"The Civilized Fox - giclée on canvas, limited edition 16/50" Collage

My current body of work is titled “of land and sky, whimsical and free”. The work is softly surreal with a storybook sensibility that can be hopeful and aspirational. However, I also include themes which reflect on disappointment, loneliness, impossible expectations, and the loss of innocence. My intention has been to elevate the sense of wonder and optimism which we aspire to, while accepting the sadness and incompleteness which we sometimes succumb to. My portrayal of disappointment, and the acceptance of it, seeks to shed a different kind of light on these realities than the cynical and sarcastically pessimistic viewpoints which are increasing prevalent. The pieces are done on canvas with layers acrylic paint and other materials such as: hand crafted papers, sewing patterns, maps, old letters, vintage book pages, and more. I have a multi-step progression involving sketching, collaging, glazing, painting, and then repeating. I am very deliberate with what I choose to collage and where it is placed on the canvas. Every collage element that is added to the piece is worked into with acrylic paint to add color, create depth, and to blend it seamlessly to the whole.