Well it has taken us a couple of weeks to make it over to Acton in order to see and document this superb collaboration from ATM and Lily Mixe. Here we have an interesting fusion of styles from ATM, a local artist who has very much added some colour and social awareness to this estate in Acton over the last couple of years with his beautiful realistic depictions of endangered birds, and Lily Mixe, a French artist, now London based, who works in a multitude of mediums but again with nature as the key theme, in her case with a focus on the ocean, setting to portray the complexity and beauty in the underwater world.

This makes the duo with their focus on nature driven subjects a great pair to work together. The work features a series of Sea Anemones, plant life and Star Fish from Lily Mixe in her chosen black and white illustrative style and two richly coloured sea birds from ATM . Both of the seabirds in this work are very much realistic and in true ATM style, larger than life and constructed in a beautiful painterly style. Created entirely by brush work, you really can see the textured effect and harmonious blending of colours that bring his subjects to life. What is also interesting is that whilst ATM predominantly tends to paint his subjects in a manner depicting them simply standing in front of you, showing a more sedate and natural depiction of creatures that should fit comfortably into the immediate environment, here he has painted his birds diving underwater immersed in Lily Mixe’s sea setting.

Lily Mixe’s Starfish and part of ATM’s Gannet. 

Lily Mixe’s Starfish and ATM’s Gannet. 

Lily Mixe’s Sea Anemones.  

ATM’s Cormorant.

Detail of ATM’s Cormorant.