'Bear-man' (mixed media) 2D to 3D artwork at 'Wyndham Art Prize 2023'. Winner of People's Choice Award and Honourable Mention.
Photograph Credit: Damjan Janevski, photograph featured in Star Weekly
Media Release:
The process of creation for this piece was marked by the desire to attempt a unique or experimental concept within my interest of mythical creatures for the thrill of it! It is one of my largest pieces on an approximately 1.83m high x 1.21m wide canvas. Some of the inspirations were the concept of a werewolf and 'Arsus' a 'Bear-man' type character from a movie called 'Guardians'. The 2D to 3D aspect was inspired from the understanding that sculpture lacks a background and the ability to incorporate various lighting into an artwork.
'Bear-man' (mixed media) 2D to 3D artwork at 'Wyndham Art Prize 2023'. Winner of People's Choice Award and Honourable Mention.
Photograph Credit: West Melbourne And Beyond
Click the link above to find the photograph in the original post.
'Bear-man' (mixed media) close-up 2D to 3D artwork.
Photo featured on Dan Reeders Website, among several other works showcased in this portfolio.
'Bear-man' video featuring electronic eyes and audio!
'Bear-man' glow in the dark moon!
A subtle detail about my 'Bear-man' artwork that many may not be aware of is that the moon glows in the dark. For optimal effect, it is best that you power up the eyes simultaneously whilst viewing the glow in the dark moon to give it visual context and a creepy or eerie vibe or atmosphere! To intensify the experience you should combine it with the 'Bear-man' audio via a speaker! For the best viewing experience of this specific photo using a standard laptop screen display or larger would be helpful.
'Chupacabra-Gargoyle Hybrid' (mixed media sculpture) front on with corresponding glow in the dark photo!
This sculpture is another example of one of my largest artworks and measures about 1.23m in length. This 'Chupacabra-Gargoyle Hybrid' sculpture has two key inspirations – as you may guess, it was a Chupacabra and a Gargoyle. Subconsciously, I think I mixed the features I gravitated towards or found most interesting, combining them to effectively form a hybrid. The grey colouring represents the gargoyle influence as they were traditionally made of stone whilst the purple colouring was me using my creativity to represent the Chupacabra or what I would generalise as a monster. The general split colour scheme throughout the body symbolises this hybrid theme.
'Chupacabra-Gargoyle Hybrid' (mixed media sculpture) close-up with corresponding glow in the dark photo!
'Chupacabra-Gargoyle Hybrid' (mixed media sculpture) side-on with corresponding glow in the dark photo!
'Chupacabra-Gargoyle Hybrid' (mixed media sculpture) side-on with corresponding glow in the dark photo!
'Al Drago' (mixed media sculpture) side-on.
This was my second paper mache dragon head and measures a little over 0.5m in length. It was inspired and learnt from Dan Reeder's 'Paper Mache Dragons' book. He is a paper mache sculpture artist who has his own website, blog and YouTube channel.
'Al Drago' (mixed media sculpture) side-on.
This image is featured on the sixth image slide of the Wyndham Art Gallery 'Decade' microsite and on pages 42 and 43 of the respective hardcover book.
'Al Drago' (mixed media sculpture) front on.
'Al Drago' electronics in action!
'Oceanic Dragon' (mixed media) whole 2D to 3D artwork.
This is my third paper mache dragon; this time based off a 1.2m wide x 0.6m high canvas swamp painting background. The jaws and neck measure about 0.6m and the sculpted tail is about 0.75m.
This piece utilises a motion sensor attached to the neck to trigger a sequence of water ambience sounds and alligator bellows whilst opening and closing it's mechanical jaw.
'Oceanic Dragon' head (mixed media sculpture) side-on.
'Oceanic Dragon' head (mixed media sculpture) side-on.
'Oceanic Dragon' animatronics in action!
'Werewolf' (mixed media) 2D to 3D artwork.
This werewolf sculpture combined with a moon painting and electronics was made for a 'Stan Winston' online contest in 2020. It was my first proper 2D to 3D experimental artwork. The moon painting glows in the dark and the werewolf's eyes glow green.
'Werewolf' (mixed media) 2D to 3D artwork side-on.
'Werewolf' (mixed media) 2D to 3D artwork side-on.
'Werewolf' electronics in action!
'Werewolf' (mixed media) 2D to 3D artwork glow in the dark photo!
'Prowling' acrylic painting on canvas.
This artwork also depicts a werewolf, it was created to stretch myself by using only painting techniques to be considered for the '2024 Geelong Contemporary Art Prize'.
'T-Rex' (mixed media) shortlisted for the 'Wyndham Art Prize 2019'.
This piece uses black paint for the background and a base layer with markers for the T-Rex. Thereafter coloured pencils was used to achieve a textured and nuanced colouration and skin tone.
'Spinosaurus' (mixed media).
This piece depicts a Spinosaurus attempting to catch a fish called a 'Coelacanth'. The work utilises markers, acrylic paint, tissue embossing, air dry clay for the claws and the back of an art sketch book (cardboard-like texture) to create the teeth.
'Prehistoric Crocodile' acrylic painting on canvas.
This painting depicts a prehistoric crocodile called 'Sarcosuchus'. It was also submitted for the '2024 Geelong Contemporary Art Prize'.
'Great White Shark' charcoal pencils on paper at about 11-13 years old.
'Cryptic Jaguar' (mixed media) on lenticular flip print background shortlisted for the 'Wyndham Art Prize 2021'.
This piece was also experimental like the 2D to 3D works shown; the lenticular flip print background is relatively large and measures 1.07m wide x 0.8m high (not including frame). It is a combination of several materials such as velvet, acrylic paint, fishing line for whiskers and painted glass cabochons for the eyes. It leverages the lenticular flip print to increase difficulty for the viewer to uncover the cryptic code in the background.
'Cryptic Jaguar' (mixed media) background lenticular flip print angle viewpoints. Shortlisted for the 'Wyndham Art Prize 2021'.
'Grizzly' (mixed media) showcased in RedWest Primo Red 2 exhibition.
This artwork was made for a local art exhibition and was up for sale. I tried to test my observation and art skills with a real creature in nature after a while. The piece utilises acrylic paint for the background scenery, tissue embossing, fur fabric, glass taxidermy bear eyes, aluminium foil, cloth, air dry clay for the snout and cardboard for the 'Sockeye Salmon'.
Artist Statement:
I am currently interested in exploring mythological creatures and inventive ways of presenting them. My art values are vision first, medium second! This philosophy drives exploration and integration of new skill sets into my artistic practice. I have been motivated to make artworks of creatures from the beginning and more recently fantasy in particular, where I can exercise my imagination and inventive spirit!
About Me:
My name is Duain Kelaart, I am a passionate self taught artist who started drawing from the age of about five. I have experimented with acrylic paint, tissue embossing, markers, air dry clay, paper mache, aluminium foil sculpting and more. My artistic journey began with pencil sketches on paper but early in my practice I was inspired by a sculptor's work whose name is 'Dan Reeder'.
Awareness of his work and methods opened a new avenue of artistic expression. I felt great potential for his approach and use certain techniques I have integrated from his book. I think this divergence early in my practice, counteracted the limitation of only sticking to 2D forms of artistic expression and broadened my creative possibilities. Hence, expanding my toolkit and ability to achieve my artistic visions. I believe this branching out and trying an alternative art form has benefitted me as I believe acrylic painting is easier to master due to accessibility and space requirements. Yet, the additive sculpture approach, with the pliable materials I use is quite forgiving and I've found it to be a considerably intuitive medium.
In the last few years, I have had great fun in pushing the boundaries of my artistic expression through incorporating different mediums with strategic foresight, optimising visual impact and resonance whilst challenging myself to harmoniously combine materials and techniques.
I appreciate receiving thoughtful feedback and perspectives on my art and growing! Recently, I have cultivated a deeper appreciation and respect for the challenges involved with 2D painting and the skill requirements of the medium, stemming from knowledge of traditional painting principles.
On a separate note, I also enjoy the opportunity to add electronics into my artworks for an additional layer of experience and enhanced interactivity and engagement from viewers which I have acknowledged.
I'm continually growing as an artist, seeking new perspectives and broadening my horizons and aesthetic sensibilities. I'm excited to continue exploring the indefinite possibilities of art and showcase my growing ability.
I have also had the pleasure of completing a small feature with 'Arts Assist', where I link to some of my other social media accounts. These platforms, such as my YouTube account and Facebook page, offer a more casual and relaxed space. My Facebook page having gathered nearly 300 followers! Feel free to check them out, but please keep in mind that the content there is less curated and more spontaneous compared to my portfolio. While I value the engagement and connection on these platforms, my primary focus remains on showcasing my best work here.
I also hold a diploma of graphic design, if you want to see my graphic design portfolio click the following link: Graphic Design Portfolio
DISCLAIMER:
I do not offer NFTs or digital assets of my physical art pieces. Please do not enquire or contact me regarding acquiring my visual artworks as NFTs or digital asset files. My artistic integrity drives me to retain all rights to my unique pieces and my personal artistic vision.
On the other hand, if you want to enquire about the option of signed prints on canvas of my artworks, I am open to discussing it. When purchasing prints of my artwork, you acknowledge that I retain full ownership of the intellectual property. Duplication, reproduction, or any other use of my artwork for commercial purposes without written explicit permission from the owner (me) is strictly prohibited. Prints are intended for personal or non-commercial use only.
'Thank you for taking the time to view my portfolio! My Visual Artist CV is available for download if you would like to learn more about my background. If you want to contact me regarding art opportunities and/or art related questions, don't hesitate to reach out via email at: duain.kelaart@gmail.com. I also encourage you to leave an honest review and 'appreciate'/thumbs-up my portfolio! Your feedback helps me increase engagement and sharing of my art which you can comment/post below!'
