(Scroll down and click on the thumbnails to view close-ups of the individual artwork)



DEREK MATHIAS ARTWORK SPECIFICS:

I have dabbled in various forms of artwork over the years, but in late 2007 I decided to try a hand at an idea for a new form of artwork that has been rattling around in my head for a few years, based loosely on drawings I developed as a child. I call it embossed metal artwork (EMA), and it consists of intricate embossed patterns drawn completely freehand into thick copper or anodized aluminum foils, often with cutouts or different colored inserts. Originally I mounted them on rectangles of roughly finished slate. However, the weight of the slate limited sizes to about 12", so in mid-2008 I switched to mounting the EMAs on stretched canvas frames covered with a variety of rich, complementary fabrics (such as faux suede, leather and snakeskin; crushed velvet and satin).

EMAs are designed to draw attention from a distance with their overall simple but dynamic patterns and the unique metallic sheen. As the viewer approaches, the focus switches to the intricate, detailed patterns worked into the metal. EMAs change appearance dramatically in different lighting. They especially come to life when displayed in soft, indirect home lighting, which brings the embossing out in sharp relief and causes the metal to shine with a liquid or even electric intensity.

My EMAs have been displayed at "The Pacific Art League" and "The Great American Framing Company and Gallery" in Palo Alto, "FastFrame" and "The Original Pancake House" in Los Altos, and "The Artists Alley" in San Francisco.

Click on the thumbnails below to see examples of my work (scroll to the bottom to view my latest works). Most are available for sale and I am happy to consider custom orders (email me at ooo0001@aol.com if you have any questions).

Note: all listed prices are subject to change and do not include tax, commission, shipping or handling.


 

SLATE-MOUNTED EMAs: 

Shard Ensemble
(23" x 23" as arranged, $360)

Contented Cat
(10" x 8", gifted)

Stretching Cat
(8 x 10", gifted)

Roosterfish
(12" x 8", gifted)

Red Dragon
(10" x 12", sold)

Sailfish
(12" x 9", gifted)

Mountain Landscape
(8" x 12", sold)

Cutout Abstract
(9" x 12", gifted)

Blue Fangs
(8" x 8", $70)

Broken Arrowhead
(8" x 10", $75)

Emerald Hills
(12" x 4", $75)

The Conversation
(12" x 8", sold)

Aztec Radio Tower
(10" x 12", $85, sold)

Crocoloid
(10" x 4", $65)

Red Fang
(6" x 6", $50)

The Wave
(12" x 6", $50)

Upwardly Mobile
(6" x 12", $80)

Palm Trees
(12" x 10", sold)

Bat Wing Close-Up
(6" x 12", $75)

Silver Veins
(8" x 12", $115, sold)

Cornucopia
(6" x 6", $50)

Rose
(4" x 10", gifted)

Lightning Bolt
(4" x 10", $50)

Simple Abstract
(6" x 6", $35)

Abstract Ensemble
(three 8" x 8" pieces, sold)

Green Insert Abstract
(12" x 4", gifted)

Silver Vein
(6" x 6", $50)

Swoosh Ensemble
(24" x 12" as arranged, $250)

Copper Blocks
(12" x 8", $95)

Cherry Swirl
(10" x 8", $70)

Chipped Ice
(10" x 8", $70)

Green River
(12" x 10", gifted)

Hook
(8" x 8", $65)

Two Flames
(two 6" x 6" pieces, $75)

Zebra
(10" x 10", gifted)

Cartman Close-Up
(12" x 12", $150)

Jo-Ellen
(10" x 8", sold)

Purple Dragon
(10" x 10", sold)

Wolf Moon
(12" x 10", sold)

  

 

 

 

CANVAS-MOUNTED EMAs: 

Dancing Dog
(36" x 36", $500)

The Old Man And The Sea*
(56" x 36", $1230)

Headdress
(24" x 18", $290)

Flare
(36" x 36", $650)

Alien Sun
(20" x 24", $275)

Live, Love, Laugh
(20" x 24", $238/sold)

Sol
(36" x 36", $1400/sold)

Fireball
(15" x 30", $225)

Scorpion
(30" x 24", $535/sold)

Mentor
(14" x 11", $165/gifted)

CMT
(11" x 14", $105/gifted)

Paw Prints
(18" x 24", $215/sold)

Tendrils
(18" x 36", $545)

Fallen Knight
(48" x 36", $1035)

Tidal Pool or Neurons
(36" x 18", $460)

Quetzalcoatl
(30" x 15", $360)

Crack of Dawn
(24" x 18", $390)

Bats in the Moonlight
(36" x 36", $760)

Annular Eclipse
(24" x 18", $285)

Casualties
of Fall or What's Left of the Chicken
(36" x 18", $405)

Great White
(36" x 24", $400)

Raked Leaves or Swamped Sailboat
(36" x 36", $560)

Basilisk
(36" x 24", $585)

Hidden From The Heart
(24" x 18", $390/sold)

Mac
(18" x 24", $580/sold)

Sparky
(11" x 14", $190/sold)

Middkid
(14" x 11", $330/sold)

American Flag
(36" x 18", $780)

        

* "The Old Man And The Sea" won first place in Palo Alto's Pacific Art League "Figurative" exhibition in November 2008. Judge Michael Azgour wrote of the artwork:

"Great craftsmanship and use of materials in a sophisticated manner.
Good use of negative spaces, movement, and surface quality."

To view high-resolution images of some of my favorite canvas-mounted EMAs, see this PowerPoint slide show (if the slide show doesn't show full-screen when it opens, press the F5 function key). Click the mouse to advance each slide.

 

CLOSE-UP DETAIL EXAMPLES: 



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