 These little gems are hand cut stencils that I used in a edition of gelatin monotypes last year called "All Things New" that were inspired by Revelation 21:1-7. I fell in love with the wonderful array of accidental colors, textures, and patterns that formed when these were used to resist ink from the plate time and time again. I knew then that I would save these pearls, in fact I have a small ziplock full of them, and use them someday in a mixed media painting bearing the same imagery. So it is with a fair amount of excitement that I finally broke out that ziplock bag tonight and began to select some of my favorites! Stay tuned over the next few days for more progress shots.
The edition of gelatin prints are from my "Promises Series" which is a collection of artworks based on various promises made in the Bible. God intended us to spiritually cling to these promises to give us hope and help us overcome the struggles of living in a dark and sinful world.
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 I've had to push pause on my current painting and switch gears to finish preperations for a FREE children's art workshop I am leading this Saturday for kids in 1st-6th grade. This event is sponsored by the Lutheran Fine Arts Council of Topeka. We will be making art with all kinds of fun stuff, including Jell-O, Paint, Bubbles, and even the Sun! All the projects are themed around the historical account of "Creation Week" found in Genesis 1. I'm also writing up a page of devotions to accompany the projects. My hope is, as the children are sharing their projects with their parents, the devotions will create an opportunity for families to have Godly conversations and make connections between the artworks and the historical account of creation found only in the Bible. Even though it's going to be an exciting, noisy, messy, sticky, morning of fun and art, I pray that God would work through the experience and reveal himself in the hearts and minds of the children participating.
Didn't get too far on this last night, but I did get started. This will become a mixed media painting inspired by Revelation 21. It will be compositionally very similar to a series of gelatin prints I did last year of the same title, "All Things New." As much as I enjoy printmaking, there are some ideas I feel like I haven't completely explored until I paint them. You can check out the series of gelatin prints and read about the inspiration behind them using the link in my bio.
I got a coat of gesso on several different sized pine blocks in preparation for a new batch of paintings. I've been working much smaller lately and have enjoyed how that has helped me be much more productive with my limited free time. I've also really liked working on the pine blocks. They are dirt cheap and wood is a great substrate for mixed media. I often use a lot of modeling paste and build up surfaces by collaging different materials into the painting. Recently, I picked up a wood burning tool as well. I love the way the burnt lines look and smell!
I'm excited to dive in a get started this weekend!  I've been battling some unknown viral nastiness for the better part of three weeks now. And while I'm am very eager to get started on some new paintings, I simply haven't had the energy. So while I've been hanging out on the couch trying to rest, I've also been noodling around on some more ACEO's (Artist Cards, Editions & Originals). These cards all began as gelatin monotypes. Some of them were intentionally printed as small images, and others were cropped down from larger prints. All of them, however, have received additional treatment with colored pencils to emphasize details and enhance colors. Like all my pieces, these miniature artworks are based on scripture. This particular batch includes of cards are inspired by Romans 1:20, Romans 15:13, and Psalm 139:14. All of my ACEO's are available to purchase for just $5. For more information on Artist Cards, check out my ACEO page.
 Here is my submission for #ThrowbackThursday. It is my very first nonobjective painting from WAY BACK in '94. (I do not feel old enough to have artwork that is 20 years old!) This was the first painting I did as a Freshman at the University of Kansas, and it was a surprisingly revolutionary painting for me. Not because I think it is a terribly successful painting, but because it represented a radical change in direction for me. All through my high school years I was Mr. Realism, and I had convinced myself that I wanted to go on to a career of mind-blowing photorealism! Anyone remotely familiar with my work will easily see the irony in that adolescent aspiration. This painting opened my eyes to a style of painting I had previously looked down upon in naive arrogance. As I painted this, I discovered it was incredibly liberating to not be bound by any pictorial constraints or rules of logic and reason. I was free to simply "push paint" and enjoy the ride. While my work has continued to change and evolve over the years, as any artist's work should, this painting opened my eyes to a looseness of style I have not since departed. This 40"x50" painting, entitled "Spontaneosity," and affectionately dubbed "Big Blue" by my wife, has hung in my classroom for the past decade. It has served me well as a visual aid for the above mentioned lesson. Don't get stuck in your ways too early, you might not have yet discovered the type of art you were born to make!
I'm converting my "Work in Progress" page to a blog to allow for comments and feedback, if anyone were so inclined. If you'd like to browse through the older Work In Progress page, you can find visit the archive.
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Michael MizeContemporary christian artist creating artwork inspired by faith in Jesus Christ and a belief in the Bible. Archives
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MIZE ART STUDIO
1501 SW 21st St
Topeka, KS 66604
(785) 217-4010
The studio is located in Washburn View Shopping Center right to World Cup Coffee and across from Henry T's
For questions about purchasing any of the artwork on this website, commissions, art classes, or other special projects, please visit the contact page. You can also follow me via social media on:Facebook or Instagram
1501 SW 21st St
Topeka, KS 66604
(785) 217-4010
The studio is located in Washburn View Shopping Center right to World Cup Coffee and across from Henry T's
For questions about purchasing any of the artwork on this website, commissions, art classes, or other special projects, please visit the contact page. You can also follow me via social media on:Facebook or Instagram