Shaking It Up – Views from The Artist’s Street

Shaking it up

Views from The Artist’s Street

Canyon Dawn               Watercolor on Yupo

  Tright here is consolation in mastering an inventive medium—typically taking years, perhaps even many years, to turn into 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 associates whom we are able to belief with our tenderest inventive notions. Nevertheless, after a while carrying on efficiently on this mode, we are able to truly turn into too snug and slip dangerously near repeating, in variations maybe, what we all know the right way to do finest. That is thought of a fascinating achievement in virtually another career, however not artwork.


   At any time when we sense that we’re doing a little bit of sleepwalking by means of our work, we attempt to shake it up by some means. There are a lot of completely 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. Making an attempt one thing new modifications the way in which we’ve to answer the supplies and in so doing, modifications the way in which we take into consideration making artwork. It may well 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 bought below the identify Yupo, and has gained a following amongst watermedia painters specifically. It’s manufactured from impermeable polyester and can maintain watercolor washes, however may also be washed off clear with water. I knew of Yupo, however had ignored it till I noticed among the marvelous work my buddy 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 case 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 completely different variations, and commenced portray on it. For anybody used to the way in which cotton paper behaves with watercolors, neglect nearly every little thing you already know. On Yupo, washes puddle, pool and blend collectively in fully other ways. Strokes don’t mix collectively effectively 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 coloration all slowly run downhill to a giant muddy pool on the backside. Excellent! A problem was what I wished 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 straightforward 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. Attempt it your self, you could discover it’s precisely what you’ve been in search of.