KAREN WYSOPAL ART
  • Home
  • Shop Art & JEWELRY
  • Shop Prints
  • Gallery
    • Birds - Acrylic Mediums
    • Birch Trees - Alcohol Ink
    • Trees in Silhouette - Alcohol Ink
    • Tree Bark Studies - Alcohol Ink
    • Elephant Paintings - Watercolor & Gouache
  • Wholesale Greeting Cards
  • More
    • About
    • Where to Buy Cards
    • Events
    • Testimonials
    • Blog
    • Get in Touch
    • Follow

Intuitive Painting

3/1/2017

0 Comments

 

This week I started an "Intuitive Painting" project, inspired by intuitive painters Flora Bowley and Tracy Verdugo.  "Intuitive" painting is a creative process in which we let our intuition drive the creation, with no preconceived agenda other than to let go have fun with it.  This project is based on an exercise in Bowley's book, Creative Revolution.  The task is to build layers, each layer covering up 80% of the previous layer.  I found this very challenging, as I love detail, and found it hard to cover it up!  But I also found the exercise liberating, as I began to feel what she talks about in her book - that covering over introduces the opportunity for something new.  I had to push myself through this, struggling against obliterating beauty I'd just created.  But in the end there was more beauty, in a way I couldn't have imagined.
Picture
Before covering up each heavily detailed layer, I photographed several 5x5" areas to capture little compositions, each appealing in its own right.  Click here to see more!

Three phases of layers, the exact same painting

Picture
0 Comments

New Series in Progress: "Freedom"

1/18/2017

0 Comments

 
I just read an article on Reddot Blog debating the importance of working in series.

Working in series in new for me and I’m really loving it. Last year I worked the same process idea many times, and in so doing, inadvertently created some series, which indeed gave me more to talk about with people. Currently I’m working on a new series which is exciting because it’s the first time the idea has come to me AS a series. This one has a chronological energy to it, and I’ve been compelled to produce new pieces quickly as the ideas show up (interestingly, they’re chronological in the story they make up but have showed up in random order). I’m currently at eight pieces for this series, and only one of them is decidedly finished, so I’m working alternately on the other seven, while open to the idea that more may well show up! This has been amazing, truly feeling like an energy coming “through” me rather than “from” me. I’m going along for the ride! Really looking forward to when the series is finished, and laying out the story on the walls around my studio in a way that can help me “tell it”.

Will be posting some photos of this work in progress shortly.

0 Comments

Alcohol Ink Painting on Canvas

1/1/2017

35 Comments

 
I've just started painting with Alcohol Ink on canvas and I am LOVING it!  If you've tried this, you may have noticed, as I did at first, that the canvas absorbs a LOT of the ink, and you don't get the same fabulous blending and blooming effects we've come to love with Yupo and Claybord substrates.

​What to do??

Picture
"Metamorphosis" 14x18" Alcohol Ink on Canvas
When in doubt, Google it.  The technique I learned and like the best is to prime the canvas with Kilz2 Latex Primer.  This can be found at most paint, hardware, and home supplies stores.  It's commonly used to seal surfaces to keep out water, and to seal in stains to prevent seepage through paint layers.  It creates a great surface for alcohol ink painting. Enjoy! Let me know how you like it.

Shop Alcohol Ink on Canvas

Evening Shimmer. Alcohol Ink on 12" x 12" Canvas

Shop
Thanks to the wonderful alcohol ink artist, Brittainy Bolding, for sharing her secret on this topic in her YouTube video, How to Prep Your Canvas for Alcohol Inks. 
35 Comments

My Art Has Been Licensed for a Book Cover!

12/15/2016

0 Comments

 
I'm excited to share with you that my Alcohol Ink Painting, "Bubble Forest" has been licensed for the cover of Linda Carroll's new book of essays!  From her website: 
"This special selection of Linda’s essays is curated from her regular contributions to publications such as “mindbodygreen,” “tiny buddha,” and “The Good Men Project.” They provide valuable insights on love, relationships, communication, and healthy emotional landscapes. Autographed by Linda and specially priced."
​
Picture
Picture

​You can purchase the book by clicking here.
0 Comments

How I seal my Alcohol Ink Paintings

12/15/2016

31 Comments

 
This process works for paintings on Yupo paper, ceramic tiles, or canvas.
One of the most common questions I get from my workshop students is, "How do you seal your alcohol ink paintings?"  There are two aspects of sealing that are necessary to fully protect your AI paintings. 1) Smudge prevention, and 2) UV protection.
​I went through a lot of trial and error to find an effective and acceptable way to seal my paintings.  I started by asking my AI painting friends online what they used.  People use a lot of different products.  Most people are sealing with acrylic UV varnishes and sealers commonly used on acrylic artwork.  But every single one of these I tried caused spotting or running of my inks.  I'm not sure why it's working for them, but it certainly didn't work for me.  ​
Picture
Sealing Stage 1: Smudge Protection
Finally I came across one product that protects with a beautiful glossy coat, and doesn't spot my inks at all:  Krylon "Short Cuts".  Another happy side effect is that this coating enhances the color of the alcohol inks even more!
This product creates a beautiful protective surface, but it doesn't provide UV protection.  UV protection is provided by various acrylic sealers, the very ones which spotted my inks.  Therefore sealing my paintings is a 2-step process.  Once the painting has been sealed with the Krylon Short Cuts, it has an enamel finish to which any UV protective medium can be applied with no problem.
Picture
Sealing Stage 2:
​UV Protection
The options for UV protection are many, and they come in two flavors: spray on, or brush on.  Both Krylon and Golden make spray-on versions of acrylic UV protection, and you can find these easily by searching online.  Try Googling "painting uv protection", for example.  

I really dislike sprays (the Krylon Short Cuts being a necessary evil), so I choose to use this brush-on product by Golden.  "Golden Polymer Varnish with UVLS (Gloss)".  You dilute it with 1 part water to 4 parts varnish (it says this on the bottle so you don't have to remember that I wrote it here), and it goes on easily with a wide paintbrush.  Dries in less than an hour, and a little goes a long way.
One last word of advice:  Dust particles love to get stuck in your paintings when these sealers are drying.  A very effective way I've found to minimize this is to create a little cover to place over your painting immediately after spraying, and while it dries.  I use two small shoeboxes, with a spare piece of mat board over them.  This builds a little "bridge" for the artwork to sit under.  It lets air circulate, but most of the dust stays out.  Good luck!

Where to Buy:
Both the Krylon and the Golden products are widely available.  I buy mine at Joann's, Michael's, or on Amazon.com

I hope this is helpful.  I would love to hear your comments on what works for you.  Happy painting!

Shop Alcohol Ink Paintings

Migration. Alcohol Ink on Ceramic Tile. 8x8 inches

Sold out

Shop

Evening Moonrise 8. Alcohol Ink on 12" x 12" Canvas.

Shop
31 Comments

    Author

    Karen Wysopal, Art Explorer

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Alcohol Ink
    Experiments
    News!

Home

SHOP

ABOUT

​Copyright © Karen Wysopal
  • Home
  • Shop Art & JEWELRY
  • Shop Prints
  • Gallery
    • Birds - Acrylic Mediums
    • Birch Trees - Alcohol Ink
    • Trees in Silhouette - Alcohol Ink
    • Tree Bark Studies - Alcohol Ink
    • Elephant Paintings - Watercolor & Gouache
  • Wholesale Greeting Cards
  • More
    • About
    • Where to Buy Cards
    • Events
    • Testimonials
    • Blog
    • Get in Touch
    • Follow