"Relic" mixed media rusted iron paint abstract © Carol Nelson Fine Art

Relic

As you can see, I'm still stuck in my rust affair. The color of this rust has got to be my favorite color in the world. 

I think it goes back to when my husband and I were buying our first house. The color of the carpet in the model home was that rust color.  Of course, I chose the same carpet in our new house.

In addition to the rusted iron paint used throughout this piece, there is mica flake on the two horizontal bars, and a rusted Snapple bottle cap that I ran over with my car in the lower left.

If you're going to add metal parts to your painting, I recommend flattening them a bit by putting them under a board, and driving a 2000 lb vehicle over them.  Works like a charm.

The other rounded shapes in the lower section are actually indentations I made in the substrate, which is extruded polystyrene.  This is a new experiment in substrate.  Polystyrene can be found at Home Depot as insulation sheet.  It's very dense, but lightweight.  There was a thin plastic covering on it that I removed before painting.

The background is handmade metallic paper mounted on a piece of MDF board.

To see more detail shots, click here to go to my website.

"WORKBENCH" 12086, mixed media rusted iron collage © Carol Nelson Fine Art

Workbench

This is the latest in my rust series.  It features rusted iron paint, micaceous iron oxide paint, metallic paints, and found objects. 

These grungy metal parts were found on the workbench in my garage, and some of them have been waiting there for DECADES! I spray painted them with metal paint to spiff them up a bit.  I have no idea what they're used for, but they look pretty cool in this presentation. 

As you can see, it is a multilevel presentation with 3 pieces of MDF board.

For more information, click here to go to my website.

"URBAN VIBE" 12085, mixed media rusted iron abstract © Carol Nelson Fine Art

Urban Vibe

While my student was here working in my studio, I was working right along side her.  This is one of the pieces I created while she was here.


I was showing her how to create and combine such elements as embossed aluminum foil, hand made gold textured paper, mica flakes, and copper tacks.  The painting is floated on a 9x9 black wood frame and arrives ready to hang.

For more information, click here to go to my website.

"WHEELS KEEP ON TURNIN'" 12082, mixed media rust abstract ©: Carol Nelson Fine Art

Wheels Keep on Turnin'

This was a little demo piece I did for my Park Hill Art Club class.  I was demonstrating rusted iron paint and also emobssed aluminum foil.

The photo doesn't show it, but the center part with the embossed
foil is very shiny and beautiful.  The dark spots in the upper right are mica flakes that look alternately dark or shiny depending on how the light hits them.

For more information, click here to go to my website.

"RUSTIC COLLECTION" 12080, mixed media abstract rusted metal © Carol Nelson Fine Art

Rustic Collection

detail

This painting has a variety of textured collage materials.  The part I'm most excited about is the rusty area shown above in the detail photo.

It is actual rust that was activated by painting copper sulfate solution on a paint containing iron filings.  After a little while, the dark gray iron paint begins to rust - a very beautiful , if unpredictable, look.

For more information, click here to go to my website.

"Iron Strata," 12078, mixed media abstract © Carol Nelson Fine Art

Iron Strata

detail

This painting features the simulated rusted iron that I talked about in the previous post.  In this case, the iron effect is done on torn strips of 300 lb watercolor paper.

I've always wanted to achieve the look of rusted metal for use in my paintings, and now I finally know how.  It fits right in with my favored color palette.

For more information, please click here to go to my website.

Rust Experiments - Carol Nelson Fine Art

 

I have been busy experimenting.  I bought a product called Rust Antiquing Set.  It's a bottle of iron filings suspended in a paste, and an a bottle of rust activator.

When you smear the paste on a surface - I tried 300 lb watercolor paper and MDF board - let it dry, then add the activator, it eventually looks like a piece of rusted metal.

I embellished the colors a little - adding the blue tones and some transparent red oxide.

I am working on incorporating this rust element into a painting.  I can't wait to share this with my workshop in Dallas next week.

Cool stuff.