The Agony and Ecstasy of Acrylic Media

Kamaboko Trees

Acrylic media is a white, milky liquid, and therefore, I can't tell the result of any work until the next day, when the medium has dried.  Both the matte and glossy media pour out milky but dry clear.  I won't know how the paint colors have interacted or where they sit in the layers until the medium is dry.  So, I am always very excited to get to the studio and look at the results.  But because of this, I have to set up several experiments in the interest of efficiency and to try to cover my bases so I can evaluate the results and decide on what to try next.  I have also been playing with making my Kamaboko trees and playing with trees on wood veneer.

tree on wood veneer

The work continues on wood panels but I am feeling that the work isn't that interesting.  It doesn't evoke that feeling I had when i saw the swirls on the windshield - perhaps that is an impossible goal.  However, I have been enjoying the process of discovery and playing with acrylics.  With Open Studios approaching (Nov 2 & 3), I need to present new work which means I need to decide which one of my series I will focus on.  I am planning on revisiting "The Last Supper Trees" and have made clay mock ups of the scene based on the Leonardo da Vinci  mural.