I haven’t finished 18’s predecessor yet but I couldn’t wait to start the next one because…
Mainly the weather. I was hoping to get the same background effect as #17, so I had to take into account all the conditions I could think of that might have had a role in creating it. I’ve been pouring paint washes on canvas for decades, and very seldom have I achieved the same result twice.
So…I had to wait for a very hot day, just like when I poured #17. That day was either today or tomorrow. My hunch is that the rapid drying of the paint thinner is what creates the flow patterns. I also know that paint thinner, rather than turpentine, is what causes the paint pigment to separate itself out. So I had at least two conditions that were known factors. The roughness of the canvas can also alter the effect, so I made sure I used the same stuff as last time.
Other considerations included the color of the paint. Some pigments separate out more than others. No idea why. A big consideration was the effort to not mess with the paint once it was on the canvas. At first it looks like nothing is going to happen–the colors are just going to flow off in a solid body like spilling coffee on a table. But as it starts to dry, it starts to separate. This is when you go get a beer and come back in an hour or two so you aren’t tempted to “fix” it.
Pretty happy with the results!
Looks like a great start! Kind of reminds me of a buttermilk sky!
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Wow! This is fascinating and something I did not know. I love the colors.
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Well, you are so knowledgeable, besides being incredibly talented, Alli! I love these colors. Great job in trying to capture this one in the same way as #18….because you certainly did!:)
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Thanks Nancy! It only took me a few decades to get so knowledgeable 😂
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It’s another beautiful result. A little more subtle than the previous one I saw, but once again gorgeous. I am amazed that the colour pattern and separation only occurs after drying.
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Yes, the drying part has always been a little weird. I used to try for a really smooth layer, with the colors subtly blending into one another. Until I discovered, bit by bit, that I could get them to separate in a somewhat rough, grainy manner. I used that technique for years. This latest twist was totally an accident, which I tend to attribute to the extremely hot weather which made the paint thinner evaporate even faster than usual, leaving the pigment behind in these striated patterns.
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