Colour Arte DT Entry. Trivet Shore

Trivet Shore 

36" x 48" canvas,

 Acrylic and Mixed-media

I remodeled several rooms a few years ago and had a huge box of caulk left over. Yeppers, toted that baby straight to my studio!  
In the photo above the fragment of a wooden trivet is located slightly left of the center iand serves as the center of interest in this work....thus the title, Trivet Shore.
The work is an abstrract mixed-media  on canvas rendered with acrylic paint, glass pebbles, seashells, and a broken piece of wooden trivet embedded into a bed of caulk.  See detail below:

 I retrieved the wooden trivet piece above from the trash after my aunt's death when her home was cleared of her possessions. This discarded item was a piece of my history. I had admired it all through childhood.  Although someone carelessly broke it, I still love this treasure.  My aunt and I once shared a trip to Hawaii and the fragment reminded me of a sea creature, thus the inspiration for this composition and the title.

Directions to create a similar canvas:

Materials: 

large plastic sheet to cover your work surface

30" x 36" canvas or a size of your choice

extra canvas to catch the drips

gesso

fine sandpaper

acrylic paints - Colour Arte carries a variety of dimensional and irridescent paints...perfect for a watery composition

pouring liquid- check in the store's "art painting mediums" section

brushes

water

Tube of caulk- (i used the caulk that fils between the woodwork and wall. Dries hard and isn't pliable when dry.)

caulk gun

glue (I use E-6000, good ventilation needed, but it is very strong)

found objects --- glass pebbles,pearls, seaglass, small seashells

larger found object of your choice for center of interest
Acrylic sealer if desired

The process:

1.  Cover the canvas with gesso and sand lightly.  Gesso creates a compatible surface for paint and washes glide easily on this surface. Although it is not necessary to create a perfectly smooth surface, I knew for this composition I wanted the upper area to be smooth to contrast with the textures I planned to add below, so I sanded the upper area several times.  However, don't fret.  I have always emphasized to my students that any imperfections can be worked into the final composition. Often it is the solving of "mistakes" that pushes our creativity to a higher level.

2.  Mix your favorite shade of blue acrylic paint with a pouring liquid. Prepare a second container of white acrylic paint thinned with pouring liquid, and a third mixture of burnt sienna.  It is ok to add a little water to achieve a thin wash of paint, but be careful about adding water to acrylics. Too much water can destroy the chemical balance of the paint and you don't want to work on a masterpiece just to find the paint is chipping off later. 

3. Work on your canvas over a large plastic-protected surface because it is almost impossible to do the next step without losing a little paint. I  place a second canvas below the first to catch the drips.  Later I use the second canvas to create another composition. 

4.  Pour the blue acrylic mixture on the center of the canvas and tilt in different directions it to control the flow to the areas where you want the paint.  Although you can control the flow to an extent, don't worry if paint does not completely fill the canvas.  Watch how paint glides across the canvas creating its own composition of "happy happenings."  Enjoy the flow and mixture of the colors. It is part of the fun!  You can brush paint into any blank areas or on top of the painted design as desired after the first layer dries.

Use a brush to pull paint to the sides of the canvas.   This practice finishes the edges without the expense of a frame.  Note on the finished detail photo below that I did not bring the textured surface around the edges.  If I should ever change my mind about framing, this flat edge will allow me to fit a frame without damaging the painting.

5.  While the paint is still wet pour some of the white into the blue mixture and tilt the canvas back and forth to create swirls. For blended edges pour wet paint into wet paint. For crisper edges, dry between layers. Add a small amount of the burnt sienna mixture and repeat. You can alternate several layers of this technique until you achieve a pleasant design. Seal the containers.  You will need these mixtures again later.

6.  When the paint is dry, slip a tube of caulk into the caulk gun and snip off the tip of the tube. Start with a small opening. You can always snip off more if you want a thicker stream of caulk. Experiment! Squeeze the trigger from different heights over your canvas to create textures and designs. Sometimes the caulk forms loops above the canvas surface. You may have to encourage those areas to adhere to the canvas using the tip of the tube, an ice cream stick or any disposable tool that will do the job.  If you smooth it too much and don't like the results, you can always squeeze more caulk on top to create an additional layer.  Below is a detail of the finished canvas.  Note the wonderful texture and lines made with caulk.

 

7; Embed found objects such as glass pebbles, pearls, seaglass, and sea shells  into the caulk while it is still wet.  You can also use glue to add some of the objects to the areas of the canvas.  Add your "center of interest" item near the center, but for the best composition, do not center it exactly in the middle.  If you do not have a special item to add here, cluster some of the found objects together to draw your eye to them. 

8. Check each embedded object to see that it is firmly secured in the caulk.  You may need to use your disposible tool to coax some of the caulk to adhere to the surface of the found object.   

9. LET THIS LAYER DRY THOROUGHLY. It may take a few days to completely cure, depending on the thickness of  the caulk layer. Paint over the caulk and any other areas as desired with the washes you used earlier. It is also ok to let some of the caulk remain its natural color.  I sealed the entire composition with an acrylic sealer when it dried.

10.  Date your canvas on the back...this will be important later.  You won't realize how your art is progressing without knowing what you did in the past.

Finished! ... Pull up a beach chair and enjoy the view!

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p. s. 

I am learning to make videos for my 2015 Spring classes!! Hooray!!!!! This will be one of the methods I will teach.  If you are a visual learner.....aren't all artists?.....please stay tuned.  I will post a link for the class here when I improve my video skills. Check back!

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Here is another post you might enjoy the about Colour Arte products combined with a masking tape texture method:  Tempest...Acrylic paint with masking tape texture technique