Frog on lilly pad Mixed Media

Frog on lilly pad
This artwork depicts a beautifully coloured, cautious frog taking a quick stop to hunt in the sunlight before re-entering the water. You can sense the tension in the frog’s gaze as it looks for unsuspecting passing insects. It will project its long sticky tongue with astonishing speed to catch the prey. The frog’s very long legs and toes are primed ready to launch forward with immense power if necessary. It is always aware of the need to escape attack from any hunting Raptor from above or Pike waiting to spring into action with incredible muscle strength under the water. The veneers chosen to depict the frog add a gloss and texture highly representative of the smooth wet skin. It is rare for us to get the time to really observe the Beauty in a frogs eye or skin. The veneers allow us to really appreciate the tones, textures and colours attached to this wonderful wildlife specimen.

The Artwork is produced by a precise hand crafting of very thin, delicate wood veneer using the Marquetry Mirror Technique. There are between two and three hundred pieces of veneer in some of the marquetries. Each veneer used has been carefully selected to empathise and enhance the animal’s particular texture and colouring. The veneers are a reminder of the colours and textures our native wildlife use for camouflage themselves when in their natural surroundings. They have not evolved to contain large swathes of green camouflage, we humans have moved too quickly in the industrial revolution for natural selection to catch up. Once completed the veneer is adhered to a carefully shaped and sized backboard using strong wood glue. The fixed veneer marquetry is then very gently hand smoothed using sand papers down to six hundred grit. The veneer is then treated with protective Danish oil, Bees Wax or Varnish depending on the subject of the marquetry.

The acrylic backgrounds are then applied using traditional paint brushes and masking tape to form the linear aesthetic. The colours are carefully selected to enhance the subject matter of the Artwork. As humans we can recognise over one hundred and forty shades of green. It was necessary for us to be able to recognise this amount of shade changes in the green spectrum so we could distinguish the edible plants from the inedible ones.
Green is also a very emotionally calming colour and is known to graduate colour tone differences if there are contrasting colours around it.

Unfortunately we are using more and more of our wildlife’s habitation for human impact, including construction and agriculture with little or no consideration for the natural environment it is replacing. This is leaving our wildlife exposed and vulnerable in open grassland and habitats without the necessary cover and natural surroundings.
The linear green acrylic backgrounds to the artworks express the human impact on our local wildlife. The native habitat and background to our natural Fauna is not linear, it should consist of wild, random, organic curves, hedgerows, shrubs, foliage, flowers, grasses and natural deciduous trees. These should be diverse areas and environments where colonies of wildlife can coexist and thrive in the cover. Sadly we have cultivated thousands of square miles of agricultural rectangular land to feed our veracious appetites. Straight green lines are not the natural evolutionary choice for wildlife habitation. The artworks leave the animals looking like they are lost on an alien planet or environment, which sadly is the situation for many of our native fauna.

The overall aesthetic of the marquetries are an emotional journey of excitement for me personally. They depict the excitement I felt and still feel when I spot a native creature of any kind in our wonderful countryside. The varied shapes, textures, colours and habits of our wildlife will always fascinate me. The sudden explosion of warm brown hues on a natural background is one of the only consistencies I have had in my life, lasting from childhood through to adulthood. I believe we have a duty to look after our native Fauna and Flora for future generations to come.

If you do choose to innvest in one of my images you would be investing in a unique artpiece, rest assured in the knowledge that you will be the proud owner of the original Mixed Media Artwork. I would like to think by choosing and displaying this artwork you are making a conscious decision to open the discussion and issues to others who see the work in your personal choice of surroundings. Thank you for taking the time to read the rationale on my artwork, I sincerely hope you can relate to my works.