Saturday, August 29, 2009

Yet another transfer ...


This transfer was made using the same technique as before but I used Arches 88 silkscreen paper. This is a much thinner paper than watercolor paper but it is designed to soak up water from silk screen ink. It dries fast and has a smooth finish. You could use hot-press watercolor paper but you would need more hand santizer to make the transfers.

As you can see the texture of the paper comes through, while the color of the transfer does bleed or dull.

More experiments


Art Experiment (I don't have numbers for these, it's whatever I feel like doing at the time.)

I am trying to make transfers of my photos onto different substrates (papers mainly) using DASS transparency film. DASS transparency film is a special manufactured transparency that is designed to be fed through an inkjet printer. The film is coated with a very thin layer of gelatin. The film was created by the Digital Artists Artieler and is available for purchase at Digital Art Studios Seminar. The medium used to transfer the printed image off the plastic transparency and onto the paper was Purell gel hand santizer, although any alcohol based hand santizer will do, but just plain gel hand santizer. You cannot use the hand santizer with emolients and moisturizers added. It will gum up the process.

The first one is a transfer onto Lokta paper using this technique. Lotka paper is a handmade paper from Nepal, that is made from a tree that grows in the Himalyas. It is very light, fiberous and durable, similar to Mulberry paper and other rice papers.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Working on skins...

What is a skin? A skin is dried acrylic paint peeled off a surface such as glass or plastic. One of the great things about acrylic paint is its ability to leave a coating very similar to latex on a surface. If you get acrylic paint on your hands, instead of just washing off, like watercolor, it peels off. That is because acrylics are pigments mixed in a polymer plastic base. The base prevents the pigments from fading and enables the colors to stay true. But you can also get acrylic mediums, with no pigment, just to add texture and volume. If you take plain medium and put it on a non-porous surface, leave it to dry, you can peel off. Then, you can use medium to add it to a collage. I am using Yupo paper, which is not really a paper at all but high density plastic that is used for labels, banners, etc. It is printable and waterproof. It takes a little time to peel the skin off, and the skin has to be pretty thick, but I got one off. With another, I am putting a couple of coats of clear digital ground on it and see what it produces when I run it through the printer.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Trying another substrate


The new store in town, the Paper Source, has become a wonderful source for some new materials. Of course, I blow my budget for art materials when I go in there, but who can resist. There are 10 different colors of Lotka paper, 8 different colors of silk papers, all sorts of hand prints, wrapping papers, ribbons, stamps, punches and a back room for classes. I purchased some white silk tissue paper recently, and painted some Golden's white digital ground on it. Then I ran it through the printer on a carrier shetet of card stock. I printed an old photo on it. While it didn't come out the way I had hoped the results were interesting. The print will have to be spray with workable fixative before I add it as a layer to some future piece down the line. I might try doing the same thing again but using a clear ground to see how much of the texture of the paper shows through.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Too Hot for Art

When the days are too humid, it is difficult to get paint or gesso to dry. What about when the days are too hot? It is too hot today for me to think much. I don't have air conditioning. I live in woods and most times, my place is pretty cool in the summer. But today, it is 98 degrees with high humidity. So even if I tried to put some paint or gesso or ink down, it wouldn't dry anytime soon. But everything is taking an effort today. Plus, I have one of those headaches you get from the heat.

A while ago, a friend found some Spanish flash cards that her school was throwing out. She took a stack and gave some to me. I pulled out number 872 to keep by my computer - sonar (minus the ~ over the n) - to dream. I want to sleep and to dream of cool weather.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

The Big WHAT IF

I've managed to add to two more shelves on the wall. I've recently purchased a big oak dining room table and put a huge cutting board on it. I also purchased a real decent paper guillotine for cutting 8.5 x 11" pieces of paper in one slice. A new paper store has opened in town, so I can get specialty papers without having to drive to Philadelphia or New York. I've actually managed to start creating again.

Now if I could just clap my hands and get the rest of the stuff in place. I keep "What Iffing" myself. If I get rid of all this stuff, what if later, I need it for something else? If I get rid of these shoes - what if later I need a pair this color later? (Never mind that burgundy is no longer the fashion statement it used to be.) If I get of all the polymer clay - what if I want to play with polymer clay later? If I get rid of some of these art books/magazines - what if there's a technique I need to review later?

I What Iffed myself into closets and containers full of stuff. I remember when all my stuff in the world could be packed in a single car and moved. I could pack in an afternoon. Now what? I haven't even gotten to my daughter's stuff....