MotherhoodPainting

New Mixed Media Painting: To Pinch or To Prune

You may recall that I’ve been working on a series of pieces (over several years now) that use gardening and plant metaphors as a way to try and capture my experience of motherhood.  This is my latest piece in that series. It’s called “To Pinch or To Prune.”

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Pinching is a type of pruning that involves removing the top of a plant’s main stem to encourage branching and fuller growth. Pruning is a more general term that involves cutting off plant parts with tools like scissors or pruners.  In parenthood, there are so many different ideas about how best to get your child to bloom.  It’s overwhelming.  As I worked on this piece, I kept thinking about how every decision seems so fraught.  Will I do something that will ruin my child’s life forever?! 

This is a 24″ x 24″ mixed media painting on canvas.  It has a teeny bit of collage as well as some drawing. Here are the details:

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I imagine that this piece would look great in a bedroom…

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…maybe even a kid’s bedroom?

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And, of course, anywhere there are plants!

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Based outside of Boston, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is a painter, printmaker, and collage artist who constructs vibrant compositions. Her artwork investigates the interplay of identity and perception, inviting viewers to take a longer look. Julie works in layers, both physically and metaphorically, exploring what is visible and what is concealed. Passionate about connecting with and inspiring other artists, she shares her expertise through in-person workshops and her online classroom at MyArtPractice.com. Julie's achievements include high-profile clients, multiple publications - including her book, “Carve Stamp Play” - and exhibits in New York City and throughout Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Brown University.

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