Posted by Sherrie Thai of Shaire Productions.
Fashion of Pollution is a pessimistic view of climate and environmental change. This mixed media piece uses subtle colors, highlighting the seriousness of the subject.
Gaia: Earth Goddess is a mixed-media piece inspired by the mythologies of ancient Greece. She was believed to appear in courtyards and bore several mutant offspring, including Cyclops. This was created in pen/ink and colored in Photoshop. Artwork by Sherrie Thai of Shaire Productions.
Posted by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com
Chinese Lion Dance is in honor of the Chinese/Lunar New Year, so many happy thoughts going out!
Like many of my recent pieces, this was created initially by hand with pen/ink, then scanned and cleaned up in Photoshop. I created the elements, primarily the lion and ground, separately (see Chrysanthemum Floral Design post), then collaged them together and added slight color highlights. I wanted to keep the colors of the lion very subtle, so the viewer could concentrate on the details of the patterns, rather than be distracted by lots of color. Red is the Chinese color of luck and the symbol in the top right represents happiness.
I’ve been meaning to create an illustration of Chinese Lions and the Lunar New Year is a great opportunity. They’re always so fascinating, especially after performing with a troupe with some folks in Oakland (many moons ago). I never tire of the tradition nor the pageantry.
I’ve been trying to combine realistic elements with decorative pieces. Although I love black and white imagery, subtle coloration could bring out the content a bit more. Angel Mandala was influenced by the styles of Art & Crafts and Art Nouveau. View Larger.
As with all my projects, I do loads of research beforehand–trying to get into the core of the product, theme, or event. I notice that Voodoo (or Vudon/ Vodoun) is something that scares a lot of people in the Western world because of what has been portrayed in horror movies and the media (as with Wiccan beliefs). Researching it made me understand that it’s a valid religion not particularly associated with darkness, but with all things, there are a few bad apples along the way. More info here. It’s a cliche, but knowledge is power–to understand differences and realize similarities. As an artist, I find that researching unfamiliar topics broadens my creative vision and style.
In the voodoo research, chickens are used in religious ceremonies. The black chicken is used to absorb evil spirits, while the white chicken is used to cleanse the spirit. Influenced by this, I did a little creative licensing. In my artwork, the body of the chicken houses spirits, while it’s plucking away at savory little eyeballs. The drawing was first created in pencil, then cleaned up, and digitally colored and texturized. View Larger Image.
Here’s another exploration of abstract human forms, inspired by Picasso and Braque’s Cubist style. This was created with pen/ink, then scanned, and brought into Photoshop. The background is a granite/sidewalk photo texture that was colorized and retouched.
I actually created this dragon design a couple years ago for a 18×24 glass etching–to be placed in a gallery. It was a good 100 hours of work. Unfortunately, the glass etching was accidently destroyed by another’s hand. I was glad to have saved the original design, and thought it was time to give the dragons a new life.
This tribal style artwork was created by hand, then scanned, and digitally colored. The top dragon is created in an Eastern/Asian form, while the bottom dragon is done in a Western style. The inspiration of this piece was personal–growing up Chinese-American and being privy to the two cultures. It’s a duality, but never as one.
. Art by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com
This piece was inspired by the stories of my family–of tragedies from the hands of the Khmer Rouge, military intervention, and refugee camps. Different times beget different circumstances, but overall, history repeats itself. In a general sense, this piece is also a commentary on the atrocities of war, power, and corruption. Because this artwork comes from a very personal space, it holds great sentimental value. My family is ethnically Chinese, but have faced the same atrocities as Cambodians and Vietnamese from the Khmer Rouge. Modern Pan-Asian pollination has unified different cultures through basic life experiences. Sparked by personal events and a sense of self-exploration, I’m glad to have finally created the first (in hopefully–many) artistic tributes to my family and culture: The Heritage Series.
The initial illustration on the right is graphite on vellum. From there, I scanned in the artwork, collaged patterns (created from my brush pen) and digitally colored the piece. In many of my mixed media pieces, I tend to leave certain areas in grayscale. I’ve always loved juxtaposing detail with simplicity–in concept or through visual elements (Graphic Alchemy). While the Buddha monument is in the foreground, it’s mostly monochrome–the viewer gets drawn into the detail, and not distracted by color. Although color can be a powerful tool, I like to emphasize the simplicity of the subject matter by taking color away. View Larger
