Colin Maher-Velasquez

By combining marble dust (pulverized marble stone) and oils, inks, and acrylics—a sort of Fresco plaster can be made. That material can then be sculpted onto any surface.  I choose to use canvas as my substrate, since it lends the look of cotton or linen—those textures, juxtaposed with a gritty sculpture, provide a warm contrast so that textures can exist together in exciting, new ways.  I use biutmen asphaltum to stain the sculpture so that I may recapture the texture and grain of the marble dust—capturing the ceramic “look” by highlighting the irregularities, grit, and negative space. The illusion of the piece looking like marble, is an illusion based in fact and exaggerated by common misunderstandings of the mediums. Are they ceramic? No.  Are they sculptures? Yes. Are they paintings? No, but paint is used. Do you sculpt the texture separately and paste it on? No. All of the pieces are sculpted free-hand onto the canvas with Impasto knives.