Eureka, Eureka!

The Annual Buckman School Show and Sell is coming up this Friday evening and Saturday. I'm madly getting ready for it and wanted to do some small affordable pieces to go with the larger pieces I already have. I went to Muse Art/Design and got some 4" and 5" square art panels (by Ampersand.) I hadn't tried these before and was delighted with the texture and weight of them.

I was planning to use acrylic and or collage on the panels. For some reason I started thinking of the brilliant colors in the re-inkers I have and decided to try them on the art panels. At first I used the re-inkers with alcohol as I learned to do with paper decorating. This made some interesting effects but didn't seem to be a substantial way to lay down backgrounds. I then tried the re-inking liquid with gel medium. This worked great!

The colors stayed brilliant and went on smoothly. I used paper towels to lift up excess ink. I soon abandoned the idea of collage and went on to play with the re-inkers and medium until I had several abstracts I really liked. I used my glass pen to scratch away at the surface of the design which made for interesting and bright detail. I found I didn't need to add any white at all.

When it came to titles for the pieces, most of them sprang to mind right away, based on the objects or emotions I saw in each painting.


This is a re-inker bottle. (To look for them online, spell it "reinker.")


This is an Ampersand 3/4" cradled panel, which is what I'm using. They also come flat or with a wider cradle.



Here are some of the pieces I came up with. Have I invented an new technique or have lots of folks come up with the idea of re-inkers and medium before me? Either way, it's my obsession of the week!

"I Keep My Word" 4" x 4"

While I was working my partner mentioned something about artist and poet William Blake. That may have influenced this piece...







"Motion Study" 5" x 5"

This reminded me of an old film strip of motion studies of movement. This piece took form really quickly.









"Celestial Treasure" 5"x 5"

This looks like an old map of the heavens. This one had several incarnations before I got it where I liked it.




A few times when I didn't like the several layers I'd laid down I held the panel under a gentle stream of water from the sink faucet. This got rid of much of what was there and let me start over, with no damage to the panel. After each panel had completely dried, I sealed it with an acrylic gloss sealer.

I showed my new work to the members of my weekly Art of Life group. They were eager to try the method of ink/medium on panel. These images are quite different from each other and from mine. It's always so exciting to see what different people will do with the same tools.





Cindy's dramatic, yet humorous take on what the Eiffel Tower may look like in the year 3015. 5" x 5"





(Note to self: get an inexpensive digital camera to keep at the studio so you don't keep taking pictures of artwork with lousy phone camera...)





Emma's luscious, fluid abstract painting. 5" x 5"





Now I'm going out to get more panels--yee-ha!

Before I do, here's a reminder about the Show & Sell:

When?
Friday, April 11, 2008, 5 to 9 pm
Saturday, April 12, 10 am to 5 pm

What?
The Buckman Art Show & Sell features the work of more than 100 Pacific Northwest artists – everything from paintings and sculptures to ceramics, jewelry, fashions, photography and toys – in a festive atmosphere filled with music, food, and fun. A student art gallery showcases the talents of Buckman's young artists, and hands-on kids' art activities keep the little ones busy while their parents shop!

This vibrant, beloved community event benefits the arts programs at Portland's Buckman Arts Focus Elementary School.

Where?
Buckman Elementary School
320 SE 16th Avenue, Portland

How much?
Friday $5 per person; Saturday $2 suggested donation per person
Free for kids age 4 and under