Art From Nature

That's what I rediscovered! Mostly, I have focused on my mixed media art because it's SO DIFFERENT than what I see, BUT I have been a photographer since the 70s and occasionally I find a photo that I've completely forgotten about that feels new to me and, frankly exciting!

It's not from my Canon, it's from my iphone...it's called Aloe in Blue.

Very simple, but very textural and does feel like the art I create from nature. You can almost feel the serrated edges (oops, don't touch!) and it draws you into the center like a calling. One of those photos that actually looks GOOD in a mock up from Art Helper. Most of my mixed media doesn't fare well in that arena!

Have you found lost treasures in your archives that you want to resurrect? DO IT!

I collect nature elements on my hikes around the coastal range of Oregon and re-purpose them. Two pieces of bark beckoned me to do just that!

The bark made me think of mountains. This is a bit more "representational" than some of my other work. The flowers are part of a favorite martini glass that broke and seemed to fit nicely into the grasslands under the mountain.Because of the black thinset on the bottom, I was able to angle the "grass" etc. to give it more dimension. Memories of trees, reaching for the sky now become mountains to continue their craggy beauty!

Do you take something and create something else entirely in a new piece? It makes me think of people who do collage work and take bits of magazine cut-outs and create whole new images from it. Fascinating stuff!

Teaching is a new challenge that has been suggested by a recent tarot card reading! Therefore, I am going to be creating a reel on Instagram, related to sharing ideas/teaching moments about different types of natural objects that can inspire creations. For example, dimension, texture, shape, color. What kind of teaching do YOU offer?

I wanted to work with the color of the center piece (and the texture and shape), so this is one I will use as an example. Very dimensional, too! Let me know some of YOUR ideas about how you teach!

We, as artists, always seem to question pricing our pieces, whether originals or prints or what-have-you. Maybe the labor is the most expensive thing, and we don't seem to value that as much. Do you suffer from angst every time you try to put a price on your work?

This particular piece is chalk-full of re-purposed STUFF...including an actual curlycue set of fiber that was buried on the inside of some rainpants I'd had forever! 🤩

That being said, the piece is what Chat GPT said is "gallery ready". So the advice I got from Chat was to price it higher, as one of my most expensive pieces. All of my mixed media are one-of-a-kind and I really experimented with this etched glass given to me by a friend. I used a broken hummingbird feeder (the amethyst colored glass) and other found treasures. Voila!

This is what Chat GPT said:

✨ The Luminous Thread

My honest instinct:
👉 $425–575

That piece feels gallery-ready.

I put it at $400 on my website, shipping included. (It's heavy...) My most expensive piece! What are YOUR thoughts?

Are there certain relics, finds that inspire you? This artwork started because of the bright color green that I wanted as the central piece. Driftwood, fungi, pods, slate (even wood jewelry repurposed) were all supporting the bright tones, while keeping it "forestlike". I wanted to have a pop of something bright along with the earthy tones. And at the end, I decided NOT to fill the upper white space. Gave it a feeling of the clearing of sky filtering through to the forest floor. "Forest Fanfare".

Richworksart.com

Which direction is your favorite? #1 (first photo) or 2? This piece is called A Quiet Blooming, and these are gathered from my property, and recycled jewelry and feathers from a Native American basket. Abstracts can be placed in so many different ways and I would love opinions on the one you like best and why. Thank you, fellow artists!

I happen to love collecting bits of natural elements in my travels across America and even Europe for the first time last year!

I mark where they're from in a plastic bag to keep track.Those then become parts of an eventual original mixed media piece. This was from collected items at Rockaway Beach Oregon, in a beautiful heavy ornate frame that makes it feel like an heirloom. Hopefully to be passed down through generations of beach memories shared through time!

This is part of my Relics Series.

Tell me about your natural elements that have helped you create!

Two of the three sold, and vastly different! The first one, "Oregon Mountain Sunset" was bought by one of my dearest friends. I used a "spark" from Rachel Davies, a very well-known mosaic artist and did this dimensional piece as a prompt. I still LOVE it and am grateful that I get to still see it because of my friend. The other, "Ocean Blues with Pearls" (the buyer loved the title), is ALSO an artist doing mosaics very different from mine. First time meeting her as she came to my folly with my dear friend. And I have a third (not shown here), called Lucky Little Sand Dollar that my friend has bought before. It's one of my best sellers! Have you sold work to another artist?

I create mixed media collages using material from nature and found objects.

First off, let's define it:

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic philosophy that finds beauty in:

• Imperfection

• Impermanence

• Natural aging and wear

It's about the art found in imperfection, dying "things", and the beauty that those bring us from Nature. Everything carries a story.

This is one of mine.

While watching over someone's house in AZ for a short while, I decided to collect natural elements on her property and later incorporated them into a mixed media tile which I gave to her as a thank you gift for giving me a chance to get out of the rainy Oregon winter and enjoy the dry hot climate of Cave Creek. Her love (and mine) of horses was the main impetus. Surrounding this metal horse with craggy tree bark in matching grays, tiny seeds, dropped from a tree in between her main home and the hacienda I was staying in as well as dried leaves that were on the ground, local rocks that were so colorful all added depth! A flat, textured pod and some kind of spiky delight gave this piece a chance to bring to life wabi sabi elements! The best bit of making it feel alive were the trio of green flat pointy leaves and that beige, wrinkly piece of a cactus that were the final touches. Beauty and truth in imperfection.

I'm a big believer in repurposing, recycling to give back to our environment in my own way. From finding old discarded items on our large country property to expertly placing old jewelry from my mom's collection after she transitioned or pieces given to me by friends, I think it's a great way to reinvent them!

"Earthbound in Red"

Broken glass, tools, and beads are just a few of the "artsy" re-purposed pieces that breathe new life into this mixed media work.

Personally, this is one of those important facets of being an artist when paying homage to nature. Whether you use recycled items, use less trees, or whatever your passion in saving our planet, I would love to hear about it!

I repurpose old tools, jewelry, even a rhinestone encrusted steering wheel cover that my husband "inherited" when a company car was given to him! Finding a use for things that many would throw into our garbage pits is one of many ways to save Mother Nature, who gives and gives to us, and FORGIVES us for not being mindful to her many virtues!

This is one where I did just that...Earth's Treasures Above and Below not only has natural finds (thank you, Mom Nature), but some donated jewelry and if you look closely, some of those "re-purposed" steering wheel cover rhinestones!

I had an aha moment quite awhile ago, meaning to do an Instagram reel about how "art" is part of the word "Heart" and that is such an important aspect of what art does for people all across the world. It affects the heart, pulling at it, deep connections made, emotional moments....how do YOU think art affects the heart?

"Golden Hearts" Mixed Media by Richworksart.com

Are you a painter? Sculptor? Mixed media artist? I would love to hear from you about your views on how nature affects your work!

This one is called "Sunlight with a Twist"...and the very word Sunlight gives you a clue as to my muse in titling this one. The flourescent mosaic glass is a nice juxtaposition to the sedate tones of the slate and my really cool craggy find in the top left; a knotted piece of wood found on one of my many Oregon hikes. Housed in a black shadowbox frame, it gives that pop of color a nice backdrop to add to the dimension of the artwork. This one was chosen by a gallery at Cannon Beach OR to be in Shearwater Gallery, along with two other nature-based pieces that are different and yet have the same general nature-based theme.

This community will be, without a doubt, one of the most interesting ones! I can't wait to see all the nature-made art

How does nature inspire you to create a work around her as a muse? This mixed media piece, "Gathered Radiance" has slivered pods from one of my trees beside my folly, which is my artspace, sitting next to Fishhawk Creek, my lovely country property in the coastal range of Oregon. Combined with this pointy "poof" of nature, acting as a sun with the rays created from the pods, small dried seeds, slate and bright colored glass. I also used re-purposed jewelry. (I'm big on that form of re-cycling)! Let's see what you use from real nature-inspired pieces!