Triptych: "El Corazon De Sufrimiento"

My triptych mixed media painting "El Corazon de Sufrimiento" was finished in time for the previously mentioned Vox Sacramento art show. It received some good notices from attendees and the press, all of which is a good thing. It did not sell which initially disappointed me. However, after it was returned I was actually pleased to have it for my own to display at home.






The two small canvases "La Dama Sirena" and "El Catrin Muerte" utilized a few image transfer techniques, collage and encaustic wax applications. The center canvas was similarly finished, but as mentioned in an earlier post included an acrylic painting.

The work certainly conveyed what I hoped it could. Love can be incredibly joyous but can bring unbelievable pain. Sometimes simultaneously.


Archetypal imagery was used throughout, although those archetypes have been altered and played around with just a bit as well. The inherent narrative was left somewhat accessible, I try not to be too enigmatic.


In addition to it all, I got to play around with Mexican pop culture imagery, which I appreciate and am drawn to much.


The other aspect of this exercise that was appreciated is that the deadline for a show can truly motivate me to "get the damned thing done" and live with the resultant work. Plan, execute and release.

El Corazon De Sufrimiento: WIP

I'm on the downhill side of a mixed-media piece that will be comprised of three (maybe more) canvases. Not really a triptych in the traditional sense as each canvas could be displayed alone, but when grouped together create a more cohesive, interesting work.

I'm making it for the Vox Sacramento February Show, "Love: Let Me Count The Ways." Vox Sacramento is a non-profit artist http://www.voxsac.com/ that regularly host unique art-centric events all year. I will post more on Vox later, but I invite you to check them out, as they are a good group of dedicated, art minded folks.

I'm sending a few things in for this show and this work focuses on the incredible joy and devastating pain that love can bring. As you can see, it is still a work in progress.

The foundation is based on card #27, El Corazon of the Lorteria game. It was painted with acrylics.

Collage elements have been added to the foundation image. These elements consist of a vintage photo, a love poem fragment and an EKG of someone whose heart has stopped and then started again.

A carved wooden arrow has been added to the canvas as well as a few small words near the bottom of the heart image. A few more words will be added to complete the sentence before the entire canvas is coated with encaustic wax.

I will post additional photos as I progress on this canvas and begin the other two.

I guess better get busy, boys and girls.

Altered Art: Vintage Bottles & Micro Slides - Final Round

After being prompted to present some work by a dear art friend, Jill Allyn Stafford (who is a wonderful collage artist, btw)at an artist's co-op show. VOX Sacramento is a group of dedicated artists in a variety of mediums who put on regular gallery showings in the Sacramento area. Their "GREEN" show seemed a perfect theme for my work using old bottles and other discarded ephemera.

However, merely showing an altered bottle wasn't quite up to the standards I imagined they anticipated, so I knew I had to step up my game a bit.

The result was a unique way to display the altered bottles on a shelf-like background as seen in these photos.


After these first few were completed, my creative juices began to flow a bit and I think I can improve on these first attempts even more. However, I am pleased with the results and believe that these assemblage works are just the beginning.

The upper piece is called "Leap of Faith," and incorporates the use of tape transfers, soldering, a painted and stenciled background as well as the micro slice "charm" which dominates the work.

The lower work is called "Mother Nature's Son" and like the other one, utilizes micro slides to even more advantage due to the collages that appear within the slides.

There are other things on the work that you cannot see from the photos, but make it even more personally significant.

Oh yeah, if you're interested, these are for sale. Email me with any inquiries you may have.

I guess it's time to get one of those Etsy shops. All the cool kids are doing it, right?