Textures

"Currents Above" in progress 

This past year I took a path into textures and layers in my work. You can see some of that in the last post of my selfie in progress. Much of the work is not for public display...they are studies with a huge learning curve. I'll post the most recent one here. And explain a bit. 
FYI - the photos don't do the work justice - I just can't capture, reduce and keep the feel of depth, layering and texture in these paintings.

Texture and oxidation study in progress

Several years back, I learned in a workshop how to make my own paint. Watercolor, acrylic, oil and tempera, even pastel sticks. I noticed the acrylic paint home-made was so much different than the commercial art paint available and wasn't crazy about it at the time. Fast forward about 7 years and a workshop in texture somewhere in between, and I began toying once again with the idea of mixing my own pigments to the strengths that I want. 

I discovered new binders and additives, which added so many possibilities for layering textural effects. By layering these effects, I noticed the color was being suspended, one layer over another, and that my work was beginning to feel like floating in imaginary outer space, or underwater. Which led me to create a huge painting (still in progress) that I've titled "Currents Above."  While the other works were more accidental in nature, this one was entirely controlled, in the sense that I let the painting speak with each layer and chose what effect to create next. 

In the meantime, I was invited to participate in a huge collaborative project, Art Roulette, a fund-raiser sponsored by artSpace Richmond. Normally I avoid fund-raising projects (another story for another time,) but this one included a host of local artists that I hoped to work with. This project gave me the opportunity to experiment with some Golden Paint products I'd just learned about in a workshop. Micaceous Iron Oxide and Coarse Alumina along with Copper Iridescent paint and some old Cobalt Teal were a part of this process.  I noticed after two weeks, the Teal color had changed to a deeper, richer blue.  The paint was oxidizing.  Whoa. 

This is one part of a collaborative piece. The paint is quite reflective and is bouncing off light. 

Which is what has led to the painting you saw at the top of this page. I'm curious as to what will happen with the teal with the Alumina alone and with the Iron Oxide. These may wind up in the experimental closet for another visit, or they may evolve and land on the gallery wall.  I'm not sure. But for now, it sure is a lot of fun.