Acrylic on MDF board, 100cm x 100cm
I have used abstraction and colour to explain to others how I perceive living daily with the pain and side effects of fibromyalgia and arthritis. Painted in layers, the under layer conceals me and the person I am, this has been covered with layers representing the illness – cloaking me with pain, exhaustion and brain fog. At the centre is my inner self, struggling to come through.
In exhibition – see www.painexhibit.com
Acrylic and Ink on paper, 18″ x 18″
The inspiration for this series are how feelings and emotions are perceived. As a fibromyalgia and arthritis sufferer for over 25 years I hope to portray what it’s like living with chronic pain and exhaustion. Here hidden and visible layers represent how I felt at the time of working.
Inspired by colour, texture and abstraction I am exploring my perception of personal issues and people close to me.
FOR SALE
Acrylic & Ink on Paper, 18″ x 18″
Here I’ve used another cropped image from the original paintingand after layering the paint and colours I worked into the paint and marks with gold ink. The image changes as you move around it, concealing parts and revealing others.
I enjoy the process of applying random brushmarks quickly, then working into the marks in fine detail with ink of pencil.
Here I have used the same technique as in Ocean 7 but on canvas.
The results are slightly different but it still works
for me.
In this painting – again cropped from Ocean 1 painting –
I’ve worked into the brush and knife marks with painted string, ink, gold leaf and paint.
I’m really pleased with the fine pen and ink marks worked into the brush lines
– they are very subtle yet look so lovely (they don’t show up in the photograph
as well as they do in the actual work so I’ve included a close up)
FOR SALE
Acrylic & Ink on paper
Another image taken from a cropped section of Ocean 1.
After a base coat I used thin layers of paint pressed onto the paper with
tissue paper and masking tape, I then worked into some of the marks
with more paint – see close up image.
The photo doesn’t do this one justice as it gleams with light and texture.
FOR SALE
Acrylic and ink on paper
Again, a macro focus painting from Ocean 1. Here I have worked into my
brush lines with golds to create texture.
Painted tissue paper was pressed into a base coat, peeled off it left a layer of texture
in the paint which then I worked into with ink. – see above cropped image.
Acrylic and PVA on paper, 48cm x 50cm
Using ‘Ocean 1’ painting as inspiration I am reproducing sections in macro focus. Here I have used texture with thick paint, card and PVA to build up layers of paint.
Soft pastel on paper 10″ x 10″
I am using primary colours in this part of my series of Beyond the Surface paintings, but now with the addition of either white or black pastel .
The base of each work is identical, then I used white pastel (or black as below) to enhace the painting
On completion I used the painting below and altered it using ‘Paint’ and ‘Photo Shop’ to create several new images,
I use this method in many of my works
(- one of which is VII below, which is from one of the layered images I made.)
Using the same as the above pastel painting – red, blue & yellow – plus black pastel
SOLD
Acrylic paint on paper
Taken from a Beyond the Surface painting.
Using Photo shop I cropped, layered, flipped to alter the image,
before moving it into paint.
As before I poured watercolour paint over in prussian blue and cad yellow. Then worked into the Cartridge paper with oil pastels followed by acrylic paint.
One of two works. I used two types of paper – watercolour paper and heavy cartridge paper, 2 colours – blues and yellows.
After pouring watercolour over both papers, I worked into the WC paper with
more watercolour paint then with oil and soft pastels and silver acrylic paint.
JULIE MEESE ARBSA - Fine Art - Graphite drawings & Oil paintings 
