My new collection called “Neo Gossamer Abstract Art,” is on display for the whole month of April 2022 at Beaverton Beard’s Framing.
For the last year I have been working on a new art technique involving spider webs!
Spider webs have existed for over 100 million years. There are many different types of webs made by different spiders. Spider silk is a protein fiber spun by spiders. The tensile strength of spider silk is greater than the same weight of steel and has much greater elasticity.
Philosophers often use the spider’s web as a metaphor or analogy and today such terms as The World Wide Web or The Intrenet evoke the interconnectivity of the spider’s web.
Spider webs have been inspiring and evoking human emotions for ages: Tales of creation. Stories of happiness, wealth, patience and persistence. Fear and protection are ideas often perceived. Love or hate, the choice is yours.
I see the “liquid lines,” of the silks. I’m attracted to the flow and motion in the imperfectly, naturally perfect, and distinctive form of the webs. Their mysterious kinetic energy draws me to them, inspiring me to capture the moment in color.
I first paint a canvas with acrylic paint. When that canvas is dry, I take my adventure outside. I have been working with product from my very own yard. I first look for funnel webs. These “screen webs,” are typically found on the ground, near bushes or trees. I make sure the spider is not around. I clean the web carefully removing any dirt, insects or debris. Then I grab a can of spray paint and give the silk a light coat of color. While the silks are still wet with paint, I take my colored canvas and very carefully pick up the painted web by placing the canvas directly underneath the specimen and pulling it up onto the canvas. This process is carried out many times to effectively cover the entire canvas. Next, I find an abandoned orb web. These are found higher in bushes and trees. Again, making sure no spider is harmed, I use another color of spray paint and give that silk masterpiece a light coat of color. I pick up the web on the prepared canvas by pulling the canvas through the web, seeing that all possible silk tendrils are adhered. The orbs are often layered. Sometimes more than one color is used to get the desired effect.
The intersections created by the different web overlays offer an infinite variety of spaces and shapes that fascinate me. I hope my art provides a new perspective on how you see these spiders’ marvelous creations.
“Sixteen,” Neo Gossamer Abstract by Mike Mason