After spending some time discovering new artists this week via traveling to Colorado and New Mexico and previewing some art galleries, I became absolutely jazzed with who I found there , I found myself buzzing with excitement and inspiration . I began to notice once again how other artists work with their various mediums in new and creative ways, or some even using unconventional objects and even plants to create their pigments. I decided to dive deeper into the world of traditional painting to discover more ways to expresss & experiment with new methods . Golden OPEN acrylicsSomething I have been seeking for quite some time is a new way to stretch the "open" time (time that acrylic is wet and able to be worked and blended ) of my paints. Many people have recommended for me to try oil painting , and I have shown some interest and tried oils however the smell of harsh chemicals has been such a pitfall for me because my studio is very small with no ventiliation. Not the ideal working space for oil painting.
Furthermore , the drying time of oils can take days or even weeks or months for the paint to full dry. As I often take my artwork to shows to live paint , this is not the ideal situation either . I have , for the most part , enjoyed the fast drying time that acrylic paint offers , however with paint drying in just mere seconds sometimes this also became an issue when I was seeking a more blended look . I have had some success with using a drying retarder, ( derivan Matisse drying retarder) which allows me to stretch the open time of my acrylics . Sometimes I managed to keep things workable for up to 12 hours later on my palette and 30 mins on my canvas . However , what I am most excited about right now is Golden OPEN acrylics . These paints are amazingly whipped , fluffy yet thin layer of paint which remains moist for almost 12 hours , and can be refreshed and reworked with a gentle mist of water! I stayed up quite late working on one of my paintings last night and when I came back to it this afternoon I was still able to blend the colors from the night before ! No chemicals , just my beloved acrylic paint in a new form . I am sure I will find many more reasons to love this paint after spending some more time with it , but I have to say I am optimistic!
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So happy to reveal my sweet creation from the past few months; She is titled "Cosmic Tigris Devika" after my very talented & loving friend, Luna Devika. Here, I have painted her suspended in space, in a very open pose with a white tiger leaping from her chest.
This painting is an ode to her massive heart, and anyone else who loves so freely and openly that it uplifts those surrounding you. The mediums I used were acrylic, gauche (opaque watercolor), and spray paint. The surface is on thin birch laser cut into the hexagon shape. I definitely plan to create more paintings on these geometrical surfaces! I had so much fun creating this . Perhaps my favorite element of this painting is the gold metallic spray paint and how it catches the light that the sun casts upon it in the afternoon. (see image below) |