Featured Artist Raven Skye McDonough

Brilliant colors, flowing form, pattern and texture are the hallmarks of mixed media collage artist Raven Skye McDonough. Visit her website to see more of her work.

 

 

Born under the sign of Aries, I can become easily bored, with art and nature being the only exceptions.

 

 

This is the main force that drives me to experiment and work with all kinds of different media. They currently include venetian plaster, acrylic and oil paints, inks, pastel, graphite, my own photographs and last but not least my favorite; non-traditional collage where I collage pieces of paper in layers to create the image. You could say I “paint” with paper.

 

 

My most recent goal is to expand my artwork with the addition of assemblage, while incorporating some or all of the other mixed media I have been working with over the years. My intention is to take my artwork from two dimensional to three dimensional to tell the story, or vision, that I wish to convey in a brand new way.

 

 

My latest artwork has taken me to a chance collaboration with contemporary abstract artist Jill Krasner of Sarasota, Florida. At a recent studio visit, Jill was showing me her current artwork. One particular mixed media abstract on watercolor paper that she did not like (and was going to destroy) “spoke to me.”

 

 

I started seeing all kinds of directions to take it in. With Jill’s blessing, I took the painting back to Raven Skye Studio and began to work with it.

 

 

We both liked the direction it was going in, and decided to give each other our “discarded/ don’t like where this is going pile of artwork” (which every artist has and moves around their studio, hoping for new inspiration to bring them to life). With the other artist adding their own vision, this will take the artwork in a totally new direction.

 

 

Our goal is to have a “collaboration” exhibit where the photo of the original artwork, before the other artist added to it, will hang next to the finished piece. We are very excited about this!

 

 

Since I was very young, I have always found most of my artistic inspiration from nature and wildlife. When asked as a child, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” my response was always “either an artist or a veterinarian.”

 

 

My art work of the past eight years has also been inspired and greatly influenced by the spiritual, social commentary and from my nightly dreams. The subjects range from war to environmental issues, political concerns, women’s issues and man’s journey to reach for the stars and become enlightened beings.

 

 

As for my intention for the viewer, I wish for them to be drawn into my artwork long enough to forget their troubles and worries, and for a moment of peace and or thoughtful reflection, in this hectic and crazy world we live in.

 

Artist Raven Skye McDonough invites you to follow her on Facebook.

 

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