merkle Fine Art.

Playing with Paint

Yesterday morning I played around with paint.  On an under painting of light blue, this prowling bear emerged.  I imaged him in a spring forest just after leaving his cave, looking for a meal.  The original 9x 12 inch painting was created in acrylics on a gallery canvas.  The original can be viewed or purchased here and greeting cards or fine art prints are available here. 

Little Oak Trees

It has been a while since I've painted small.  Although that is what I used to do all the time, I've kind of drifted away until these little creations.  Each little oak tree painting was created in oil paints on a 4x4 inch canvas.  They are for sale at my Etsy Shop and make a cute little collection.  Visit the shop here, or view them closeup here, here, or here. 

As the Crow Flies

My experiments continue!  As I mentioned in my last post, I've been playing with textures.  This painting was created on a stretched canvas.  What I liked about the canvas was that it had been painted on before--many times.  It was a canvas that I experimented on and then just painted over again and again.  Eventually layers of texture built up.  I added some tissue paper, some gel medium, several more layers of paint with a final couple of layers of glaze.   Finally, I painted the silhouette of the crow.  I really like how the color and textures work together.  The original mixed media painting was 11x14 inches.  Fine art prints on either canvas or paper are available for purchase here. 

Sunsplash Abstract

 Today's painting is a new direction for me.  I've always loved color, but I've never done much experimentation with abstract images.  This image was created on paper with acrylic paints and modeling paste.  It was fun to play with textures and colors.  The painting is not on an archival surface as are most of my works, but it has been preserved digitally and art prints up to size 36x48 inches are available.  Don't worry, if you don't want something that big, you can also purchase it as a greeting card. Check out the sizes and prices here where you can also view a larger image of this fun abstraction.