Experiments with High Flow Acrylics

These are some of several pieces I did back in mid-March experimenting with High Flow Acrylics on glossy photo paper. I liked the vivid colors, fast drying time, and interesting designs that occurred. Trying different techniques, I dripped small drops from the bottles but also used a small paint brush as well as tried a new tool, an air blower. I might have tilted the 4” x 6” surfaces to encourage movement.

 

Looking at these now, I can’t help but think of before and after events in my life. I was playing with this process on my birthday vacation week off, just days before my dear love went into one hospital and then another and stayed for almost a month before he passed away. My creativity, like me, went into shock and then later disappeared as I dealt with more pressing matters. I am still navigating the wild waters of grief and loss (and probably will be for some time). But slowly, oh so slowly, I’m doing a bit of painting or gel printing or working on a page spread in an art journal or trying simple projects. 

Color and Texture, Texture and Color

Like a magnet, I am attracted color and texture. Smack! A beautiful color combination or an interesting patch of texture can draw me in and make me want more, and more!

After painting or gel printing, I can create interesting leftovers when I clean off my brayer, stencils, or other tools on various papers. Love the randomness and unintentional designs that appear, as if by magic.

Although I enjoy trying different things, when I use paint I come home. Mainly, I adore acrylics. Last Sunday I focused on painting over a single page in my new little handmade one-signature 6” x 7” book. My intention was to create a background for attaching a fabric trim. This page was already painted on hot-press watercolor paper but I gessoed over it which created a nice base for what happened next.

Here is my original inspiration. If it had been larger, I would have simply glued it in. But it was a little short.

  

Not sure which exact paints I’d used in the original, I began using both fluid and high flow acrylics and then branched out and invited some acrylic inks into the mix. Using plastic cards, palette knives, a comb, and an occasional brush stroke I got interesting effects since some of my fluid acrylics are pretty old and drying out, making the paint thicker.

Now I really like this page. Will I leave it just as it is or add the 3-D element (green trim with beads I sewed on)? Here's how it might look if I attached it.

Fabric and Paper Journal

A newly bound journal!

Yet, I started it during the beginning of the pandemic and it has sat quietly. The original amount of signatures were very wide and unwieldy so I decided to break it into several journals.

I cut an old book cover into about 5" x 5" for the cover. The pages are a true mix: acrylic painted watercolor papers, tissue paper sandwiches with string inside, felt on cardstock, a nice thick brown piece of felted wool, painted foil, a piece of an old soft t-shirt, a paper cutting, canvas, handmade paper, painted fabrics. I did embroidery on the felt pieces and then glued it to thicker cardstock papers. The handmade paper was from a paper-making class years ago.

Using my favorite sewn-over-tapes binding, I wanted to try something new by adding a denim spine from my old jeans.

Really love how it turned out and how it feels!

Although a lot of the pages are "done" there are still many blank pages inside to play with.

Happy 2023!

 

Stencil, crayons

Here's to a creative New Year!