A Shade of Art

Abstract art can be defined as a technique of combining layers of different materials and mediums to create a single narrative of artwork. An artist may choose up to three or four different mediums.

Here are the most common examples:

• Acrylic drawing
• Watercolor painting
• Spray paint
• colored pencils
• Aged Wood
• Wire
• Tin roofing
• Oil painting
• Latex painting
• Black Charcoal pencils
• Paper collage
• Fabric

Sitting on the porch

I would like to demonstrate my first example piece named ‘Sitting on the porch’. I used three different mediums – Age wood, watercolor and fabric. The fabric was made from black nylon that was painted on with latex paint to give a feeling of a man sitting on the porch at night looking up at the stars.  

The size is 36 x 16, and I used aged wood to give this piece the texture of an old shack in the rural south. Polyurethane was also applied to lock in the colors and certain textures while leaving a shine.

Mojo Strings

The next piece I created, named ‘Mojo Strings’, is another good example of mixed media art. Tin roof, aged wood, barbed wire, and watercolor, giving a total of 4 different mediums, were incorporated to complete this piece. I screwed down the aged wood to form the foundation and applied several sheets of tin metal to craft the face and the hand. For the final step, I tacked down the barbed wire to create a silhouette of a guitar.

The size is 28 x 30 ½. ‘Mojo strings’ represent a period of early blues music era in the down-home Delta.

Creating the Spirit

The primary reason why I create mixed-media art is because it gives me flexibility when mixing textures. In this next piece, I called ‘Creating the spirit’. I used watercolor and latex paint on plexiglass.

The size is 32 x 34. I kept my arsenal simple with this piece, only using three mediums. Also, I added a coat of polyurethane to seal the layers of paint together.

Valley of the Delta Kings

I wanted to dedicate this final entry to the people of Kemet (Egypt) who were the first civilizations to create musical strings and produce sound. ‘Valley of the Delta Kings’ used a combination of latex paint, watercolor, and marker on aged wood. The size is 25 x 47.

Overall, it is always good to try and experiment with different mediums and see what works best for you. It may take years of practice to find a style that best suits you, but it is never too late to start, so hopefully I have inspired you.

Start creating now!