Untitled in Progress

Here's a canvas sketch of the mixed media piece I'm working on now.  It's never a dull moment - I actually pulled this sucker out as I was setting up for the P!ay Showcase, being well aware that this particular piece is a little too risqué to show at that family-friendly venue.

Updates to come over the next few weeks (months?  Hopefully not) that I'm working on this one.  As of yet, it's untitled but I'm pretty sure I know where I'm going with it.  Who knows?

Killer

"Killer"

by Dani Selvaggio

2009
sold

It is at last complete!

My favorite sort of media is "mixed," so when I came up with the idea for "Killer," I immediately jumped upon the approach of mixed media.

I'm hoping that this piece will be one of the stand-outs when I have a show. I'm really happy with the way it came out, though I may end up adding more to it in the future. Don't be misled by the 2-D appearance of the work: it's actually inclusive of a lot of 3-dimensional elements. For example, the astronaut in the forefront is not simply plastered to the canvas. He's actually floating about two or three inches above it. The "heart," comprised of tangled thread, is free-hanging between him and the canvas. I used recycled styrofoam as a base for the "floating" appearance (styrofoam doesn't biodegrade for a few millennia, so I try to put it to use when I can).

I'm glad I was successful in making the astronaut float so that you can still see the detail of Kali and Pele from certain angles. I want people to feel like they can approach this piece and inspect it close-up - I'm glad that you can still see the grand majority of it all.

Enjoy!

Collage: LETTER

"Letter"

by Dani Selvaggio
2001

Sold

One of my first collages, I allowed this one to go for very cheap. In retrospect, I would have liked to hold onto it a little longer, but I had an offer on the table. It's always more about getting your name and your art out there than it's about making money off of your work. If I could give away all my art, I would.

Collage: REINCARNATION OF POETRY

"The Reincarnation of Poetry"

by Dani Selvaggio

2007

commission

Here's a collage I did back in 2007 as a commission piece. Mixed media is my favorite type of art, because you're not limited to what you can create but you're still tested by practical limits. It's all about pushing the envelope.

This piece in particular is a collage on canvas (magazine and music sheets), with acrylics and glitter glue. Yes, glitter glue. That's one art supply I don't like using, really, but using it as a very limited resource added the feminine touch that the commissioning patron was asking for while still very much my own style.

It's one of my favorite recent collages.

Piece in Progress: KILLER

Although I have a number of paintings that I'll eventually be moving over from myspace, I thought I'd start with a piece that's currently in progress.

This piece is called KILLER, and it's meant to be a religious statement. I never go into detail about what my pieces mean because I'm of the mind that art should reflect the viewer's opinion.

That said, I hope you enjoy.

I started out with the background, which is simply acrylic on canvas.

This was followed up by the second layer, two watercolor images - one of the goddess Kali and one of the goddess Pele, both in aspects not typical to their mythology.

And, finally, I began to arrange the second layer onto the canvas. The positioning seen here is not permanent. Soon I will add the third and final main layer; afterwards, I will be able to go back and add the mixed media detail.

I certainly hope that future photos won't need to be edited. The edits you see here were done for myspace and facebook. But with blogspots "adult content" confirmation option, I'll be able to post my artwork here free from threats of removal.

After all, it's art.

Thanks!