"Precious" Mixed Media on Paper

This piece was created for Clinical Art Therapy class, 2nd semester of the MAAT program at St Mary of the Woods.  

The directive was general- create a piece that reflects your idea of art therapy.

The specific technique is new, one that I am really enjoying, mixed media with chalk pastels.  I created a sketch, then a foundation of values using acrylic paints.  Then I finished the piece using graphite, chalk pastel stick and chalk pastel pencils.  The piece was sealed with matte spray sealant.  

The title of the piece is "Precious".   The piece reflects client  / therapist interaction; large eyes and hands & small mouth symbolize my views of the therapeutic platform.  

Mixed Media Photography

For this piece, I used Picasa editing to transform an image of my mother bike riding in Florida.  I wanted to create a narrative effect, with a peaceful, soft, ethereal theme that allowed the viewer to create their own story.  I used a commercial canvas printing service to print the piece, and was unhappy with the final product.  The softness and simplicity were there, but the image felt flat, too fuzzy, lacking in depth.  I decided to add subtle decorative elements to the large gray area that would not take the focus away from the figure but lend a magical or spiritual tone to the narrative.  I used watercolor paints and metallic permanent markers.

original canvas print