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Mixed Media Painting

keith.jpg Since 1988, Keith Grace has exhibited and sold his paintings across the country in galleries, museums and universities, through one-man and group shows. He has participated in over 70 art festivals and invitational exhibitions and has won may awards for his work. His paintings have appeared in magazines, newspapers, books, posters, annual reports, brochures, websites, restaurant walls, and stage sets–as well as numerous corporate and private collections internationally.

The process for each painting begins with sketches, often inspired by photographs that Keith has taken of friends and objects. Many of the abstract shapes are derived from subconscious doodles. The sketches evolve into the final composition which is enlarged and drawn onto canvas.

Keith then collages individual pieces of typography "ripped from magazines" securely onto the surface with many layers of an adhesive, transparent medium to ensure a flat, seamless application. The typographic images are chosen randomly by type font, size, boldness and color. Next, color is blocked in with layers of acrylics, painting and rubbing out areas where the type apperars, to create various levels of transparency.

Further collaging work is added at this stage. Detail painting is then applied with oil colors, using a drybush technique. This process is performed by using unmixed paint directly from the tube and rubbing it into the surface with a flat, hard brush, almost like sketching with paint. Also, using a cloth, small amounts of the oils are rubbed into the painting to enhance and intensify the color.