"Drawing With Fire"

For my painting independent study, I have come to the point where it is time to transition into creating a new body of work. I decided to put the plaster down along with ditching the canvas and sticking to wood surfaces for my next body of work. I have been recently inspired by 3 different artists. Illustration artists Paula Bonet and David Santiago with their work heavily figure based on wood and mixed media. I have also been inspired by Matt Wisniewski work of manipulated digital photos meshed with human figure and often landscape.

 Paula Bonet   http://www.paulabonet.com/

 David Santiago  http://stjameart.com/

Matt Wisniewski http://fivem.tumblr.com/

After my critique with Leah Castleman last week, I was encouraged to continue exploring my art on the natural surface of wood and even to investigate making my own paint and stains from natural ingredients. I purchased a soldering iron and began to "draw with fire" on a half of a door panel. I enjoy the smell and texture it creates on the wood and was excited about all the various tips that came with the kit. I would like to find a way to successfully add color to my pieces combined with the line made by the soldering iron. My work is obviously nature inspired most of the time, but in these pieces I would like to capture the relationship one can have with a place or setting. The idea of being surrounded by life and living things and the way your surroundings have an effect on you and vice versa.