I’ve always considered my paintings to be “mosaic” like in appearance. The varying grids of color make for diverse patterns, and I always try to achieve a gloss like finish to the paint to give that high sheen appearance when dry. Given this painting style, it seemed a natural transition might be to use real mosaic chips in the painting. I’ve accumulated enough old plates from yard sales over the years so I have quite a big selection from which to create some colorful patterns. This particular composition offered varying blues, greens and earth tones to allow for a variety of my plate collection to be broken and subsequently placed into the painting. I’ve done a few mosaic/paintings over the years. The 18x24” surface is the smallest I have done so far. The surface used for this project is Ampersand Gessobord and the primary paint used is Turner Acryl Gouache.

This work is presented in a natural wooden frame.

Buy the original by contacting me at micah@micahmullen.com

Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

This work is presented as an unframed work.

Buy the original by contacting me at micah@micahmullen.com

Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

On a recent trip to Little Switzerland, North Carolina I saw Crabtree Falls.  This magnificent waterfall is highlighted with powerful rushing waters and beautiful moss covered rocks.  I visited the area in early November, so I expected to see more autumn colors, but the area was more filled with pine trees and moss making for some spectacular greens.

In choosing how to paint this, I selected a view that showed a tree that was growing in an island near the base of the waterfall.  This made for a strong focal point with the waterfall in the back and a brilliant blue and yellow sky in the far background.  I began this painting with the sky and basically worked my way from background to foreground, with the tree being the last thing that was painted.  To create the waterfall I used two different sized detail bottle applicators filled with Iridescent White and Australian Sky Blue.  This type of application provides a subtle impasto effect but is not too overwhelming.

I personally think the rocks in the bottom 1/3 of this painting are quite interesting.  The palette used for these rocks consists primarily of Carbon Black, Paynes Grey, Midnight Blue and some purples.

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This painting depicts an area of Crabtree Creek about 1/4 mile up from Crabtree Falls.  The picture was taken on a crisp autumn day in early November.

In choosing the color selection I used more vibrant colors than what is shown in the photograph.  I started painting the water with a selection of my favorite blues including: Cobalt Blue, Indigo and Midnight Blue.  The actual color shown in the picture is more of a brown, black – but I could not resist taking advantage of the vibrancy of these incredible blues.  This picture was taken on a clear day early in the morning – my intent with the far background of yellow and bright greens was to give the effect of sunlight popping through the trees.  Unfortunately what I found was there was not enough contrast with first tier of foliage vs. the trees that are in more of the foreground area.  To gain this contrast I used a technique that I previously reserved for water effects.  I mixed some Hookers Green and some glazing medium and poured the mixture into a detail bottle.  I applied this dark green mixture on nearly all the leaves in this area.  It offset it from the first tier of trees and created a nice composition.

It is painted on a 1-1/2" canvas with all sides painted. Presented as an unframed work.  For purchasing information please contact Nicole Kennedy at (919) 838-8580 or nicolesstudio@bellsouth.net - www.nicolestudio.com

Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

After spending some time at St John’s Episcopal Church where Jane and Braden were married I decided the best view was overlooking the valley from the road leading up to the church. It was a little overcast that day, but the sky still offered some incredible blues.  Using several layers of masking tape and glazes, I created a cloudy sky.  To further accentuate the clouds I outlined some of the cloud formations using Acryl Gouache.  I feel the sky is the best part of the painting.  The field was done in a similar way to the sky with contrasting greens accentuated with grass blades painted with Acryl Gouache.

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A long uphill climb led us to a breathtaking waterfall about a mile from the Valle Crucis Conference Center.  I love painting waterfalls, the motion of the water allows for many different possibilities.  In painting the waterfall for this painting I used 20/80 ratio of paint to glazing medium and then used detail applicator bottles to apply the waterlines.  I really like the top middle of this piece, there is just enough bright yellows used to give the impression of light coming through the dense forest.  The big rock at the bottom was created using a thick layer of neutral grey and impasto medium.

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Located close to the Apple Barn at the Valle Crucis Conference Center is Crab Orchard creek.  The tranquil stream is typical of most mountain streams, being very shallow and more rocky than muddy.  This landscape allows for some interesting glazing techniques.  The sienna glaze on top of the creek surface gives an effect of the water surface where can see but not define the rocks underneath.  The most interesting part of this work is the left side; Here I used detail bottles and poured glaze to create some of the leaves.  At the bottom I actually used dried glaze and applied the chips with gel medium. This was the most time consuming painting of three, but I feel it is the best offering several different painting techniques and a diverse array of colors.

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This is probably my favorite painting from my 2008 trip to Western North Carolina. I was fortunate enough to capture this magnificent setting in peak autumn foliage.  I used some liquid detail to create an interesting effect for the waterfall, but the array of reds, oranges and other autumn colors really make this artwork pop right off the canvas.

In 2009 this piece was accepted into The Wayne County Arts Council Annual Juried Show. It is a 1-1/2" canvas with all four sides painted. 

It is a 1-1/2" canvas with all four sides painted.  It is presented as an unframed work and is currently on display in Nature Gallery at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh.  For purchasing information please contact the gallery at (919) 733-7450 x. 360  www.naturalsciences.org

 
Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

About a half mile walk from the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina, Double Falls offers some spectacular views.  This was the first of three large paintings I did that are a reflection of the “Waterfall Trip” in the Fall of 2008.

It is a 1-1/2" canvas with all four sides painted.  It is presented as an unframed work and is currently on display in Nature Gallery at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh.  For purchasing information please contact the gallery at (919) 733-7450 x. 360  www.naturalsciences.org

 
Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

In creating Looking Glass Falls, I used detail bottles to create the waterfall in a combination of white, silver and turquoise.  There is also some impasto effect to give the waterfall more dimension.  In contrast to the darker colors used to represent the rocks in the background this waterfall really stands out. This was the first time I really experimented with making paint a “liquid” to create a waterfall effect.  The end result came out spectacular and was later accepted into the Radius 250 show in Richmond, VA and subsequently achieved an Honorable Mention for this show.

This work is presented as an unframed work.

Buy the original by contacting me at micah@micahmullen.com

Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

A 1-1/2" canvas with all sides painted, presented in a black floater frame.

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Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

When I painted Dupont Forest my goal was to really experiment with the variety of trees, rocks and how they interacted with the brilliant cobalt blues of the river.  This piece was later accepted into the National Juried Art Show at the Rocky Mount Art’s Center.  When I attended the opening in June, I was thrilled to find out that this work won first prize for the show.  It is currently on display at the museum through September 2009.

It is a 1-1/2" canvas with all four sides painted and is currently available at the Little Art Gallery in Raleigh (Cameron Village) littleartgalleryandcraft.com

Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

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Part of the Dupont Forest, Cascade Lake is situated between Hooker Falls and Triple Falls. One could spend all days in this area.  So many beautiful overlooks. 

It is a 1-1/2" canvas with all four sides painted.

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Lately I have been doing a lot of painting on Glass in conjunction with Geesobord panels.  I find painting on glass to be difficult, but the effect when complete is stunning, as it creates a depth perception when laid over on the panel.

In my DVD Abstracting the Outdoors: Unlikely Surfaces I demonstrate this technique as it relates to my style of painting.  Generally I paint the sky and the body of the water on the panels.  Any trees, rock or other objects that would typically be in the foreground are subsequently painted on the glass.  Varnishing the glass can be tricky, as the paint has a tendency to lift off, but I am finding the end result is usually very good. 

This is presented in a wood frame.

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In my DVD Abstracting the Outdoors: Unlikely Surfaces I demonstrate this technique as it relates to my style of painting.  Generally I paint the sky and the body of the water on the panels.  Any trees, rock or other objects that would typically be in the foreground are subsequently painted on the glass.  Varnishing the glass can be tricky, as the paint has a tendency to lift off, but I am finding the end result is usually very good. 

This is presented in a wood frame

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Painting on Aluminum creates some interesting effects in that the paint and priming mediums react with the metal to naturally create some cool colors.  I like to leave areas of the aluminum exposed to show these effects.  I explore this technique in my DVD Abstracting the Outdoors: Unlikely Surfaces.

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Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

 This work is presented in a silver metal frame.

Buy the original by contacting me at micah@micahmullen.com

Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

The Linville is just off the Blue Ridge parkway and forms the magnificent Linville Gorge.  The piece explores various shades of red with how I perceived the pure colors of the Linville River at the time. This piece was later accepted into the 2009 "Seeing Red"show at the Visual Art Exchange of Raleigh, NC.

 This work is presented in a silver metal frame.

Buy the original by contacting me at micah@micahmullen.com

Buy prints at http://micah-mullen.fineartamerica.com

The first of three paintings of Whitewater Falls.  One of the most spectacular places I have ever seen.

It is a 3/4" panel with all four sides painted.  It is presented in a black floater frame .

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