As a former stand-up comedian, it's no surprise that humor plays a major role in the work of artist Mark Beam. It was his unexpected use of found objects that led him to create humorous art pieces from a variety of mixed media. Today, he's finding success with his whimsical foam sculptures, many of which are fun recreations of nature's diverse animal kingdom.
To create a humorous gecko sculpture, Mark starts with a large piece of foam. Using a marking pen, he draws a design directly onto the foam's surface. Next, he uses small saw to carve out the lizard's shape. Jagged or rough edges are smoothed out using sandpaper. Embellishments to the piece such as eyes and teeth are constructed from smaller foam pieces, then fixed to the body structure using a five-minute epoxy. Next, Mark creates his own surface medium from discarded newspapers and wallpaper paste. This is applied directly onto the foam sculpture. Once it dries, he applies a high-gloss finish used in woodworking to the piece. Wen this dries, he's left with a smooth surface on which to paint. Finally, he adds a wide range of bright colors by brushing on acrylic paints. A second layer of the high-gloss finish is applied to give the piece a protective coating. The finished work of art is a sculpture ranging up to 30 inches in height that bursts with humor and handcrafted appeal.
Guests Mark Beam
Artist, Mark Beam Studios
Seal Beach, CA
Phone: 562-431-9656
E-mail:
markbeam@adelphia.net
Website:
www.markbeam.com
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