Nature has long been the subject of Christine Neill’s large mixed-media paintings and prints. She combines the immediacy of watercolor with contemporary digital processes to interpret the ephemeral states of the natural world. Using myth, metaphor and biological idiosyncrasies, she notes intersections where the natural and human worlds meet.
Click images for larger size.
Click images for larger size.
Mixed Media Paintings 2017-2018
Disappearing Cavendish, 2017, watercolor and archival ink print on paper with Plexiglas, 31 x 44 1/2 inches
Cultivated bananas worldwide are in imminent danger of completely disappearing, damaged by fungal diseases. 500 million people, particularly in developing countries, depend on the fruit as a staple food. The global supply is threatened because industry growers have planted just one species, the Cavendish, across continents. The print on Plexi is a line drawing of a healthy banana and it’s inflorescence.
Mangrove Forest, 2017,Watercolor, archival ink jet print on paper & framing Plexiglas, 31 x 44.75 inches
Mangroves absorb massive amounts of nutrients, thereby improving water purity and
providing crucial assistance to both land and water animals & plants. The mangrove groves protect coast lines from storm erosion. The print on the Plexi
appears at the bottom half of the painting as topographic lines from coastal nautical charts.
providing crucial assistance to both land and water animals & plants. The mangrove groves protect coast lines from storm erosion. The print on the Plexi
appears at the bottom half of the painting as topographic lines from coastal nautical charts.
Reef, 2017,Watercolor, archival ink jet print on paper & framing Plexiglas, 29 x 44 inches
The survival of many undersea creatures depends on the steady ebb and flow of ocean
tides. Rising sea levels threaten the protective costal reefs and species that live in the intertidal zone. The shapes of underwater animals and plants are reminiscent of shoals during tidal changes. The print on the Plexiglas is of topographic lines from coastal nautical charts.
tides. Rising sea levels threaten the protective costal reefs and species that live in the intertidal zone. The shapes of underwater animals and plants are reminiscent of shoals during tidal changes. The print on the Plexiglas is of topographic lines from coastal nautical charts.
Holey Leaves, Vert, 2018, Watercolor on laser cut paper, 18 x 32 inches
Invasive insects, and slugs chew holes in the leaves of mature plants, weakening or killing them. The holes in the leaves were laser cut, The images painted after the cutting.
Holey Leaves, Violet, 2018, Watercolor on laser cut paper, 18 x 32 inches
Invasive insects and slugs chew holes in the leaves of mature plants, weakening or killing them. The holes in the leaves were laser cut. The holes in the leaves were laser cut, The images painted after the cutting.
Monstera Morphology, 2017, Watercolor and archival ink print on paper with Plexiglas, 12 x 16 inches
Morphology, the biological study of the forms and structural relationships of living
Organisms, examines similarities and differences between creatures. The leaves of the Philodendron and UVA plants pictured here were both marked by insect trails and chewing. The print on Plexi is a layer of cell structures in teal lines.
Organisms, examines similarities and differences between creatures. The leaves of the Philodendron and UVA plants pictured here were both marked by insect trails and chewing. The print on Plexi is a layer of cell structures in teal lines.
Wild Urban Thistle, 2016, Watercolor and archival ink print on paper, 24.5 x 35 inches
I encountered this wild, native thistle growing in the garden of a row house not far from my Baltimore home, a space that would usually be highly cultivated. While the owner values the plant because it will reseed itself, farmers use toxic pesticides to rid thistle from their fields. The print on Plexi is a scan of thistle seeds.
Canna Circle, 2017, Watercolor and archival ink print on paper with Plexiglas, 11 x 14 inches
An Ancient plant with many human uses, canna are also being studied for their ability to eliminate undesirable pollutants in wetlands due to of their tolerance to contaminants.
The print on Plexi is a topographical map of farming land.
The print on Plexi is a topographical map of farming land.
Dames de Luna, 2017, Watercolor and archival ink print on paper with Pllexiglas, 16 x 12 inches
Night blooming plants give off specific scents to attract night pollinating insects. Shapes of the moon’s phases, which all living things are subject to, are printed on the inside of the Plexiglas
