The Wildlife Art Journey in 2022
Hi everyone!
It’s been a while since I’ve written and quite a lot has been going on in 2022!! As the year comes to a close here is a “quick” recap.
The start of 2022 saw my first acrylic paintings. Up to this point I had been an exclusively graphite artist, drawing in shades of grey, then moving into the world of colour with a number of pastel drawings in 2021. Exploring my wildlife art in the acrylic medium has been a huge growth curve. The main reason I chose to start creating acrylic paintings is because they do not require a frame with glass. I have found that in a lot of my pastel drawings, the vibrance and punch of the colours and texture is quite diminished once it is put behind glass and the glares and reflection can really distract from the piece. I know there is the option of non-reflective glass, however the headache of trying to find the right size frames and expense of the frames and glass made it a problem not found in acrylic painting where there is nothing between you and the artwork. I love the scale, vibrancy and layering that can be achieved with acrylic paint on canvas and have truly fallen in love with this medium. Two elements I am drawn to are classic portraiture composition and dramatic black or white backdrops and lighting.
In early 2022, I joined the Badlands Gallery here in Drumheller. It is a non-profit, cooperative group of artists who display a very diverse range of art styles. Joining the gallery has been a huge benefit to my art, both in terms of having more exposure for my artwork and meeting other artists and learning from them, being inspired and generating many creative conversations and ideas. In August, the gallery had selected pieces of art showing at the Western GM art gallery located within the Badlands Community Facility. It was very exciting to be a part of this event and see my artwork displayed in a formal art gallery setting.
At this point, midway through the year, I decided to experiment with incorporating abstract colour and shape into some of my wildlife paintings using a paint-pour technique. I think this experiment was a success and I will continue to work this into some of my future painting compositions.
Sales have really picked up through the last quarter of the year and I am so grateful to the wonderful collectors of my artwork!! Our collectors are so important to us as artists and are vital to our ability to continue to create. To my current collectors and others, if you have a particular idea or subject/colours/etc. for a painting that you would like created, I am happy to work on a commission for you! Email me and we can collaborate on the details to ensure you get the painting you really want (info@silverlinefineart.com).
Below is a very unique commission I created for a fellow artist of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet.
I have so many projects and ideas for 2023 and can’t wait to share the progress and finished paintings with you! See them on Facebook, Instagram and my website: https://silverlinefineart.com.
Coming soon…
Wishing everyone wonderful holidays and see you in the New Year!!
P.S. There will be a lot of big cats in 2023!!!! 🥳