2014-2015 was a very productive couples of years for me! During this time, I worked with two very distinct application techniques which I call Layered Abstracts & Floral Abstracts and Fluid Abstracts. This period was also my photography "sweet spot" as I finally invested in a digital camera that could take high-quality photos of my work!
LAYERED ABSTRACTS & FLORAL ABSTRACTS
My layered abstracts and floral abstract paintings focus on building texture and depth by working in layers. The first layers focus on creating texture by applying mediums to the canvas - such as glossy gels and three-dimensional crackling fissures. The next layers apply colour to the canvas - unifying the textures underneath. Lastly, cohesion and visual interest is achieved by adding hand-painted accents, spray-painted words and patterns, and other "finishing touches".
AK47
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AK47
Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 36" SOLD AK47 is a layered abstract painting that I made in 2014. It was inspired by an old metal ammunition trunk I inherited from my great grandfather. AK47 was immediately (and continues to be) one of my favorite paintings that I have ever made! I loved everything about this piece. A military-inspired colour palette was complimented by ammunition-inspired wording that was spray painted on in the upper left and bottom right corners.
The original painting is sold, but AK47 is still available as a paper prints, canvas prints and art merchandise.
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55 Carts
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55 CARTS
Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 60" Available 55 Carts was inspired by an area on Highway 97 between Lake Country and Vernon where rocks were blasted to make room for the new highway. The blasting revealed a unique collection of vivid orange and greens rocks - it is my favorite part of the drive! 55 Carts has colour palette inspired by these rocks and military-inspired accents including a hand-painted barcode in the upper right corner. The original painting is still available.
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From Left to Right: BC90, LA89, Kona, NY67
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ROAD TRIPS SERIES
From Left to Right: BC90, LA89, KONA, NY67 Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 12" each SOLD The Road Trip series was a four-piece series I made in 2014 inspired by things you see on road trips like maps, license plates and road markings. Each piece represents a place: British Columbia (BC90), Los Angeles (LA89), Kona, Hawaii (KONA), and New York (NY67). I selected colours that I felt were representative of each of these places. Paint was brushed on, pressed on, and spray painted on to achieve visual interest.
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No Signal
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NO SIGNAL
Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 12" SOLD No Signal is a retro throwback to the 80s. It was inspired by the annoying TV test screens that would interrupt your favorite show, forcing you to smack the TV or adjust your antenna... (if you were born in the 80s, you know what I'm talking about!). The black and white areas were meant to look like static. The neutral areas allows the bright colourful sections to really pop!
FUN FACT: I drew inspiration from this piece in 2020 when I painted a Muskoka chair for a community art project. |
Mugshot
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MUGSHOT
Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 12" SOLD Mugshot is a fun painting I made in 2014 that was inspired by, you guessed it... Mugshots! I have never had any interest (or the attention span) to paint anything too realistic or detailed, so painting this skull was way out of my comfort zone. Overall, I was happy with the way this piece turned out.
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New Year
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NEW YEAR
Acrylic on Canvas, 40" x 30" SOLD New Year is the first painting I made in 2015. I had set a goal for myself to complete one new painting each week for a year, and this was the first one I made.
I have always loved mandalas - both how they look and what they represent - and often incorporate them into my work. Mandalas symbolize spirituality, wholeness, the cycle of life and creation, and our divine connection to the universe. New Year also contains a lotus flower in the bottom section. Both mandalas and lotus flowers are meditative symbols that invoke feelings of calmness and serenity. Consistent with this theme, I selected a colour palette of light blues, white and creamy tones as these are colours of peace and tranquility. New Year now hangs in a local massage studio - the perfect forever home for this painting! The original painting is sold, but New Year is still available as a paper print or a canvas print.
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Summer's Eve
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SUMMER'S EVE
Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 48" SOLD Summer's Eve is a floral abstract with a bold red palette. My floral abstracts attempt to create floral paintings that are abstract, non-traditional, and full of texture. Acrylic mediums were used to create texture throughout the piece; Flowers were drawn on with fluid acrylic paint and the petals were painted using my fingertips.
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Morning in Blue
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MORNING IN BLUE
Acrylic on Canvas, 30" x 36" Available Morning in Blue is another floral abstract painting I made in 2015. Three-dimensional crackling fissures and other acrylic texture mediums create visual interest under palette of rich teals and browns. Flowers were drawn onto the canvas using fluid acrylic paint and the petals were filled using my fingertips. The background features areas of spray paint and other hand-painted accents. The original painting is still available.
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Left to Right: 30 Caliber, Candy Coated, XO
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THE STRIPED SERIES
From Left to Right: 30 Caliber, Candy Coated, XO Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 18" each SOLD The Striped Series was a six piece series of paintings that I made in 2015 (the above three were my favorite of the six). After selecting a colour palette for each piece, I sectioned the canvases into stripes. Paint was applied by brushing it on, pressing it on, and dragging it on. Each piece has stenciled words/letters/numbers, a strip of circles, and an area of dripping paint. This was a relaxing project for me that I didn't overthink (this rarely happens!).
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The originals were sold but each of these pieces is still available as paper prints or canvas prints.
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FLUID ABSTRACTS
My fluid abstracts are a less rigid, more organic style of painting. These pieces use watered down acrylic paints that are applied to the canvas by pouring them on and blowing them around with air. This application process encourages the colours to flow into one another organically and creates stunning, fluid patterns. Fluid abstracts work best on flat canvases so I usually do not use texture mediums in these pieces.
Into the Light
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INTO THE LIGHT
Acrylic on Canvas, 30" x 30" SOLD Into the Light is a colourful fluid abstract painting I made in 2015 . It was created for ArtWalk 2015's theme: Light: Illuminating Art, and was displayed in the Lake Country Art Gallery. Watered down acrylic paints were poured onto the canvas, starting with darker colours at the bottom and moving to lighter colours at the top. The paints were blown around with air to encourage them to flow into one another. Into the Light is a very happy and uplifting piece of abstract art.
The original painting was sold, but Into the Light is still available as a paper print or a canvas print.
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Life's a Beach II (left) & Life's a Beach III (right)
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LIFE'S A BEACH II & III
Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 36" (diptych) SOLD Life's a Beach is a fluid abstract series from this period. This diptych features a beach-inspired colour palette of light blue, creamy white, grey and brown. Paint was manipulated to mimic splashing waves.
The originals were sold, but Life's a Beach II & III are still available as paper prints or canvas prints.
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High Seas
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HIGH SEAS
Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 24" SOLD High Seas is a fluid abstract painting I made in 2015. I had been playing around with my fluid abstract technique for a few years at this point, and High Seas was the first time I achieved the "wow factor" I was after. I absolutely loved how this piece turned out. The paint flowed together beautifully and resembled ocean waves reaching towards the sky.
The original was sold, but High Seas is still available as paper prints and canvas prints.
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Cloud Nine I (left) & Cloud Nine II (right)
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CLOUD NINE I & II
Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 36" (diptych) SOLD Cloud Nine I & II is a fluid abstract diptych with a a very happy colour palette! This set features bright yellow, peach, red, purple, teal, apple green and dark brown.
The originals are sold, but Cloud Nine I & II are still available as paper prints and canvas prints.
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Deep Thoughts II
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DEEP THOUGHTS II
Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 24" Available at the Lloyd Gallery in Penticton, BC Deep Thoughts is a series of fluid abstract paintings I made in 2015. These pieces have neutral, lightly coloured backgrounds of white and grey that are offset by a bold streak of colours splashing across the canvas. The contrast between the background and fluid section creates the illusion of three-dimensions. A rich colour palette of navy blue, army green, gold, black, dark red, grey, and a hint of pastel teal was used in the fluid abstract section.
Deep Thoughts is also available as paper prints or canvas prints.
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Dark Thoughts I
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DARK THOUGHTS I
Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 18" SOLD Following my Deep Thoughts series, I created a Dark Thoughts series. The Dark Thoughts series have dark neutral backgrounds offset by a bold streak of colours splashing across the canvas. The contrast between the background and the fluid section creates the illusion of three-dimensions. A bold colour palette of black, dark red, army green, gold, grey, and electric turquoise was used in the fluid abstract section.
The original was sold, but Dark Thoughts I is still available as paper prints or canvas prints.
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Uncertainty
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From Left to Right: Perception I, Perception II, Perception III, Perception IV
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THE PERCEPTION SERIES
Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 12" SOLD The Perception Series is a four-piece series of outlined fluid abstract diptychs. I loved the way Uncertainty turned out so much that I continued playing around with this technique by making four more! Some of these original diptychs are still available.
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2014-2015 PORTFOLIO OF CANADIAN ABSTRACT ARTIST DANIELLE HARSHENIN. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
