Mixed Medium Artwork Available in the USA

 Artist note: In any given art piece, I use two to four mediums, including: sculpted patina, encaustic, marble dust and limestone.

 

Sculpted and Carved Pieces

Made from resin, putty, epoxy, and fiberglass-epoxy.

 

Frame

I make my own frames to achieve the exact size and shape for the art. In some cases, I will create a hidden frame to give the art a floating effect.

 

Custom Sculpt and Carving

Sculpting an art piece takes a great deal of time due to multiple variables. Variables such as: drying time, desired texture (smooth or rough) and shape. I have been known to add 3D sculptures to my art, and that requires me to engineer and bind the pieces together.

 

Patina (i.e. chemically reactive paints)

I apply about eight layers of liquid metal to my art, also known as “patina”. Each time, I mix a hardener and a catalyst of glorious metals, such as silver, bronze, copper and iron*. Rather than wait many years for a piece to naturally patina in the ground, I am able to control the patina progress by adding more liquid metal. I can also stop the patina once I have achieved the desired look. This process alone can take as little as a few hours or as much as a few days or even weeks to achieve. It is a wonderful process because as much as I can control the amount of patina added to any given piece, it still has a life of its own, thus making each piece unique. It is magical!

 

*Chemicals such as ferric nitrate, ferric chloride, liver of sulfur, potassium dichromate are also used to create the desired effect.

 

Polishing and Wax

I smooth my pieces with a steel wool and use a Dermal polishing tool with a felt tip to seal everything. Once that is complete, I will polish my art with a metal specific wax that has a built in hardener and UV inhibitors; this step gives the art luminosity. In some cases, specifically with a rusting art piece, I will skip the wax altogether to keep the rust-look authentic.

 

Encaustic

Encaustic is one of the most beautiful paints; it is versatile, durable, and is impervious to moisture. This medium dates back to the Egyptian mummy portraits and in Greek means “to burn in”. It is composed of natural fragrant beeswax, and derma resin (also known as Malaysia tree sap). To create the art, I have to paint in layers, and after each layer I fuse it with a blowtorch until I receive the desired effect. I have as many as fifty layers to a single piece and in some cases, I will set parts of the encaustic on fire with shellac. After the layers are complete, I will buffer the encaustic with a non-lint, soft cloth it will reveal the saturated colors. In the end, it has a beautiful luster, strong pigment and looks as if it could be oil paint that is kept molten.

 

Marble Dust and Lime Stone

Layering marble dust and pigment together creates an art piece that feels alive. It is a time consuming creation. Each layer takes days to set and only one layer can be set at a given time. Once the layers are complete, I will then burnish and polish the art to create the desired look and feel that I am hoping to achieve. Upon completion, it will feel cold to the touch, similar to that of a cold slab of marble.