Artist Mary Amendola Marley presents a captivating portfolio of abstract mixed media collage. See more of her work by visiting her website.
“Rule of Three” mixed media, 22″ x 30″
“An essential portion of any artist’s labor is not creation so much as invocation. Part of the work cannot be made, it must be received; and we cannot have this gift except, perhaps, by supplication, by courting, by creating within ourselves that ‘begging bowl’ to which the gift is drawn.” ~ Lewis Hyde
“Rain, Sleet, Snow” mixed media, 22″ x 30″
My process of working in mixed media is highly experimental. I move between a number of pieces at the same time as I build on different elements from printmaking, painted papers and a large collection of patterned and discarded papers.
“Intro to Trig” mixed media, 30″ x 22″
I enjoy the challenge of rummaging through piles of materials to experiment with and give each element a new purpose with unpredictable combinations.
“Tripped Up” mixed media, 22″ x 30″
Working intuitively with loose gestural shapes of color, I start each mixed media piece on heavy watercolor paper with acrylic paint or ink. Sometimes, I wash some of the ink off under a strong stream of water, then begin to experiment with the marks that still remain.
“A Stone, A Leaf, A Door” mixed media, 22″ x 30″
While pieces dry, I set five or six paintings in a circle and rotate between them while visually listening to each work. Working in abstraction on a flat surface, I use many layers of paper, paint and mark making to build up color, composition and texture. Then, stepping back, I give each piece time to rest, returning later to look at each one with fresh vision.
“Three Riddles” mixed media, 30″ x 22″
The next round of work is editing out elements by painting over, scraping and ripping things off to form a foundation to build a new composition on.
“Trireme” mixed media, 22″ x 30″
I like to play with the tension between accident and intention. By pairing unlikely pattern and color together, I compose a rollicking balance that seems to barely hold together.
“Veni Vidi Vici” mixed media, 22″ x 30″
For me, the practice of creating is similar to driving a car. While driving, you are making critical (even life-or-death) decisions all the time. Yet, driving is done in a somewhat unconscious manner. Thoughts are allowed to drift along; sometimes you come up short and remember that, after all, you are driving—an act which is quite serious business.
“Trifold Map” mixed media, 22″ x 30″
Two important influences that inform my work are the natural world and the written word.
“Tres in Unum” mixed media, 22″ x 30″
My collages are filled with constant movement. One form merges into the next, transforming and melding together into a regeneration of life. I like to bury phrases of text within a collage. Sometimes words remain visible, but occasionally language acts as a secret foundation to the piece.
Artist Mary Amendola Marley invites you to follow her on Instagram.