Just can’t quit those portraits!
It’s the first part of a New Year and I hope it’s starting off well for you. It was both happy and busy here and the studio didn’t get as much attention but that’s the nature of life and creativity: it ebbs and flows and cycles around. In that line of thought – I’ve found myself seeking mixed media portrait inspiration.
I’ve always been drawn to portraits and have visited, and re-visited, them many times in the past in different media and styles. This time, I’m looking at mixed media portraiture and the ways it can lead me to more expressiveness and abstraction. My goal is to bend the reality of the face to be more fully expressive.
In Search of Abstraction: A Mixed Media Portrait Series
I’ve got two pieces in progress right now and am still working in the Zorn palette (I talked about that last time) so they have that in common. Otherwise, they’re coming through a little more realistic that I was thinking but I’m letting them take their own way. Portraits, at least in my practice, seem to lead the way and it’s better if I take their direction. I’m feeling the call to a brighter, more varied palette for the next ones in the series and that should help me move toward more expression. I’m curious to see where they go as a series…
Next Up: A New Zine Idea with Mixed Media Portrait Inspiration
I’m feeling the urge to make another zine! If you’ve been with me, you know that means you’ll get a chance to get your very own copy (an actual paper version in the real postal mail!) when they’re ready. I’ve got a concept and will be working on that alongside this new series so look for it to be related. I’ve noticed that the parallel ideas in the different forms really helps open up ideas and creative cycles.
New Artist Journal/Daily Sketch Board
As part of keeping my drawing skills in practice, I’m posting quick updates and other studio bits on my Pinterest account. I’ve also started a (mostly) daily practice of creating a digital sketch and then pinning it right away and it’s feeling a lot like a sketch book or artist journal – have a peek into that here.
Thanks for coming along with me on this creative journey of finding mixed media portrait inspiration.
Monette