Excited about acrylic paints

I attended a free 2-hour seminar last Sunday at the White Bear Center for the Arts on using acrylic paints, gels, mediums, etc. The terrific instructor, Bonnie Cutts, was a “working artist”, a consultant trained & paid by Golden Artists Colors, Inc. The company has a lot of info on their website, including videos, for learning how to use their products.

I don’t intend to become a painter (I’ve got enough distractions & diversions already!), but the creative possibilities with acrylic media are inviting & intriguing. One can tint the acrylic medium to create subtle, colorful built-up layers; fasten materials to a collage; make an acrylic skin and print on it with an inkjet printer; and much more!

On the way home, I stopped at Wet Paint to get some papers for the upcoming nature printing class at White Bear Center for the Arts Sat., Sept. 25. As I was telling Langen, one of the knowledgeable, personable members of the Wet Paint staff about the uplifting experience I’d just had, Langen told me that all of the Golden products are on sale at a 40% discount through the end of September!! Naturally I purchased some and plan to test them for printing leaves, intending to work acrylics into the class curriculum. Isn’t life exciting?!

Inspiring new book

I can barely sit still. Just delivered was a book I ordered in May that I purchased with “doubloons” given to me by friends, Lotus & Edward.

The name of the book is: Eco Colour: Botanical Dyes for Beautiful Textiles by India Flint.

The color photos are very appealing & illustrative of processes and materials.

Some (but not all) of the information covered in various chapters covers: natural dyes—a context, collecting plants, equipment & a place to work, harvesting & storing plants for dyeing, preparing to dye, mordants, processing plant dyes, eucalyptus dyes (the author lives in South Australia), beyond eucalyptus, special effects, resists, solar dyeing, disposal of wastes, further readings, and websites.

Who knows how much overlap there is with botanical specimens in Minnesota, but I’m eager to try. Our garden may evolve from growing plants to print and attract bees and butterflies to adding plants from which I can make natural dyes. I’ll keep you informed!

I must be productive until the end of the day when I may sit on the porch and gaze through this magical book.