"Envelop" + Step-By-Step

Hey Everyone! Today I have included my newest completed flower/plant piece as well as a step-by-step image to demonstrate how this particular collage was assembled. The featured piece below is titled "Envelop". 

(Click below to view larger scale)

Envelop

16in. x 16in. photo collage

Series : Efflorescence

**NOTE: The title of the flower/plant series has changed. and has been corrected in previous posts. 

My collage "Envelop" is made up of approximately 35 photo cut-outs of leaves in various sizes and exposures. They were then coated with a spray adhesive and individually layered on top of one another. I kept the smaller and darker leaves under the larger and brighter ones to create more visual depth within the piece. See the image below for 5 detailed shots of the piece's construction.

"Beckon" + "Monarch"

Hello again, I took a mini hiatus over the summer but I'm back with 2 new color pieces! I typically prefer to work in black and white because I find that color pieces are far more difficult to conceptualize and execute from the beginning. When working in color, there needs to be a consistent color scheme to the entire piece or both subjects may end up looking incompatible or mismatched. But nonetheless, I felt the flower series was in desperate need of some saturation. Below are my brand new pieces titled "Beckon" and "Monarch". 

(Click below to view larger scale)

Beckon

16in. x 16in. photo collage

Series : Efflorescence

Although "Beckon" is my second orchid piece in this series, it is the first one completed in color. When it came to assembling this piece, "Beckon" was constructed almost identically to my previous piece "Allure". My favorite part of this piece is that the speckled texture on the center of the orchid reminds me of freckles on the bridge of her nose and cheeks.

(Click below to view larger scale)

Monarch

16in. x 16in. photo collage

Series : Efflorescence

The two spectacular flowers used in the piece above are dahlias. The dahlia flower is absolutely stunning in person and ranges in color from orange, blood red, yellow, white, magenta and various pink hues. Without a doubt, this intricate fiery red-orange flower needed to be displayed in color. The inspiration behind the title "Monarch" was influenced by the arrangement of the petals on the subject's head appearing like a crown and how the elegant female reminded me of royalty.

© Alexandra Bellissimo 2014

"Veil"

Summer is officially here! All this warmer weather (or downright searing if you live in SoCal) means I'll have a greater selection of flowers to choose from when it comes to my new series Efflorescence. As you can see below, I have completed my fourth flower collage thus far titled "Veil".

(Click below to view larger scale)

Veil

16in. x 16in. photo collage

Series : Efflorescence

The delicate flower that I photographed in the piece above is called a Calla Lily, or Zantedeschia Aethiopica if you want to get all scientific. When I first photographed this stunning white flower, my first impression was that the structure of the lily reminded me of a dress or a cloak. Even the petal's texture reminded me of fabric. In contrast to the previous collage "Exodus", this piece was much simpler to assemble because it is only made up of five cut-outs. 

© Alexandra Bellissimo 2014

"Exodus"

Hello again! Here is my third completed flower piece of the year featuring many, MANY cut-outs of dandelions. The title of the piece below is "Exodus".

(Click below to view larger scale)

Exodus

16in. x 16in. photo collage

Series : Efflorescence

To give you a better idea, this collage is made up of 40-50 cut out photos of dandelions printed in various sizes, exposures, etc. Each cut-out was individually adhered to this piece one-by-one. 

If the image above seems at all familiar, it's because it's an updated version of two previous collages of mine titled "Euphoria" and "Euphoria 2". I thought the other two pieces could be improved in a new collage with more contrast, better composition, and more exact placement of the dandelions. This might be the first of many "spruced up" pieces to come!

© Alexandra Bellissimo 2014

"Allure"

Hello again! I have completed my second collage for the Efflorescence series, although you might say it fits perfectly with the Simulations series as well. The piece shown below is titled "Allure":

(Click below to view larger scale)

Allure

16in. x 16in. photo collage

Series : Efflorescence

As you can tell, I used a single White Moth Orchid as the subject for the piece, (perfect for the start of Spring!) I love how the soft and delicate curves of the orchid pair well with the female face. Orchid's have been known to be symbolic of many female traits, such as fertility and beauty. When combining the female and the orchid together, I believe it results in an eerily strange and beautiful hybrid of the two.

Unlike most of my other collages, "Allure" was fairly simple to construct because I only used 6 individual cut-out pieces total. To view a detailed shot of how each piece is layered onto the image, click on the image below. 

Thanks everyone, I'll post again soon!

All Images © Alexandra Bellissimo 2014

"Sanctuary"

Happy New Year everyone! I'm excited to kick off 2014 with a brand new photo collage series titled V. The inspiration for the title stemmed from the letter "v" and how it represents feminine characteristics and femininity as a whole. Each piece should be considered an abstract interpretation of femininity rather than a literal one (for example, using a doe's skull). As you can see below, I have posted the first completed piece from the V series titled "Sanctuary".  

(Click below to view larger scale)

Sanctuary

16in. x 16in. photo collage

Series : V

The two images below should give you an idea of how the piece was constructed. Each tree branch was individually cut out by hand (see the image on the right) using an Xacto knife. Although it is tedious and time-consuming to cut and adhere each branch separately, I like that I am able to control the overall shape and fullness of the "frame" to my liking. I honestly lost count of how many branches were used total...but it was a lot.

Cheers to the New Year!

"The Siren"

My hectic summer is finally winding down, which means I will have more time to concentrate on completing (for now) my Metamorphosis series. Below is my ninth finished piece for the series, "The Siren". 

(Click below to view larger scale)

The Siren

14in. x 20in. photo collage

Subject : Larvae (Firefly)

Model : Self

The firefly larvae was fascinating to light in my studio because its outer shell photographed eerily similar to leather. I decided to play up the "leather" feel by constructing the larvae to appear as a sleek and vampy costume onto the female. 

And although I'm pleased with how graphic and contrasty this piece turned out, this should be my last B&W collage I make for Metamorphosis because the series is seriously lacking some color. Here are some shots of me working on the piece as well as the actual insect I used below:

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

"The Hunter" + CHAPTER 89 Interview

Hello again! It's already mid-June, and I'm already growing anxious over what will be an absurdly busy summer for me. I will try to produce as much work as possible in the next few months, but it will be a challenge - considering all the traveling I'll doing between now and the end of July. Here is the newest collage for my Metamorphosis series titled, The Hunter.

(Click below to view larger scale)

The Hunter

14in. x 20in. photo collage

Subject : Bronze Stag Beetle

Model : Nathan

This particular species of stag beetle, (apparently there are over 1,200 types of stag beetles...whoa.) is considered a cyclommatus metallifer. It's large mandibles (jaws/pinchers) are said to resemble deer antlers. Instead of merging the beetle's mandibles to the model's jawline, I decided to play up the "antlers" comparison and construct them on top of his head. His pose is intended to appear stoic and proud, while remaining gentle and graceful at the same time. For a clearer view of how I utilized the "tiling" effect in this piece, I added two detail shots below. The shots should give a better indication of how the collage was constructed in layers on top of one another: 

 

In addition to The Hunter, I was asked to do a Q&A with CHAPTER 89 - a new online magazine devoted to showcasing contemporary artists, (in the arts, music, design, etc.) with in-depth interviews. To learn more about me and my creative process, click the link below:

CHAPTER 89 INTERVIEW

Images © Alexandra Bellissimo 2013.

"The Seeker"

Below is my fifth and newest piece that I have completed for my Metamorphosis series, titled The Seeker. As you can tell, I'm seeking, (no pun intended) new and interesting techniques for collaging the insects featured in this series. 

(Click below to view larger scale)

The Seeker

16in. x 20in. photo collage

Subjects : Silky Owl Butterfly

Model : Self

I'm not sure if people will have an issue with the butterflies not being placed 100% symmetrically in the piece, but I can assure you that it was an intentional decision on my part. The asymmetry of the wings adds to the illusion that the eyes are individually, "peeking out" from behind one another. Although The Seeker has a similar look to The Observer, there are several differences between the two pieces. Instead of using the tiling effect like I used in The Observer, The Seeker consists of 14 butterfly wing cut-outs that were printed and layered together in a variety of different sizes and values. To give the illusion of shadow and depth, the smaller and darker cut-outs were layered in the back. 

And I apologize that this is yet another B&W collage for this series, (whoopsies)...I'm aware that I said the next collage for Metamorphosis would be done in color, (and I had every intention to make it in color originally) but when the photographs of the butterflies were printed the yellow pigment of the "eyes" on the wings were far more distracting then I had anticipated. In my opinion, the saturated color actually took away from the piece...so I chose to execute it in B&W and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. 

My next piece for Metamorphosis will definitely be in color, (please someone hold me to that!)

"Apply" + "Perish"

As you can tell from the images below, I have taken a temporary break from making new pieces for my Metamorphosis series and have continued working on collages for Simulations. I blame the abrupt switch between series due to a major "creative block" and the fact that I have had these two pieces conceptualized for quite some time now. Both images (see below) are self portraits:

(Click below to view larger scale)

Apply - photo collage 12" x 12"

To say that "Apply" was difficult to assemble would be an enormous understatement! Each branch was cut out and glued individually and due to the fact that I was working in a smaller scale, it was an absolute nightmare to assemble together...Having said that, I am relieved that I decided to stick through the challenges of this piece given the final result is exactly what I had envisioned.

Perish - photo collage 11" x 17"

The rock, (or "cave") cut-outs in the collage above were photographed at the Vaquez Rocks Natural Area Park. In previous collages (e. g. "Rupture", "Rupture 02") I manipulated the prints of the rocks to appear as though they were protruding out of the model. In "Perish" it was important that the transition between the skin and rocks appeared much smoother. My intensions were to create the illusion that the body of the subject was decaying, hence the title. 

Stay tuned for a website update this month...(fingers crossed!)

"The Brute" + GALLERAY

Happy 2013! I hope everyone is embracing the new year with open arms...I know I am! And what better way for me to kick off the new year then with a new collage for my Metamorphosis series. See the fourth completed piece below:

(Click below to view larger scale)

The Brute

16in. x 20in. photo collage

Subject : Rhinoceros Beetle

Model : Tristan

Working with the Rhino Beetle had its challenges, but overall I'm pleased with the final result.  Much like the scorpion I used for "The Antagonist", the shiny black surface of the insect was somewhat tricky to photograph. I believe the contrasting textures of the two subjects helps produce a more intriguing image. In addition, the durability of this bug made it significantly easier to move and handle...which was most appreciated by me.

I believe working with larger scale images is particularly important for this series. You can appreciate all the fine details of the insects like all the itty bitty hairs, scratches and imperfections when they are printed significantly larger than they appear in person. If you can't tell from the image above, I used the "tiling effect" again for this particular collage. I'm thinking the next piece will definitely (maybe..) be executed in color...considering my last 3 were in B&W.

In other news, I was ecstatic to be selected as a featured artist on the online gallery site, Galleray. This site has a plethora of amazing fine artists and photographers to browse through, (although I believe you have to sign up an account in order to view the artist's work). As of now, I only have images from my Simulations series featured on Galleray. Here is a screenshot of my artist's page below:

Images © Alexandra Bellissimo 2013.

"The Illusionist"

Below is my newest collage that I have completed for my Metamorphosis series, titled The Illusionist. The Illusionist is my third finished piece of the series, and my second image executed in black and white.

(Click below to view larger scale)

The Illusionist

16in. x 20in. photo collage

Subjects : Common Tiger Butterflies

Model : Self

This is my first collage of the series where I specifically chose to use multiple insects in one image. There are a total of 4 Common Tiger Butterflies used to make up the entire "suit" around the female. I wanted this collage to appear more graphic and less literal than the previous two pieces. As you can tell from the dimensions above, this is currently my biggest piece to date (thanks to my gorgeous new Epson, I can print up to 17in x 22in!). I even attached a photo below to give a better idea of the scale of the image.

Images © Alexandra Bellissimo 2012.

"The Antagonist"

I have completed my second piece for my Metamorphosis series, titled The Antagonist. (To view the first piece from this series titled The Observer, please click here.) As you can see below, this is my surreal interpretation of a half male/half scorpion hybrid.

(Click below to view larger scale)

The Antagonist

12in. x 16in. photo collage

Subject : Scorpion

Model : Max

I chose to work in black and white because I wanted to accentuate the sleek and glossy surface of the scorpion. I felt this use of B&W would help visually enhance the transition between the male figure and scorpion. When it came to the shooting portion of this collage, I was surprised by how difficult it was to execute. I knew the shiny surface of the insect would bring on challenges when it came to lighting it, but I was not expecting the scorpion to be so damn fragile. During the shoot, I started experimenting by placing the scorpion at various angles...until it literally started coming apart limb by limb. First a "claw" fell off...then the other...Luckily for me, I was fortunate enough to get the shots that I needed for this specific concept before I had to discard it. To give you a visual reference, here is the poor little guy below:

Images © Alexandra Bellissimo 2012.

New Series - "Metamorphosis"!

I am beyond thrilled to share the very first collage I have completed for my new series titled, Metamorphosis. The image below is titled, The Observer. 

(Click the image below to view larger scale)

The Observer

12in. x 16in. photo collage

Subject : Owl Butterfly

Model : Self 

For the next several months I will be experimenting with merging the human form with a variety of unique looking insects ranging from butterflies, to beetles, to scorpions. All insects used in the Metamorphosis series are taxidermy insects that I have photographed myself. No outside stock images were used or manipulated. The detail shot below may give the viewer a better visual for the use of the "tiling effect" utilized in the collage. 

Images © Alexandra Bellissimo 2012.

"Appendage" + "Inhibit"

I hope everyone is doing well now that we have moved into June. I am pleased to say that there will be a site update coming up in the near future so I will make sure to keep everyone posted. I have to admit that the month of May was not as productive as I would have liked...but given certain circumstances, I wasn't able to finish as many collages as I would have liked. Nonetheless, I did complete the following two collages recently.

Appendage - photo collage 12" x 12"

When it came to making "Appendage" I was pleasantly surprised that it came together as well as it did. The real challenge of the piece was using Photoshop to seamlessly retouch my arm out before I printed the image and started physically collaging it together. When I look at the piece I feel as though the branch (in place of the arm) looks somewhat robotic...? Does anyone else agree?

Inhibit - photo collage 16.5" x 12"

I found "Inhibit" to be far more challenging to piece together than "Appendage" given that I've had difficulty working with cactus plants in the past. Their forms have so many ridges and curves that it adds a lot of extra shadows and depth, making them extremely difficult to merge onto the smooth surface of the human form. However, I am glad I decided not to scrap the piece altogether because I am very pleased with the results.