Early Spring
mixed media on paper
4.5 x 6 inches
©Ann Thompson Nemcosky
This is a little mixed media experiment that I worked on last weekend. While browsing art blogs last week I came across a post on one of my favorite artists blogs, Vivien Blackburn's, Paintings Prints and Stuff. Her work posted, "A muddy lane in February" immediately caught my attention. I have long been a fan of her art and was intrigued by her explanation of process with this work. So I tried my own version using a reference of an early spring scene I had photographed while on a walk in a local park.
I used a spare piece of Canson Edition paper and began with Neocolor II crayons, sketching in areas of color. This I brushed with water and let dry. Then I went in with colored pencil, adding some of the smaller elements and softening the intensity of the Neocolor washed a bit. After that I added pastel, bringing up some of the lights and then more colored pencil to define some of the details.
This was a fun way to work with much more immediacy than using colored pencil alone. What I like about Vivien's piece is the softness combined with the expressive marks, allowing for a quiet energy in her piece. And this is where I feel my mixed media falls short. Perhaps it's a fear of pushing the media. Of course this is only one of very few attempts I have done with mixed media. It is a method I would like to explore further, but probably not any time soon. For now, I'll remain content enjoying Vivien Blackburn's beautiful art works.
12 comments:
i like this a lot :) really nice colours to it
mixed media can sometimes be a little nerve racking as you sometimes don't know how all the different media will react to each other, then again thats half of the fun of it :)
It turned out very pretty. You should do some more so it will become more natural to you and feel more comfortable.
The colors are beautiful. How was the staying power of the pastel pencils?
I agree - do more! This one has gone very well and the more you do, the more you naturally reach for whatever medium is going to give you the mark you need - and it can save work that wasn't going your way too :>)
there is a lovely feel to it
oh and thank you for the lovely comments :>)
Ann, I think your work is always beautiful and this is no exception. I don't think it is missing anything! I recently went to your website and just was in love. From there I headed over to your etsy store as I was quite interested in a piece. I guess it is no longer available as I couldn't find it there. Still and yet, I think I may be shopping on payday! Haven't figured the bills yet, but I aim to make my way back to your etsy store in about a week.
Nice effect with the Neocolor crayons. I'm still struggling how to use them properly, but you've made them work for you here, definitely!
Very beautiful - so calm and soft. You did well in this experiment!
Colors you have used are very beautiful and I would say it is a successful experiment! It seems like you had absolute clarity on what you wanted to come out with..
Well, thank you all very much for your kind comments!
Katherine, the paper has some tooth, so the pastel sits on it okay, and I did smudge it in a bit. Yet I am sure it would need fixative if I were going to display the piece.
Vivien, thanks for stopping by! You are such an inspiration!
AutumnLeaves, you are so sweet.
Thanks again all! Maybe I should experiment more often. It is a nice diversion...
Great colours and it has a slightly looser feel to it.
This is beautiful, Ann! Makes me want to pull my cp's out again... they've been gathering dust for some time now.. taking a back seat to watercolors.
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