One of my most favorite parts of creating new work is taking commercial products and making them my own. As a mixed media artist - almost by definition - no supplies are off limits for me. And that is most definitely true for the endless supply of materials available via the craft industry. My preference though is to alter these supplies so that they better fit my personal approach, seamlessly blend with all the other components I use, and end up looking uniquely my own. There is a wonderful challenge in taking something that is available to anybody and transforming it into something that only I have created.
Much of my work includes found objects and finds from the hardware store. So when I can integrate commercial products with these treasures, I am definitely a happy camper. For this reason, I have been highly inspired by one of the new lines from Spellbinders -- A Gilded Life. Designed by Debbie Murray and Shea Fragoso, this line includes pendants, bezels, dies, texture plates and relics -- all with a distinctive, European flair.
I have recently been making mixed media medallions using the pendants and bezels as the main ingredient. Click the link below each picture to be taken to the step-out tutorial for each medallion.
My aim in making these medallions, was to create pieces that could be further integrated into the mixed media artwork that I was creating for an upcoming exhibition at Artexpo New York on April 4-6 in NYC. I have been working away, creating new work in my ongoing Passages series and wanted to share one with you. As you can see, this piece uses my Mixed Media Medallion I as a focal point.
11 comments:
your work makes me want to look closer & closer......so much to see, so intriguing!
These are breathtakingly beautiful, Seth!
Love your personal colour scheme as it evokes a lot of nostalgia. Your pendants look like most beloved treasures that have been worn (and loved) for a long time....and with every new trace of time on it they become more precious to the one who wears them.
One of my arts teachers once said "you will recognise the most beloved items by their heavily worn look" - and there's a lot of truth in it.
LOVE how you manage to "produce" these traces of "love" artificially. There's a lot of sentiment involved and enclosed in your wonderful enchanting makes!
Greetings from Vienna,
Claudia x
WOW these are gorgeous. I love the way you take commercial products and turn them into a piece that looks like it was much loved. Even paper! Some of your pieces I would have never thought it was paper. Beautiful!
I do admire your philosophy, Seth!
your work is growing in leaps and bounds Seth, reminiscent to me of James Michael Starr who no longer makes assemblage, alas. love love LOVE this piece!!
Hardware stores are my favourite. Go for glue, come home with a bag of 'bits'. Your pieces for this exhibition are absorbingly complex and gorgeous. My how you've grown.
I love how you make it your own - I always shy away from commercial products because I am afraid their look will swamp my own!
I love these! You certainly took them to a new level - so inspiring!
These are great - I love the slightly old world look. Like something you'd dig up in the back garden of your cottage in Tuscany.
Erin
Seth, these are gorgeous--as always! I always like finding new uses for hardware store supplies too :)-Betsy at PaperCalliope
Totally fab pieces Seth! Definitely your own-they do look like pieces dug up in a long forgotten dump site! I love your style!
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