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Hello Everyone, I hope you had a fabulous holiday season and are enjoying the start of the New Year! For my friends in the northern part of the U.S., it’s a good time to be indoors and painting given the frigid temperatures outside. In early December, I came across a YouTube video by Myriam’s Nature introducing Kielty Inks from Ireland. It certainly peaked my interest. The colors looked rich, and the company had developed products that were advertised as non-toxic. I quickly went to the website to find the company offers: inks; a retarding mixative to extend the working time […]
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Hello Everyone, It seems I find myself creating lots of alcohol ink art paintings of poinsettias at this time of year to send as holiday greetings to friends and family. As I sit here writing this blog, I gaze out the window at poinsettias both in my front yard and the neighbors. Always curious, I start to wonder, what is the symbolism of the poinsettia at Christmas time? So, I went exploring to find out, and here is what I discovered: Origin of the poinsettia These festive flowers are native to Central America. According to history, the Aztecs used the […]
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Hello Everyone, Well, it’s officially autumn here in Florida. Which means the humidity drops a little and it’s not 100 degrees every day with the heat index. I do miss the changing of the leaves and the crisp fall air. It is always a reminder that the holidays are coming. But, regardless, it is time for me to paint Christmas ornaments for an upcoming art and craft show here in Mt. Dora, FL on October 27 and 28. They were a big seller last year in the Gallery and fun to make. I recently had an artist ask if I […]
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Hello Everyone, I hope you had a great time experimenting with making alcohol ink and resin coasters with your silicone mold. Now, you could leave the disk the way it came out of the mold. But, it might have a somewhat sharp lip on it. And, that doesn’t give it a finished look. Let me share with you the next steps to achieve that smooth, highly polished look that I created. You will need: • A container of water big enough to dip the disk into • Wet/Dry sandpaper 200 grit • Paper towels • Small plastic cup or another […]
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Hello Everyone, It seems that a lot of artists are interested in using resin with alcohol inks in their art these days. From resin top coats on paintings, flowing colored resin on a hard surface to make abstract art, to using molds to create resin shapes with interesting patterns created by the combination with alcohol ink, the possibilities are endless. Intrigued by a resin and alcohol ink “petri” that another artist sent me, I had to experiment. I already had Art Resin brand resin and alcohol inks in the studio, so I ordered silicone molds. I played with molds to […]
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Each Saturday when I am at my gallery, I spend time talking with my students and visitors about my art. Yes, there are many questions about what alcohol ink is… no, it is not drinking and painting… yes, it is a dye and alcohol compound. I am often questioned about what inspires me to create many different types of art from abstract to representational, blooms to landscapes, and of course the mixed media Caity Girls. So this is a picture of my current gallery wall of art. Let’s start here… I am always inspired by nature. I grew up with […]
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