Gold relief painting in acrylic

My latest work is an acrylic relief painting that is heavy in texture. There is so much texture that my work is part sculpture, as the object emerges from the canvas surface.

An acrylic texture relief painting Epsilon in gold texture with black background. Saturn like ring around planet.

The concept follows the theme of my last few pieces; which is to show singular symbols against a black background. As the golden image floats through the darkness, it is representative of an echo from unknown depths coming outward. I say “echo” because it is difficult to determine what becomes of a feeling or thought once it is released into the universe. Perhaps on some level (collective consciousness, spiritual, or what have you), we communicate with symbols that carry deep personal meanings.

An acrylic texture relief painting Epsilon in gold texture with black backgroundAn acrylic texture relief painting Epsilon in gold texture with black background

Upon looking closer, one can detect the relief caused by the use of texture. Using my palate knife, I sculpted the division of the planet’s rings from the body of the sphere. It was also difficult to make a decision as to whether or not it was proper to paint black lines to further divide the rings from the planet.

An acrylic texture relief painting Epsilon in gold texture with black background

If I could change anything about this piece, it would be the unevenness caused by the division of the planet’s ring against the sphere body of the planet. I find it distracting.

When naming this piece, I wanted to avoid the obvious choice by calling it “Saturn”. To accomplish this, I researched other planets in our solar system with rings and learned that the planet Uranus has rings! The brightest of the 13 rings of Uranus is named Epsilon, and so voila!; the name of this golden planetoid painting was chosen.

An acrylic texture relief painting Epsilon in gold texture with black background Saturn ring planet

This last shot is altered; brightness levels have been reduced, while contrast has been increased. This allows the blackness of the background to really offset the gold multi faceted sphere surface and it’s rings.

This design is also available on many items printed on demand at www.spacearttshirts.com. Thank you for stopping by.

-S

Gold Trident with Black Background

My latest work is a gold trident with a textured surface. The piece is 11 x 14 inches and is entitled: Neptune’s Trident.

Gold trident shape symbol with black background
Neptune’s Trident by Stephanie Konu

I started off with a free hand sketch of a 3 pronged shape. Using a ruler to outline the sections, my aim was to ensure a shape that was as “un-lopsided” as possible. Without a symbol to trace, or a rough draft on graph paper it was tricky to conceptualize this shape.

Gold trident shape symbol with black background
Neptune’s Trident 2019 by Stephanie Konu

Once the shape was sketched on the canvas, I furthered my experimentation with texture by shaping a thin outline along the edges of the trident. I used a technique similar to the one used for decorating cookies with royal icing. Stiff and dry texturizing compound along the border wall, to contain a more watery texturized mix that was flooded into the body of the shape. You can see that this approach has its drawbacks since the relief of the borders seems to be much higher than the inner body. The higher relief along the border contributes to an unevenness generally.

Gold trident shape symbol with black background
Neptune’s Trident 2019 by Stephanie Konu

One of the the things I learned from creating this piece was the need for neatness and order! As you can see, each tip of the trident should be much more “pointed”, yet they are uniquely different. This is because of my sketch that was lacking a cleanly drawn plan for where to apply texture on the canvas.

The result leans farther towards the abstract than I would have hoped for. This current study of work is based on dream-like apparitions of images, and symbols coming out of the darkness like an echo. I think that “Neptune’s Trident” is a perfect example of what I am trying to achieve. I am excited to begin working on my next project in this series.

Thank you (as always) for stopping by.

-S

Blue and Silver Acrylic on Black

My latest 10 x 10 inch // 25 cm x 25 cm piece is an acrylic on canvas, with blue and silver blended over a black negative space. I have been having strong desires to paint with black negative space, (or white), and focusing on depicting experiences that float over darkness like an echo.

Deep stuff. What makes the concept special to me, is that I have been able to capture a sweet spot in my backyard garden that with the correct sunlight, my work dazzles!

blue and silver acrylic painting with deep black background
Stephanie Konu 2019

My latest piece depicts a somber breath. There is loneliness in the encroaching darkness, and so the heart of the blue ethereal field burns in a white silver light.

blue and silver acrylic painting with deep black background
Stephanie Konu 2019

The silver heart center does, interestingly enough, seem to emerge as a lopsided heart. Or Maybe at least a lung.

This piece has an ultra calming vibe to it. I feel so relaxed when I lay my eyes on it. I am really happy with the deep black background, as I think it brings more focus to the heart of the painting.

Thanks for stopping by,

 

S

Green abstract blended acrylic

My latest acrylic is a calming green abstract.

The colours gradually change with influences of yellow, slate grey, and blue. The borders are a deeper darker forest green. Dark borders represent an encroaching concern. Something that the light must face and fend off in the very near future.

In the top right corner there is a chartreuse (half way between yellow and green) figure that is reminiscent of a sun. It beams down across the abstract landscape. In the heart of the painting, the green blends take on a shape that to me, resemble a bird with wings that is soaring across the sky.

I imagine the lush forest green as the land below the sun. It’s funny, but until I wrote this post, I had not even noticed that this was yet another abstract sun painting. I suppose some things stay hidden in the mind until a stimuli brings them to the forefront. I enjoy playing with green, and I think that the colour has contributed to my artistic strength.

My current mini gallery of green paintings (pictured above) shows how my artwork goes together. Scenes like this are part of what drive me to create. Green is still my favourite colour, and I will continue to use it regularly in my work.

Thanks for stopping by,.

S

Vintage sun painting in acrylic

Greetings!

Creating beauty is what I enjoy spending my time on.

..and of course: I love to share my latest projects with you, here on my blog.

My latest work is a gorgeous and understated acrylic on canvas. It depicts a sun that seems to be glowing against a black sky. Rose gold clouds drift upwards and swirl back into themselves.

When I first completed this 6 x 10 inch piece, my initial response was the vintage illustration feel. It reminded me of an illustration one might see in an old car garage or gas station.

It speaks to me like an echo of a memory…something I can’t quite recall. “Vintage” speaks of the past, but not of any specific person’s past. Could I use the term collective consciousness here?

Anyway..

I used many layers to achieve the “glow” of blue around the orange sun, which was essentially part of the underpainting. It has a size that I like to work with as well, since smaller surface area means more risks with techniques/colours. I definitely like the execution of my latest work.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

S.

Shades of green and gold acrylic patterns

Greetings!

My latest work features shades of green and yellow that dance together in a pattern outlined in gold. It is a small size- 10 x 10 inches.

There is a whimsical aspect to this piece, and as it speaks to me I sense happiness and life emanating from its surface.

My favourite part of this piece (if I had to settle on one), is the way in which each shade of green blends beautifully without causing too much stark contrast. Even the yellow accent areas are mellow.

This is one of my favourite calming pieces. It reminds me of nature, peace, and serenity.

Thank you for stopping by,

S

Black space acrylic with green and silver

My latest piece is entitled “Nights over Algonquin part 2”.  It is part of a series I did with a deep-space black background.

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The concept was to create a piece where the colours would jump out and create a sense of excitement.

Neon permanent green flows along the bottom of the piece as the dependable earth cradles us. A sea of blue is nestled within the fields of green as well; but, what I enjoy most about this piece is the sky.

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In my eyes, the gorgeous blending and “splashing” of silver, blue, and pearlescent violet against the deep Mars Black background remind me of an surrealistically neon light. The colours are almost alien, yet still emit a feeling of familiarity. The result is an excitement-filled piece that allows me to discover something new to love about it each time I lay my eyes upon it.

Thanks for stopping by,

S.

January Abstracts

My latest piece is warm, golden, azure blue-esque, iridescent and metallic. (The hour that I write this is a very late one, so bear with me.)

This piece is small, yet the impact is big. Deep layers of varying shades of blue act as the backdrop of this work. Looking deeply, one can observe a light sheen of translucent turquoise that has an ever so slight iridescent quality.

The concept of this piece began with a desire to have a richly layered blue foundation for another rich, yet contrasting , metallic gold acrylic pour. I think this piece is another excellent example of the participatory feature of my work. The viewer of the work is the most important decipher-er of what it means. I can tell you what it means to me; however it is only a mere suggestion to the next set of eyes.

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Thanks for stopping by,

 

-S

 

 

Green and Gold Tropical Abstract Landscape

My latest work is a beautiful, calming, abstract scene.

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It is a mere 5 x 7 inches, and is entitled: “Tropical Misty Beach”. It is a haunting scene of a thick mist overcoming golden mountain ranges that can be seen peeking through. Gritty texture formed at the base of the mountain range add depth, and continue on to scatter into the deep blue sea.

 

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As the texture settles into the sea, green colonies of coral are visible, as if they are poking out from the calm tropical sea’s surface. Perhaps for some, the white misty clouds moving across the landscape are more than condensation; their forms mimic spirits on a diaspora across the land. It’s something my imagination created, and I am interested in hearing what your imagination came up with in the comments section.

This piece really moved my sensibilities to feelings of calm and tranquility. My only regret is that I didn’t make this piece larger-perhaps 100 cm x 100 cm. Although I am unsure if bigger would have resulted in better for this abstract style.

 

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Thanks for stopping by,

-S

 

Silver, and blue acrylic abstract outer space

“Silver Tiger Nebula”

Acrylic on canvas, 2018.

23x 18 inch

My latest acrylic on canvas is a silvery and eclectic blend of colours that reminds me of a space nebula.

Deeply layered, and complex fields exhibit depth. A black underpainting supports a thick metallic ocean of iridescent silver.

On the outer edges, blue and violet are blended; creating an intense and chaotic scene of the cosmos.

There are so many colours present that the size of this piece does not do it justice.

Finally, the stripes in the lower right quadrant remind me of of a tiger’s paw reaching out and across the nebula. As it reaches, I can only imagine the distances it will cross.

What do you see?

Thanks for stopping by!

-S