Artist Research: Artist 3- Amiria Gale

http://www.amiriarobinson.com/amiria-gale-shell-paintings/

Shell Paintings- Shell paintings by Amiria Gale: It is the broken, worn, incomplete shells that provide inspiration. This one has little pock marks in the surface where bugs have gnawed at it and faded brown lines that dash across the surface. The composition sketch in black pen has scribbled notes reminding me what the work was about. It is not overly detailed, but depicts the structure of the work; the placement of the shell; the landscape within and the main water lines extending out from the curves of the shell. Note that the representation of the shell is not entirely realistic, but has been slightly simplified / stylised. The shell in this painting has been built up with a very thick layer of modelling compound – at its deepest, this protrudes 20mm out from the painting board. The lower stripy section of shell is covered with bumpy, textured handmade paper. A layer of gesso has primed the work before painting with Atelier acrylic. The water has been painted using many translucent layers, with gel medium and Atelier artist acrylic paint. The finished work is 1000 x 1000mm and depicts a semi-abstract shell tumbling within the ocean, with a landscape shown through the shell. It was completed in 2004. This is probably my most well known work.

Shells-  mixed media piece, created using string, textured paper, modelling compound and acrylic on framed MDF board

These semi-abstract shell paintings by Amiria Gale break down the barrier between land, shell and sky. Water pours around the shell and spills across sand, The top right work is 400 x 800mm and was painted on MDF board in 2003. The bottom painting, “Shells, land and sea”, is a large work, 800 x 1000mm, created using acrylic and mixed media on framed MDF board in 2005.

This is one of two tiny seashell paintings by Amiria Gale, completed in 2010. “Little Shell” is 200 x 150mm, created using acrylic and mixed media on framed MDF board.

This shell has pencil scribbles inside it. I can’t remember how they got there. I was playing with it a lot, before it became the shell painting below that took me nearly a year. I kept returning to it, over and over again, burying the form with paint, and uncovering it again some more. Entitled ”Dive”, this contemporary shell painting by Amiria Gale was completed in 2010. It is 300 x 650mm and was created using acrylic and mixed media on framed MDF board.

This small seashell painting by Amiria Gale is entitled “Fragment” and is for sale NZ$200. Completed using acrylic and textured paper on board, in 2010, this shell painting is 200 x 150mm.

Shell painting by Amiria Gale: I began with a weathered sea snail shell. This work, entitled “Boundary”, is 700 x 700mm, and depicts a semi-abstract painting of shells, land and sea. It was completed using acrylic and mixed media on framed MDF board, in 2010, and was sold to a private collector.

A composition study created using black biro pen on a black and white photocopy of a seashell.

Here are some of my random shell drawings.

Sometimes, however, I work more messily and crazily. This is a faster, more gestural shell painting of mine.