Abandoned

Abandoned, 8"x8" mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas

As part of my resolution for the New Year, I decided that I wanted to make meaningful art...and I'm happy to say that I've stuck with that resolution thus far. Yep, I know it's only mid-January :)

Neglected, 5"x7" mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas

My second collection of 2009 is called, "Abandoned". It's dark, it's deep, and I'm really happy with the way it has turned out thus far. I'm thinking of adding a few larger pieces if I get a chance - I'm just not quite ready to move on.

Empty, 2.5"x3.5" mixed media ACEO on watercolor paper

Isolated, 8"x10" mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas

The collection currently consists of an 8"x10" canvas, two 8"x8" canvases, two 5"x7" canvases and two art cards (2.5"x3.5" pieces on watercolor paper). The sides of the canvases are painted black, so there is no need for a frame.

Unloved, 8"x8" mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas

This work was created out of a desire to bring what many would consider an eye-sore to the forefront and make it the subject of a piece of art. These buildings must have been important and loved at some point in the past. They have stories to tell, even if the physical building no longer exists. I want the viewer to stop and wonder about those stories, as I often do when I see these places and images. If you look closely, the many layers that exist under the surface begin to emerge.

Deserted, 5"x7" mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas

I can’t really explain why I feel such a connection and sense of wonder with these old and often crumbling places. Maybe it’s the tangible connection with a past that often seems so distant. In our rapidly changing world with our constant need to “modernize” everything from computers to household appliances, the fact that these places still exist gives evidence to the fact that we want and need something to hold onto…something to link us with the past and with history…something to link us to those people who’ve come before – possibly so we don’t feel so alone.

Ignored, 2.5"x3.5" mixed media ACEO on watercolor paper

~Alisa