Blossoming

Alena Hennessy

Magic Lives Here

by Alena Hennessy

How do you create soulful art that has a dreamy, ethereal feel?

I work mostly in an intuitive-based process. I work from guideposts that I create in a free style of painting to direct my style and subject matter. Acrylic, ink, paper, glitter, paint pens and other forms of mediums make up the eclectic mix of my paintings. I enjoy work that is a tad abstract, expressive and has the intention to convey a feeling of magic and the free spirit, along with strong use of the elements of art.

How do you use design elements in your art?

Oh how I love to create contrast! It has become increasingly more important to create contrast in a work. I love doing this through color (blacks and lighter hues—the black makes every color shine out more) or through loose and fluid brushwork with tighter, more illustrative details on top of it.

Rhythm is another principle of art that I cannot seem to get enough of. Repeating certain marks and shapes throughout a work helps me to create a sense of rhythm in a painting. It’s really that simple.

Line—I have a deep love for this element as well. I think the use of line adds elegance in simplicity that I look for in a painting. It is expressive and helps tie and unify parts of a work together.

Tell us how you use mixed media.

Throughout my years of painting I have come to discover that working with paper and paint are very compatible. I so enjoy this process of painting and encourage you to experiment with it as well. Along with various forms of soft paper, ink and acrylic, I also like to use various art pens and other mediums to create my layered work. The paint can be applied using a clean flat brush and thin coats of liquid medium (matte or glossy), both under and on top of the paint. You can then seal the painting with an entire coat of varnish at the end using a flat brush or spray.

Alena’s Tips

• Trust yourself.
• ÏAllow your inner voice to shine out as you create your own unique visual language.
• Know what you love and be true to that. People will feel and respect that authenticity in your voice. Simply put, be true to you. You are your own unique artist. Practice helps with this immensely. There is no other way to discover than to paint as often as you can.

Living Forest Full of Songbirds

by Alena Hennessy

Activity

Pay attention to lines and edges in your surroundings. Notice how they define and impact space. For me, lines are sculptural elements that carve space into captivating forms.

Color creates the feeling and mood of a painting like no other element can. It sets the tone and all the other elements dance out from the color theme that is chosen.

—Alena Hennessy—