Development of Mixed Media Pieces

I have revisited an old mixed media piece and updated it with elements from my more current mixed media work.  Here are the progress pictures.  I am pleased with the outcome and have already started a small series inspired by this piece.

 

NEW series

I'm very excited about this new series, I am not going to say too much now but here are some pictures so far....

Self Portrait From A While Ago

Self portrait from a while ago - my native american heritage coming through! I was doing a lot of metal embellishment on canvas at the time as you can see here. Someone commented they thought I "look prettier in real life" than in this portrait 😂 Have to admit I disagree, this painting is a very close likeness - sure I didn't go for a glamorous pose but then self portraits (generally) aren't about making yourself look attractive but about depicting & expressing yourself, inside & out. Often the artist is the artist's best sitter as they know that face so well & they know everything that goes on inside. For the record, I can & I do create many flattering portraits, but that wasn't what this painting was about 😉

You can check out the full painting and more images on my website: www.bethlouella.com (portraiture - fine art).

#womanhood #feminism #heritage#history #ancestry #nativeamerican #african #kenyan #dreads #emotion#spiritual #faith #culture #multicultural#ethnicity #artist #selfportrait #fridakahlo #painting #portrait #portraiture #art #artblog #artblogger #nuture #familytree #genetics #dreadlocks

Progress Video 'My Brothers'

Progress video of 'My Brothers' painting - it shows my brother & the name of our deceased, adopted brother tattooed on his arm. I love this painting because it celebrates both my brothers, it fills me with a sense of love & warmth.

The painting is 80cm x 60cm, on canvas. Interested in seeing more of my portraits? Check out my website: www.bethlouella.com

Surpasses All

This painting, 'Surpasses All' was recently chosen as a canvas print (a great affordable art option). It's an older work of mine that explores spiritual peace & comfort that doesn't really make sense ("...surpasses all understanding..."*). I have experienced peace & comfort like this in particularly tough times, such as bereavement through suicide. It is hard to depict the unseen but it's something I often try to do in my artwork.

The woman is holding a plant in her bleeding hand, the wind blows her hair obscurring her face and flame like brush strokes rise in the background suggesting hardship and pain. Despite this, the woman exudes peace and calm through her glowing skin, the ethereal gold, her relaxed closed eyes and out stretched hand on her chest. The plant is olive blossom which is a symbol of peace. Original 50cm x 100cm, paint & embellishment on canvas.

If you are interested in a canvas / art paper print, please visit: https://www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/428253 and/or message me.

* "And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding..." (Philippians 4:7)

'Adoption'Progress Pictures

Here are some progress pictures of 'Adoption' (100cm x 150cm paint on canvas).  I don't usually change colours whilst painting but the blue wasn't quite working for me.  The painting is a celebration of adoption (physical and spiritual) and I think the warm, ethereal yellow was the right choice in the end.

You can view a higher resolution of the final painting here  

and the same painting plus other artwork on my website 

Here is my new painting: ‘Mothers’, a self portrait (60 cm x 76 cm paint on canvas with photographs). 

I love the genre of self portraiture and the freedom of expression it brings. I painted the self portrait ‘Mothers’ because I wanted to explore the concept of heritage (physical, cultural, emotional, spiritual) and womanhood.  I have Native American heritage and am connected to Kenyan culture hence the hair style, choker style necklace and wrapped material. The necklace depicts my female family tree, showing the eyes of my mother, mother-in-law, grandmothers, great grandmothers…etc.  I focused on the females in my family tree because of the emphasis on womanhood and the influence mothers have. The pose is unusual; I chose to look at the viewer as if I were looking down to give the impression of strength and power.  I wanted to convey that my heritage and the women/mothers that are part of that heritage, empower me.

You can view this painting on Saatchi Art: http://bit.ly/2q23R5i

NEW Painting: My Brothers

This is a new painting of mine, I think it has to be one of my favourites. It makes me smile and also tearful when I look at it.  It depicts my brother and his tattoo of our deceased brother's name, hence the title 'My Brothers'.

My Brothers paint on canvas 80cm x 60cm

View a larger version and print options at Saatchi Art.

View on my website: www.bethlouella.com 

Adoption

My newest painting:

Adoption  100cm (w) x 150cm (h) paint on canvas

It is about physical and spiritual adoption.

View / buy prints on Saatchi

Below the Surface Woman Blue

Here is another portrait from the 'Below the Surface' body of work.  I went to the Stanley Spencer Gallery recently and admired a sketched portrait of his first wife in hard pencil.  It inspired me to use hard pencil in this body of work. 

Woman Blue  21cm (w) x 42cm (h) pencil, ink and paint on paper

View / buy prints on Saatchi

Below the Surface...

‘Below the Surface’ is a body of work consisting of portraits created with hard pencil, ink and paint.  The paint is expressive, depicting elements of the subject’s character.  Here is one of the portraits, there are more to come!

Woman Yellow 29.7cm (w) x 42cm (h) pencil, ink and paint on paper

View / buy prints on Saatchi

Lineage

Here is another recent painting. It is a self portrait (not a very flattering one, but then that is not what self portraits are about!).  It is called Lineage, the painting is about heritage, ancestry, what gets passed down to us and what shapes us.  My dreads look like tree branches so I created a 'family tree' / 'tree of life' with the layout of my hair.  The splashes of colour represent different elements being passed down, the things that impact / shape us and the results. The turquoise represents bitter sweet elements and the yellow represents positive elements, such as love, joy and faith. 

Lineage 61cm (w) x 91cm (h) paint on canvas 

View / buy prints on Saatchi

Touring Exhibition

'Retrospective Sisterhood' (diptych), was selected to go in the UK, year long touring exhibition WhatIsItToBeHuman.

Retrospective Sisterhood  (Diptych) 120cm (w) x 80cm (h) paint on canvas with embellishment 

Contemporary Art Response to Dramatic Charity Event

I ‘documented’ a hairdresser losing her hair through three large paintings on canvas (The Gift I, II, and III).  

Reading based Hairdresser Mel, had her long, multi-coloured hair shaved off publicly in her Salon to raise awareness of human sex trafficking and to raise money for a charity supporting victims.  The three vibrant paintings depict different stages of the event and the changing atmosphere.  

Fellow hairdressers wept as Mel had the last of her hair removed; her sacrificial ‘gift’ was a touching act to witness.  25% of profits from sales of prints and the paintings are donated to The Mustard Tree Foundation’s Rahab Project.

The Gift I  91cm (w) x 61cm (h) paint on canvas with embellishment  

 The Gift II  61cm (w) x 91cm (h) paint on canvas with embellishment    

The Gift III  61cm (w) x 91cm (h) paint on canvas with embellishment

For more information about these paintings, please go to www.saatchiart.com/bethlouella