mixed media – Susanne Mack

Do penguins like ice-cream?

Penguins probably don’t like ice-cream, and for sure it’s not good for them. Any way, the modern penguins’ problem is not ice-cream or no ice-cream, but the rising temperatures – we humans are responsible for….

Until now, penguins probably not even thought about having an ice cream, as they were surrounded of ice all day. But during the last years, their environment is changing quite a lot, and rising temperatures make life difficult for the inhabitants of both, North and South Pole areas. They are forced to change and adapt really fast in order to survive ….

This drawing is a kind reminder that we should be a lot more aware of what a huge impact our lifestyle has on many, many animal communities around the globe – often they pay for it with their lives.

Circus life behind the scenes

Would you like how Circus life goes on during covid-times, when there are no shows to public?

Last Saturday was World Circus Day, and I decided to do a little tribute to circus life…. This is how I imagine the happy protagonists of a imaginary circus having fun behind the scenes: no humans involved. Take a peak into the ring where some artists are hanging out …

See Molly Monkey with his friend Blanche, the famous balance artist, rehearsing their new show. – Paper cuts, acrylics, ink and graphite on paper, 42×60 cm, 2021.

And here are Olli Owl and Hatty Bird cycling around the ring. -Newspaper, paper cuts, sand, wax crayons, ink and watercolors, 42×60 cm, 2021.

Tissues and paper

Tissues with animal print

A collage using all kinds of recycled materials could be called sustainable art…

Here you can find magazine cut-outs , tissues with ink stains the look like animal print, pages of a paperback book that wasn’t very interesting to read, but proved to have other qualities.

It was fun to play and to draw, it’s always interesting to discover effects and materials – some work well together – others not so much – just like in real life.

Have a nice week!

Collage and book recycling

Love bird collage: See the video recorded during the process!

Just got started with the collages using book pages, and I really enjoy working more on this idea, it’s fun!

Without having detailed idea what picture I wanted to create, I just doodled along, cut the shapes, stuck them in my sketchbook and started painting. Sometimes it feels good to just let the natural process go on and take little decisions on the fly without thinking too long about them.

See a short making-of-video I recorded while doing one of this week’s sketches:

Setting course into 2021

Creatures from books

During these first days of the year I am setting sails towards this year’s dreams and goals – we will see where the journey goes.

Over the holidays I used the time to play around painting, drawing and illustration exploring possibilities with paper cuts, acrylics and ink. I started out in a christmas mood, but by now I got back to normal.

The drawings are not really illustrations although they are very closely related to books, as they consist of pages of all paperback book – I like the different shades of white and the contrasts, just focusing on white, grey and black tones for while, and then adding a little bit of color to it.

Creatures from books — Staring at each other

Thoughts on the last day of 2020

Yes, it was a strange year, full of lessons to learn, changes to adapt to, but also new possibilities to explore… I’m sure we all will remember this year all our lives.

For me personally it pushes me out into the open again and makes me reorganize my life, my work and my way of living. This process just began, and I am exploring all kinds of ideas and possibilities that allow me to exploit my creativity and lift my artwork to the next level.

During this year, I got the impression that our severely damaged and injured planet is trying to call us to more action in order to protect it and care for it.

I tried to express this idea with a little moving image, based on a rough mixed media and acrylic painting with cut-outs of a book.

Have a good transition from 2020 to 2021, and I wish you all the best for the New Year, most important: Stay healthy and in a good mood!

Decorative lampshade out of wire

A wire sculpture made its way into a decorative, yet functional lampshade. Playing around with a 3-dimensional wire structure, its shapes and shadows, adding on some garlands of recycled fabric and a few colourful African glass beads, I ended up with an original lamp. The interaction of light and shadow is an important effect that’s fun to experiment with.

If you are interested in the project, or if would like to have one commissioned – get in touch with me!

Bunny drawings

A little series of rabbit drawings and collages from my sketchbook. I used pieces of coloured magazines, watercolour, crayons and ink on brown kraft paper. Maybe these illustrations one day will be the inspiration for a bigger painting? Let‘s see….