Owen Mortensen

2-D Mixed Medium – Leaves, bark, flowers, seeds, seed pods

Like many artists, my work is influenced by the beauty of nature. Unlike many artists, however, I use the actual raw elements of nature as my medium. I am fascinated with natural found objects. Trees and plants in particular have stimulated my artistic tendencies as I create two-dimensional collages from actual botanical specimens.

Natural found objects, such as leaves, seed pods and flowers, have dramatic silhouettes as well as intricate internal designs, displayed in a multiplicity of shapes, colors and textures. I believe these natural design qualities alone surpass any manmade aesthetic pursuit. Thus the power of my work is the combination of these “natural design qualities” with the simplicity of the compositions I create from them. Customers frequently comment on both the beauty of the specimens and the intriguing designs and patterns formed with them. Often geometric in design, these patterns juxtapose with the organic properties of the botanicals to create repetition of both positive and negative shapes.

My process is quite simple: I gather thousands of leaves and flowers (seeds and bark) during every season and press them in custom-made presses. Once pressed and dried, each specimen is like a fragile paper and is ready to be selected for use in the design/production process. Using a strong adhesive, each specimen is hand-mounted and generously matted. Finally, I select a frame to accentuate the dramatic elements of each collage. Each piece is also framed with a conservation glass designed to block much of the suns color-fading ultraviolet rays. Through this process, each piece becomes an original work of art.

Although not considered a traditional medium, my work has received a great deal of recognition and publicity due to its uniqueness in design and craft. In addition to further expanding my market and recognition, it is my hope that after experiencing my work others will recognize the intense beauty found in the, often mundane, objects of nature.