Create!

Handmade paper bird mixed media Keryn Hyslop.

Keryn creates mixed media artworks that combine layered colour, textured painted surfaces, and hand-cut paper elements inspired by Australian landscapes, birds, and natural forms. Each work is developed through an intuitive process of painting, collage, and assembly, resulting in individually constructed compositions that bring together texture, colour, and observation.

Her work combines layered colour, textured painted surfaces, and hand-cut paper elements. Birds frequently appear as focal points within the composition, surrounded by leaves, flowers, branches, and landscape forms. The contrast between textured paint and delicate paper construction is an important part of the work. The artworks are generally created at a scale suitable for display in homes, offices, and smaller interior spaces. Key characteristics include:

• Vibrant colour palettes,

• Layered textures,

• Hand-cut mixed media elements,

• Birds and botanical imagery,

• Australian landscape influences,

• Small to medium formats and,

• Individually assembled compositions.

She wants people to enjoy spending time looking at the work. The combination of colour, texture, and hand-made elements encourages close observation, and many pieces contain details that become more noticeable over time.

“I hope viewers find aspects of the work that interest them, whether through colour, subject matter, materials, or construction.” says Keryn.

Keryn’s artwork tells a story in each piece whether on paper, board, canvas or other medium. Using unexpected techniques instead of brushes and applying textured layers with intimate detailed ‘stories’ within these, set the scene.

The ‘build up’ of her deeply textured ‘sculptural' works begins with creating from her Signature 5 colours, a bright and bold palette that is applied in a wide range of colour stories. The artwork foundation is often created in her recognisable ‘expressive’ and or ‘abstract’ style and may be built up over time. Paint and other media are applied as either wet on wet (alla prima style) or with each layer being allowed to dry before applying the next. This may take weeks as she chooses to use a very thick paint to add the depth to her art stories.

Sgraffito may be used with her own signature style of scratching and etching carved into the paint. Keryn has her own kit of interesting ‘tools’ she uses to achieve the results she wants. These include:

·       Hands and fingers,

·       sticks,

·       stones,

·       plant parts,

·       unexpected objects from nature,

·       and re-purposed items.

Through this process she may choose to reveal the layers below, and the colours and story there, or they may remain hidden. Keryn works without adhering to a fixed planned format, there is a loose framework to work from, and the ideas stored in her own life story. Through a process of adding and subtracting her work gains the texture her work is recognised for. Sky, scattered clouds, light through trees, light that is shaped and formed through forests, seashore assemblies and washed-up items, rivulets, bird footprints and other marks inspire the mark making in an abstract or realistic form.

Once the background is mostly created, Keryn works on the next layer, usually a bird or more than one. These take a light and whimsical form and are hand drawn, coloured and cut. She takes her time to compose them onto the background. They may be painted in her bright and bold colours however they may also appear in black, white, gold or silver. They may be drawn with loose line-work to add to the whimsical look and or with pencil frameworks left in place. She often uses black or white outlines.

Mixed media is a style Keryn enjoys and uses freely express her stories. The application of the paper layers she likes to work with, often include:

·      leaves,

·      branches,

·      flowers,

·      moon

·      sun and,

·      other elements such as sea and sky, mountains, peninsulas and creeks.

 These are often created in watercolour and embellish the whole story being told visually. They are gently applied with an adhering medium, with consideration given to the composition with the other parts of the artwork.

Making the special features to showcase the love of birds and nature Keryn, creates each piece as an artisan’s piece. Crafted carefully from personal imagery and time researching the subject in person often over a lengthy time spent in their presence characters are birthed. They come to life first through either a pencil drawing, using an illustrative technique Keryn enjoys, she includes wobbly lines, little mistakes, and often draws in double lines to achieve a simple innocent whimsical style. These little characters whether flora fauna or other, are coloured with precise decision about how they should be presented and show themselves through her greater artwork.

Little faces, are hand drawn and looking closely will reveal a humanness – imperfection, not always perfect stature, but funny or surprised, and other looks with suggestions of humour or the story being told on their faces. What looks to be an error is a message. And Keryn invites the viewer to see this in their own way, not from the place of perfection but as a piece of work that is reflected from circumstance and hopefully touches the story in the viewer. The quirks of her birds are what makes her art relatable and loved by her audiences.   As one art lover said, ‘it like they’re looking at us and what they are thinking about us.’ There is a truth to that, and a moment of humour and poignancy as we see ourselves through their eyes looking back at us. One such piece is Two Plovers, looking closely we see the eyes of the plovers well surrounded by black and a bit blurry, the irony is that’s how they see Keryn quite often as she looks at them through funny black binoculars. There are layered stories as with the actual media. Their imperfections are what makes them loved. We hope you love them too. It’s about acceptance and strength to continue even though the days may be long.

Acquiring disabilities later in life has changed the way Keryn lives her life and how she makes her art and writes. She hopes her progress as she re-learns to draw, paint, read, write and even walk again brings encouragement and hope to others.

Keryn tells these stories to share her love of art and nature. She aims to provide a joyous experience to viewers of her extensive collection of art.

She invites the viewer to lean in and look closer and deeper to find yourself in the story looking back at you.

Keryn Hyslop sells her original art and it is also available for licensing, projections and illuminations. Her art is in exhibitions and galleries and in private collections. She supports organisations that are of personal importance to her through donations of her artwork.

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