Abstract Tree Painting, Mixed Media Landscape Art "FANTASTIC FOREST" by Colorado Mixed Media Artist Carol Nelson

This contemporary collage painting is typical of my tree series collages. The bushes are comprised of several different of hand-made or hand-embellished papers.

 6"x12"x.5" Mixed Media on Panel/Available

 Click HERE to purchase.

 View more of my work at http://carolnelsonfineart.com

Check out my instructional video courses HERE

 Sign up for my quarterly newsletter HERE

 View my WORKSHOP SCHEDULE  Here

 View my available BOOKS Here

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Abstract Tree Painting, Mixed Media Landscape Art "FANTASTIC FOREST" by Colorado Mixed Media Artist Carol Nelson

 

This contemporary collage painting is typical of my tree series collages. The bushes are comprised of several different of hand-made or hand-embellished papers.

 6"x12"x.5" Mixed Media on Panel/Available

 Click HERE to purchase.

 View more of my work at http://carolnelsonfineart.com

Check out my instructional video courses HERE

 Sign up for my quarterly newsletter HERE

 View my WORKSHOP SCHEDULE  Here

 View my available BOOKS Here

======================================

Follow me on facebook
Follow me on Pinterest
Follow me on Instagram

I am being featured at Aar River Gallery in Westminster through 8/21.

If you're in Colorado, check it out!

Abstract Tree Painting, Mixed Media Landscape Art "FANTASTIC FOREST" by Colorado Mixed Media Artist Carol Nelson

 

This contemporary collage painting is typical of my tree series collages. The bushes are comprised of several different of hand-made or hand-embellished papers.

 6"x12"x.5" Mixed Media on Panel/Available

 Click HERE to purchase.

 View more of my work at http://carolnelsonfineart.com

Check out my instructional video courses HERE

 Sign up for my quarterly newsletter HERE

 View my WORKSHOP SCHEDULE  Here

 View my available BOOKS Here

======================================

Follow me on facebook
Follow me on Pinterest
Follow me on Instagram

I am being featured at Aar River Gallery in Westminster through 8/21.

If you're in Colorado, check it out!

Abstract Tree Painting, Blue Art, Modern Art, "DRYADE" by Virginia Contemporary Artist Lou Jordan

This painting is 14"x11 Acrylic  with collage on panel-Available

$150

Purchase HERE

To view more of my work, visit https://www.loujordanfineart.com/

Follow me on Instagram
Follow me on Facebook
Follow me on Pinterest

Abstract Tree Painting, Blue Art, Modern Art, "DRYADE" by Virginia Contemporary Artist Lou Jordan

This painting is 14"x11 Acrylic  with collage on panel-Available

$150

Purchase HERE

To view more of my work, visit https://www.loujordanfineart.com/

Follow me on Instagram
Follow me on Facebook
Follow me on Pinterest

“Wonder”, Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

Wonder

Trees seem to be my thing. I’m always inspired and awed by them. They are always so resilient and ever changing at the same time. They never cease to amaze me. For this piece, I combined many layers of hand-painted papers, inks, and acrylic paint. I also painted “outside of my comfort zone”, using colors that I don’t normally use. Finally, I added modeling paste to add depth and more texture.

This piece is available now on Facebook, Artistic Souls Gallery.

www.donnamartinfineart.com

https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

"Winter Solstice", by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

Winter Solstice

Happy, Happy New Year!  

I am so excited and honored to announce that this painting will be exhibited and available at the Kreuser Gallery in Colorado Springs CO.  It will be part of an exhibit entitled "Gratitude".  The Opening Reception will be held on Friday, February 1st from 5:00-9:00 pm.  There will be music by Phosphene Eyes with a special performance at 7:00 pm by Artist Jasmine Dillavou.  The Gallery is located at 125 E. Boulder Street, Colorado Springs, CO.  I would love to see you there!

www.abigailkreusergallery.com    

www.donnamartinfineart.com

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"There is Always Light", Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

There is Always Light

Well, this one was a wild ride!  This is fresh off the easel and for a while, it was a true ugly duckling.  I decided to walk...no run, out of my comfort zone and use colors that I don't usually use.  The photo below is the beginning of the process, using stencils and collage, and then trying to tone it down with some titanium white.

After this, I added texture around the piece using molding paste and stencils, layering one stencil over the other so it wouldn't look so "contrived".  After it was dry, I began adding inks...in colors that I wouldn't normally use.  I used a purple ink that had just a small amount of shimmer to it.  It was very, very bright and I needed to tone it down again.  After the "wild colors" had dried, I added sepia ink over the whole piece...several times.

At this stage, I was pretty sure I had ruined it, but what happened next was pretty amazing.  The colors started showing through the sepia ink in the most beautiful way.  It still had a beautiful and translucent quality to it, but the ink toned it down and gave it so much more depth.

I decided to add trees, since I have been created a series based on trees.  I added the trees with the same color inks that I used in the background and added some tiny, white branches in some areas.  The texture came out beautifully too...you can see it in these close up photos.

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This painting is full of emotion.  We just found out that my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Everything about that at this point is unknown.  When I don't know what to do, I paint.  It's the only way I know how to express myself sometimes.  It's ironic that I "didn't know" about how beautiful these colors would turn out...just diving in and trusting the process.  I feel like with my dad, I just have to have the same kind of trust and faith.  Heading on into the unknown and looking for the beauty in each, single, precious moment and never taking any of it for granted.

This painting will be available at Art in the Park in Parker, CO on August 25th and 26th from 10:00 - 4:00.  Also, at the Castle Rock Artfest in Castle Rock, CO on Sept. 8th and 9th from 10:00 - 5:00.  I would love to see you there.  Meanwhile, keep looking for the light!

www.donnamartinfineart

https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/

"Winter Day", Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

Winter Day

This little painting is fresh off the easel.  It was created with hand-painted papers, inks, and acrylic paints.  It has a dreamy, luminescent quality because of all the layers and glazing of paint.

This one measures 8 X 8 and is finished with a simple, black floater frame.  It is available.  Feel free to send me an email for questions, comments, or if you are interested in purchasing.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or check out my website.

"Twilight Dance" abstract tree landscape painting by Carol Nelson

"Twilight Dance" 36x24

This is a tree landscape in which I experimented with pouring and dripping on the canvas to simulate distant tree branches.  These drips were partially covered up when I painted in the foreground trees.  I like the abstracted effect of the loose, drippy background.

As with all my tree paintings, I paid attention to the value contrasts of light-on-dark and dark-on-light.

I painted this while we were spending a week at our condo in Breckenridge.  The couple that went with us loved it, and bought it on the spot.  Would that all sales came that easily.

For more information, click here to go to my website.

"Autumn Glow" mixed media tree collage painting by Carol Nelson

"Autumn Glow"

What can I say?  I could go on endlessly making variations of these colorful tree collages.  This was another demo for private students in my studio.  As a teacher, this tree technique is very satisfying because all my students have great success with it.
For more information, click here to go to my website.

"Blue Grove 2" mixed media tree landscape by Carol Nelson

"Blue Grove 2"

I included a couple angled shots of this painting because it's hard for the metallic background to show.  The foliage is made from crackle paste.  After painting it mostly shades of phthalo turquoise and paynes gray, I used Golden High Flow burnt sienna, and Com.Art transparent phthalo blue for airbrush to drop color into the cracks of the crackle paste.

I was given the package of High Flow paints at the Golden Art Educators program I recently attended in New Orleans, and the ComArt air brush paint was given to me at Jerry's Artarama when I taught a workshop there last April.  This is the first time I've gotten around to using either product.

The long pointed dispenser tip on the ComArt bottle really lets you pinpoint where you want the color to flow, which is a nice feature. These paints are very thin, with a consistency like ink.

I did this painting as a demo for my Mixed Media Trees workshop I will be teaching next week in Raleigh at Art of the Carolinas.  The workshop is only 6 hours, and I'm worried the class' crackle paste won't crackle soon enough for them to paint on it, so I need to have something to show them how it will look when it's done.

For more information about this 12 x 5 inch painting, click here to go to my website.

"Edge of Red" mixed media abstract trees by Colorado Contemporary Artist Carol Nelson

Edge of Red, 24x56 inch diptych

I know I just posted this a few days ago, but in this view, the two canvases are reversed, with the 24x36 on the left, and the 24x20 on the right.  I think I like it better this way.

Oh, and I added one more tree - can you find it?

"Forest Wonders 2" mixed media tree painting by Carol Nelson

Forest Wonders 2

I did this painting as a demo for a student who is visiting from California for private lessons.  I'm not usually a fan of the color pink, but I think it works in this painting.

For more information about this painting, click here to go to my website.

"Forest Wonders" mixed media tree landscape collage by Carol Nelson

Forest Wonders

Another mixed media collage in my tree series - this one was a demo in my recent workshop in Lacomb, LA.  My students love doing these tree paintings when they get the hang of it.

I keep emphasizing "dark on light and light on dark" - its all about values.

For more information about this painting, click here to go to my website.

"Winter Trail" mixed media tree collage by Carol Nelson

This painting is similar in method to my last blog posting.  It's another demo piece I did at a recent workshop.  It is painted on a 6x6 panel, and finished with a layer of clear epoxy resin.

For more information, click here to go to my website.

"Gateway" contemporary tree painting by Carol Nelson

"Gateway"

This 8x8 inch painting was created as a demo for a recent workshop.  I was showing the class how to incorporate materials such as burlap and paper strips made from failed paintings into a new work.  I love the unexpected colors in this tree painting.

To protect the collage elements, I have coated the painting with a layer of epoxy resin.  This also makes the painting impervious to moisture and well suited for display in a kitchen or bath.

For more information, click here to go to my website.

"Golden Season" 12077, mixed media tree collage by Carol Nelson

Golden Season

This is a warm up for my mixed media tree workshop coming up this Friday and Saturday.  I wish the photo showed the cool paper I used on the background.

It's called red rosin paper and I found it at Home Depot.

"RED ROSIN PAPER is a high quality, single-ply sheathing paper, which is widely used in built-up roofing systems as a “first layer” protective barrier. This environmentally friendly paper is manufactured from 100% recycled fibers. The fibers are set in alum to resist bleeding. It is a multi-purpose building paper used as a physical barrier protection throughout all phases of general construction."

You know me, I'm always on the lookout for possible substitutes for expensive art materials.  This paper has kind of a rosy color and has a nice weight to it.

I actually bought a roll of this paper not to use in my work, but to use as a cover for my work table.  I had a sheet of it protecting my patio table as I was using spray paint on some other things.  I liked the look of the overspray areas.

My latest kick is using Rustoleum Hammered spray paint.  It's meant to go on metal, but it looks fantastic on paper too.  With the red rosin paper, I had to prime the paper with another color first before spraying the metallic hammered paint. 

For more information, please see my website.

"SUMMER HAZE" 12049, mixed media contemporary landscape - Carol Nelson Fine Art

Summer Haze

This painting is a demo piece I did for the tree workshop from a couple days ago.  One of the unique things about this painting is the use of buckshot paper.

My class went nuts over this stuff.  I picked it up at a target shooting range near my house.  The paper is actually paper targets that are shot full of holes - makes great trees and shrubs.

For more information, click here to go to my website.

"TREE PARTY" 12035, contemporary mixed media collage tree painting © Carol Nelson Fine Art

Tree Party

I had fun painting this one because I just threw caution to the wind and used whatever colors I felt like.

Never seen red, turquoise, or purple trees? No problem in my world.

This painting was a demo for my experimental acrylics class.  Sometimes it's hard to create "on demand" in a class or workshop.  My effort in class was not satisfactory to me.

The next day, home in my studio, I could see the problem more clearly.  I tore off the large corrugated paper tree that WAS on the right side and replaced it with a lighter weight paper and added more trees in the foreground.

For more information about this painting, click here to go to my website.