Natural Habitat

ABOUT: A natural habitat is defined as “the native, undisturbed environment where a specific species of animal or plant normally lives, grows, and thrives. It provides essential resources for survival, including food, water, shelter, and breeding sites, characterized by specific, non-synthetic conditions such as temperature and geography.”

Here in Alberta we are covered by boreal forests, foothills, grasslands, rocky mountains, and using this as a theme, Natural Habitat showcases animals among collaged natural habitats.

MEDIUM: Mixed Media on Wood (Handmade collage papers, select collage papers, acrylic paint, teabag paper, mediums)

HOW IT'S MADE: Starting on wood, artist created original collage papers (on a variety of papers, with a variety of mediums by the artist) and select printed collage papers are ripped and layered into an organic landscape, intentionally creating organic shapes that mirror a landscape and leaving sections of the wood board visible to highlight natural materials. Drawings of Albertan based animals are created digitally by hand in Krita by the artist. Image transfers of the printed drawings via gelli plates are then conducted onto teabag paper using acrylic paint. Each animal is cut out then applied to the wood canvas, with the print underneath intentionally displaying glimpses of the collage print underneath. This series is then completed with 3 layers of a soft gloss varnish and natural exposed wood edges.