Kristine Ballenger, Mixed Media Artist
I originally began my art journey experimenting with watercolor but quickly began exploring alcohol ink, acrylic, resin and cold wax mediums to create unique works of art. I enjoy using bright colors in unexpected ways and was fortunate to find a niche for my art in several galleries. I always enjoy seeing things from different perspectives and finding new ways to use my art, whether it be in my paintings, altered books or fabric applications. I like to make art that is interactive and encourages the viewer to use their imagination. My goal as an artist is to attract the viewer with color and texture as well as subject. One of my original acrylic paintings was used by a Massachusetts brewery as a label for a beer they produce. My work is currently in Art and Soul Ashland Gallery in Ashland, Oregon and Second Street Gallery in Bandon, Oregon.
Within the last couple of years, I've added what I call "Fusion Art" to my ever expanding art interests. Fusion Art is the artistic melding of detailed abstracts of my original art and layered digital photography using a dye sublimation process to permanently fuse the combined digital image into metal, giclee reproductions or on archival paper. These reproductions create vibrancy, definition and a feeling of depth. The result is an interesting blending of the two art processes and each art form is complemented by the other.
My latest art endeavor is working with cold wax medium. Cold wax is a mixture of beeswax and damar--a tree sap resin. This medium has been used for centuries by artists and is very durable. It's buttery texture allows for it to be mixed with oil paint or dry mica pigments to create beautiful colors and textures. My mantra which I heard quite awhile ago from another artist I admired was to "create a history, provide a mystery and make your mark". I have adopted that philosophy in my cold wax art. The ability to layer colored waxes on top of each other, while at the same time removing layers in parts of the painting to reveal a "history" of earlier layers and adding mark making textures directly into the wax provides unique opportunities to create one of a kind art.
