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 an inventive medium—typically taking years, perhaps even many years, to change into fluent sufficient with our supplies and instruments in order that we will categorical ourselves with confidence and fluidity. We come to see them as outdated dependable buddies whom we will belief with our tenderest inventive notions. Nonetheless, after a while carrying on efficiently on this mode, we will really change into too snug and slip dangerously near repeating, in variations maybe, what we all know how you can do greatest. That is thought-about a fascinating achievement in virtually every other career, however not artwork.


   At any time when we sense that we’re doing a little bit of sleepwalking by our work, we attempt to shake it up one way or the other. 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 reply to the supplies and in so doing, modifications the best way we take into consideration making artwork. It will possibly problem our notion of what’s doable for us. All good issues. 

   I had been working for many years in watercolor utilizing primarily Arches paper and located that my method 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 beneath the title 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 a number of 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 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 commenced portray on it. For anybody used to the best way cotton paper behaves with watercolors, neglect nearly all the pieces you realize. On Yupo, washes puddle, pool and blend collectively in utterly other ways. Strokes don’t mix collectively properly in any respect, so the floor has a really calligraphic look. When you have your desk on a tilt, as we do with conventional watercolors, then the washes of shade all slowly run downhill to an enormous muddy pool on the backside. Good! A problem was what I needed and now I had an enormous 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’re seeing a few of my experiments right here. Better of all, it is extremely 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, chances are you’ll discover it’s precisely what you’ve been in search of.