Shaking It Up – Views from The Artist’s Highway

Shaking it up

Views from The Artist’s Highway

Canyon Dawn               Watercolor on Yupo

  Tright here is consolation in mastering a creative medium—usually taking years, perhaps even many years, to turn out to be fluent sufficient with our supplies and instruments in order that we are able to categorical ourselves with confidence and fluidity. We come to see them as previous dependable pals whom we are able to belief with our tenderest artistic notions. Nonetheless, after a while carrying on efficiently on this mode, we are able to really turn out to be too comfy and slip dangerously near repeating, in variations maybe, what we all know find out how to do greatest. That is thought of a fascinating achievement in virtually another career, however not artwork.


   Every time we sense that we’re doing a little bit of sleepwalking by our work, we attempt to shake it up by some means. There are lots of totally different methods for this. It may be helpful and enjoyable to attempt to work in an unfamiliar medium or maybe on a brand new form of floor. Attempting one thing new modifications the best way we’ve got to answer the supplies and in so doing, modifications the best way we take into consideration making artwork. It may possibly problem our notion of what’s potential for us. All good issues. 

   I had been working for many years in watercolor utilizing primarily Arches paper and located that my strategy to portray was getting drained. I made a decision that this was the time to tackle an unfamiliar portray materials and see what may come of it. The fabric I selected is offered below the identify Yupo, and has gained a following amongst watermedia painters particularly. It’s manufactured from impermeable polyester and can maintain watercolor washes, however can be washed off clear with water. I knew of Yupo, however had ignored it till I noticed among the marvelous work my pal and grasp watercolor painter Mark Mehaffey has been producing. “Wow, that appears like enjoyable, and I have to have enjoyable with portray!” was my first response. Certainly, in the event you watch any of Mark’s Yupo movies, he’s having enjoyable. (Try a few of Mehaffey’s newest Yupo summary work here).

Waterlilies                    Watercolor on Yupo

   I ordered some Yupo, which is available in a pair totally different variations, and started portray on it. For anybody used to the best way cotton paper behaves with watercolors, overlook nearly every thing . On Yupo, washes puddle, pool and blend collectively in fully other ways. Strokes don’t mix collectively nicely in any respect, so the floor has a really calligraphic look. In case you have your desk on a tilt, as we do with conventional watercolors, then the washes of colour all slowly run downhill to a giant muddy pool on the backside. Good! A problem was what I needed and now I had a giant one. I’m nonetheless experimenting with this bizarre stuff and I’ve to report that it’s enjoyable to work with exactly as a result of I don’t know what I’m doing or what I’m going to get, if something. You might be seeing a few of my experiments right here. Better of all, it is vitally simple to appropriate—simply wipe off with a towel, and voila! clear Yupo, able to go once more. No worries of ruining costly paper – simply freedom to play. Strive it your self, you could discover it’s precisely what you’ve been searching for.