Old Stories, New Faces

So since I spent all last week aiming to introduce you to something new, I thought this week we could do something “old.” Not that I would bore you with old techniques or things you’ve seen a million times — but how about old looks, as in antiqued or ancient, while meeting new faces we haven’t seen on the blog before? Well, that will be my aim this week.

Ancient, antique, patina, aged, degraded, worn out and rough … these looks are hot in many markets right now. If you have a penchant for anything of that sort and you are looking for some new looks for your line of sellable art, you might just want to consider playing with some of those faux old techniques and looks.

Here is the work of an artist I’ve followed for a while now, due to the way her pieces seem to embody some mysterious tale. Lisa Renner makes very distinct art dolls, books, jewelry, sculpture and wall art, much of which is in a mixed media arena. Most all of her work has an old or ancient feel to it but nothing that can be pinned down to any one type of technique or period influence. What I decided to share of hers is not on her website or any site I could readily find, but there is something about this faux ivory pendant that makes me want to ask about its story. It looks like something that has been beaten and well worn, with embellishments that might have been added at different points in time, if it had been an ancient piece of jewelry. There is so much subtle complexity here to explore: cracks, impressions, gouges, random beads. One can spend a lot of time pondering it.

I would heavily encourage you to take some time exploring her portfolio on her website. If this is the first you’ve seen her work, this single piece does not do justice as an introduction to her artistry.

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