Heroes, 24" round

Mixed-Media on Wood Panel.

Heroes is a 24’ round mixed media painting on wood panel. This piece has a multi-layered design. The first layer is a coating of acrylic paint in vibrant teal. The next layer is a collage of torn music sheets. Then there is a layer with the lyrics of the song “We Can Be Heroes” by David Bowie in multiple colours, the title of the song highlighted in red. The fourth layer is of David Bowie himself in an iconic pose, painted in black and outlined to enhance all his features. The hair is another layer of comic strips collaged onto the piece. I applied a few layers of varnish and the final and 7th layer is a gorgeous resin coating to complete the piece.

"Heroes was the beginning of a new style and evolution of my art. I started taking courses with a master artist and the goal was to move my art to the next level. Typically, the collage background of my previous pieces were all cut in straight lines and placed on the panels that way. I was instructed to come up with a small shift in how I was approaching my collages and I just started ripping paper. The exhilaration of tearing paper was a surprise to me, I loved it. Creating the collage was more freeing and the background paint was peeking through to add a layered effect. The next level was to combine the use of images and words together. I usually did them separately, one canvas had and image while the other canvas just had words. Using the lyrics of the songs as a layer enabled me to add the image directly on top incorporating my two styles. Using comic strips to create movement was another evolution to my mixed media style. My style has taken on a new freeness, less constrained and precise, allowing me the liberty to have fun, be messy and create beautiful new paintings."

Toronto-based artist Gail Blima is a creative innovator who has explored photography, representational art, and mixed media. Her artwork uses the power of language to make a statement and draw out emotion. By layering vibrant acrylic accents over a collage base and incorporating the written word, she connects the audience to cultural references that are ironic, humorous, or directed from pop culture.