. . . shared my experiments

I've been experimenting, as maybe you know if you read this blog, and finally I have actually come up with some stuff that might work. Being frugal from necessity, I have save many a shop paper towel, as well as many pieces of deli wrap paper that I use in my monoprinting experiments, and just odds and ends of different kinds of surfaces upon which to paint. I have been trying to figure out a way to incorporate some of the deli paper because it has great impressions on it. I guess what I'm doing is a combination of monoprinting and using acrylic skins. The picture above shows what happens when I spread a thin layer of gloss gel medium on a paper shop towel and adhere a piece of deli wrap to it until the medium dries. Then yank off the deli paper and, Bob's your uncle, there you have it. The black parts are from the deli paper. The paint from the deli paper just transfers itself to the shop towel. . . amazing, isn't it? I'm sure someone has thought of this before, but leave me to my "invention," humor me, okay? Additionally, the gloss gel medium gives the paper towel some strength and an almost leather-like texture. I love it.





This is the same technique but on just a piece of pretty heavy scrap paper. This one has three different layers of deli paper leavings.






And here's yet another sample, where the white part is the transferred portion. Gesso works really well with this method, by the way.






The experiments went a bit awry with this one. Instead of the deli paper, I used saran wrap with the gloss gel medium. Let me just say that I learned that saran wrap will stick to paper with medium. The black is what was on the saran wrap. I can't tell if it transferred, but it doesn't really matter.





And this one. . . the black and the blue parts were transferred from deli paper. I might add that the gel medium will also dry into the cracks, creases and crevices of the deli paper, adding an interesting texture.


Now, here is what hasn't worked, yet: Transfers on both sides of a baby wipe (still isn't dry after three days) and transfers to a piece of gessoed canvas (a bit drier, but still pretty wet). Both of those are big gooey messes at the moment. I keep you posted if I discover anything else.

. . . defined the darkness

No, not the blackness of my soul, or the depths of a bad mood. No, the definition of darkness is a Target store in the middle of a torrential downpour when the lights go out.





Matt and I were in Target last evening when that happened. Some people shrieked; toddlers cried; one beautiful young girl used the time wisely to jump into her boyfriend's sheltering arms, cringeing in happy fear. I didn't see that until the lights came back on, but he looked a bit disappointed not to have had a longer time playing the hero.






The 30% possibility of showers became very hurricane-like. Apparently 60-mile-per-hour winds and hail accompanied driving rain. I was happy to be off the roads. When I got home, there was a huge limb blocking my driveway, and the the neighbors were busily using their chainsaw to cut it up. Well, it was their tree, after all, so it only seemed fair.






Here are some more blunderings. . . maybe that's the name of a series??? I'm really into monoprinting. Well, I think that's what I'm doing, anyway. Lots of blotting up paint from one surface to another. Using deli paper, cardboard, matboard, old office file folders, plastic wrap, plastic bags from the grocery store, baby wipes.






Without having to judge each piece on its monetary value, I feel pretty good about loving some of these happy accidents. I was going to say they were completely random, but they are not. . . I still choose the colors, the combinations, the direction in which I apply the blots of paint, and the parts to leave alone.

. . . blundered around aimlessly

in my studio. Not as frequently as I would like, but I'm still just experimenting. These pictures are the results of some recent blundering. . .










Every day I feel less and less like an artist, and more and more like a corporate drone. And it pisses me off, because it took a long time for me to actually admit to myself, and to others, that I was an artist. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be gainfully employed. I do like to eat.

These are just some small samples of my black and white with two other colors experiments.

Maybe everyone has already discovered this foam stuff that you heat up with a hair dryer or a heat gun, and then press the foam into whatever kind of texture you may have at hand. That's what I did with a bunch of washers I had laying around. I used the foam to stamp on this piece. If you get tired of whatever is on the foam, you heat it up again and the imprint disappears. And, it's cheap, too.

I go down to the studio to start some pieces, thinking that while they dry, I'll start packing up the art supplies I won't be needing, at least for a while. But I never seem to be able to start that project. I'm in complete denial, I guess. As good a place as any to live, if you ask me. Of course, the reality of the situation, when it becomes irrevocable, is really going to bite, as they say. Oh, well, at least I will have had a few peaceful weeks.