Artists will experiment hands-on with dozens of techniques and mediums in new and unconventional ways including:
- Capturing whites with crayon and wax resist
- Glazing and floating colors
- Portraying the patterns of nature with sedimentation and precipitation
- Loosening up with gesso painting and printing with plastic
- Constructing a new piece of art from old work
- Experimenting with three-dimensional assemblage
In addition, artists are prompted to challenge their imaginations by building new painting surfaces, creating their own personal symbols and more. Further inspiration can be found in a gallery of work by more than 30 contributing artists. Celebrate Your Creative Self is a fun, no-fail guide every artist should have.
• Encountering the White Painting around the white; Capturing the big light; Lifting color to bring back white; using resists to capture white
• Creating Your Personal Surface Making a chart of surfaces; Creating a tissue or rice paper surface; Creating a modeled gel surface; Building a surface with gesso, gel, and sand
• Creating Your Personal Palette Taking a color inventory; Learning your paints’ properties; Working with staining colors
• Streamlining Your Design Strengthening your design; High horizon vertical; High horizon horizontal; Low horizon vertical; Low horizon horizontal; The “s” or “z” curve; The grid; Circular; Cruciform; Strata; Triangular; Seeing with abstract eyes
• Discovering Your Connection to Nature Observing natural patterns; Capturing nature’s maze; Building rocks; Portraying precipitation; Portraying sedimentation; Painting the forest floor; Creating a mountainscape; Creating a seascape
• Discovering Your Connection to the Man-Made Taking a closer look at man-made objects; Creating the look of metal; Making foil patterns; Do buildings talk?; Constructing a street map
• Celebrating the Power of Play Playing with figure shapes; Loosen up with gesso and negative painting; Printing with plastic; Tricking your senses
• Creating Your Personal Symbols Keeping a symbol diary; Holding hands with nature; Exploring ancient cultures; Finding your own symbols; Making symbols with flow enhancer; Scratching out symbols
• Walking the Creative Path Constructing a new piece of art from old work; Folding an old painting into a new piece of art; Painting on plastic; Where else will your creativity lead?