Tape up that texture

This painting is a study in texture, and how one material can deceive the eye into believing it is another material. I created this texture with masking tape, crumpled and piled on top of itself. I then blended the edge lines by using regular matte gel. I gessoed over this piece a few times, to make sure to seal the tape well. I then mixed this particular range of colors with gray, viridian green, alizarin crimson, titanium white ultramarine and prussian blue. I love how the color turned out, and though I initially planned to continue painting and adding straight glazes of alizarin crimson, I have decided to leave it like this for awhile. The larger picture shows the color in more detail, and the second picture shows the texture a little more clearly.

Finished disgusting beauty

I added some more washes of the primary blue and alizarin crimson, taking out the light and white parts. I am not quite sure if I am going to add the white back in, but for now, I like it how it is. I love how the colors mix and interact together, and bring out the texture.

Disgusting beauty

This piece has a certain duality that is quite different from my normal style, yet still piques my creative interest. I started this canvas painting with layers of spackling paste, to obtain the thick texture-ridges and valleys. The spackle was spread with taping knives, which are bigger and sturdier than palette knives, the kind that contractors use on drywall. I then added two layers of gesso to seal the spackle, once it was dry. After that was finished, I added water-thinned washes of acrylic paint, alizarin crimson and primary blue. The strange thing that happened, is that when I added the liquid paints, the gesso started to move and pinch together, in little wrinkles. It added a new creepy dimension to the painting, which stayed this way when dried. This creepy texture fits into my dark, grungy style, while the light, colorful washes contradict that feeling. I love how the beauty and deformity of this painting flow together, similar to how good and bad flow within everyone.

Leftover bits abstract painting

I am nicknaming this my leftover bits painting. Sometimes I end up with too much premixed paint, or slightly off color gesso or ink, that cannot be put back into the bottles. This painting was made entirely with those leftovers, in three separate layers. The first was a suminagshi ink remains, then black ink left on my palette. The last was part of the gesso I had also left over from my current texture piece in progress.

Abstract blob paintings

I ordered a pack each of 25 canvas boards of 4 by 4 in and 5 by 7 in. I wanted these to have smaller pieces for practicing new techniques, and to offer something smaller and more affordable at the art shows. These pieces were made with leftover gesso from a textured piece I am in the middle of. I added it in very thick piles, then put drops of iridescent ink on top. I then smooshed and unsmooshed the two boards until I was satisfied with the results. I love the Rorschach type feel it has, and the close to mirrored images.  

Abstract ink painting.

The texture of this painting was achieved with gesso. The coloring is done with layers of acrylic ink, and alcohol. The drips are done by tilting the canvas while the ink is still wet.

Abstract gessoed

This piece started off as a very insanely colored painting I did awhile back. I needed to tone it down, so I put a thick layer of gesso over it and then used a palette knife to carve a pattern into it. I then put a ton of alcohol and alcohol inks over top of the still wet gesso layer. I added and removed layers of the inks until I had the desired effect.

Elephant abstract painting

This painting was inspired and given to my friend Lily, who I work with in the summer. She loves elephants, and so do I. This was done using the weird effects of gesso, self-leveling gel and acrylic paint.