Flowing, Vibrant Color

"Abstract Art is

part of the constant change

and vital searching that

energizes every true art."

~ Leonard Brooks

Alcohol Ink on Yupo paper

Alcohol Ink Print on Metal

Come Join us for an exciting abstract workshop using alcohol inks!

Yupo Paper Giveaway!

Announcing a Yupo Paper Giveaway Sponsored by Legion Paper! This contest will be open to Yupo Artists in the USA and Canada. Complete details will be released soon. There will be six prizes, each totaling more than $70.USD in retail value! To become eligible and receive all details as they become available, join the YUPO ARTISTS GROUP ON FACEBOOK HERE. #DoItOnYupo  #LegionPaper  #YupoWithSandy

 Good luck and happy creating!

X ♥  O

 

Watercolor on Yupo Class at Rehoboth Art League, Delaware

 “Life remains unchanged till a leap of faith
runs towards heaven.”
~ Santosh Kalwar

Saturday, June 10th,  1 - 4 - The Rehoboth Art League, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Come discover how forgiving and fun painting on tree-free Yupo paper is! Paint a "rainbow feather" (or two or three), in transparent watercolor on synthetic Yupo paper. The basics of painting on Yupo will be discussed while the instructor demonstrates. Students will then have the opportunity to create their own with the "tricks and tips" and hands-on guidance.

Watercolor sits on the surface of Yupo paper, so you don't lose 30% of the brightness like you do on regular rag watercolor paper. You will love creating these feathers. It is simple, fast paced and done without any preliminary drawing! It is fun for all skill levels.

All Yupo paper will be supplied by Legion Paper. Students will only need to bring their watercolor supplies. Instructor -- Sandy Sandy  See more information and register here.

"A person’s mind, once stretched by a new idea,

never regains its original dimensions."

 ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

See supplies needed for the class here.

Tips For Painting on Yupo Paper in Watercolor and Alcohol Ink

“Refuse to give up, your mistakes don't define you.
They don't dictate where you're headed,

they remind you”

~T. J. Harris

New -  FREE Download

12 Tips For Painting in Alcohol Ink on Yupo Paper

Also See

12 Tips For Painting in Watercolor on Yupo Paper

Removing Oil Spots on Yupo Paper

"A teacher is one who makes herself progressively unnecessary."

~ Thomas Carruthers

Use Dawn Dish Soap to remove grease spots

See the step by step slide show here:

Thanks so much for your friendship,

X ♥  O

Happy Creating!

Evaluating Yupo Paper Vs. PI-180

"What works for one artist doesn't necessarily work for another - try anything and everything and go with what works for you."

~ Paul Dixon

Yupo paper Vs. PI-180 Comparison Test

A few months back, Rocheux International in Sommerset, NJ contacted me about trying out their synthetic paper. Chris wrote to me that his company supplies a similar product to Yupo and asked if I'd be interested in evaluating their product. I agreed to let them know how their paper compares.

Provided with some of their PI-180 grade, which was closest to the 74# white Yupo., I immediately noticed that it was not quite as heavy as the 74# and had a slicker surface.

Yesterday, after a little prodding from Chris, some tests were conducted. using alcohol inks - the same colors and process on each set, (Yupo on the left and PI-180 on the right). Each set was painted simultaneously and the sequence and timing were relatively the same for both.

Out of all the tests, I liked the Yupo the best for the ability to lift the pigment from the paper. The surface of the PI-180, although slicker, seemed to drag more as if working on a paper with more tooth. Notice how the middle paintings differ. Once set, the ink hardly moved with the splattering of alcohol on the PI-180. That being said, I really love the colors on the PI-180 in the bottom set.

Playing around a little with watercolor on them and yeilded similar results. The pigment on the PI-180 surface seemed to drag and not lift as easily as on the Yupo.

Bottom line - These experiments are only the tip of the iceberg. Many more would have to be done, using more techniques and mediums to come to more firm conclusions. The PI-180 may be a viable alternative when using some techniques. Price comparison, where it is made, if and when this paper will be available to the public is unknown to me. If you wish to find out more and possibly get some samples to test for yourself, you can contact Chris at: ykao@rocheux.com

"All life is an experiment.

The more experiments you make the better."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Creating!!

X ♥  O

 

The Colors And Textures of Imagination

"Abstraction allows man to see with his mind 

what he cannot physically see with his eyes... 

Abstract art enables the artist 

to perceive beyond the tangible, 

to extract the infinite out of the finite. 

It is the emancipation of the mind."

~ Arshile Gorky

"Before" and "After" photos from my newest video.

Set Energy in Motion

 "As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life." 

~ John Lubbock

Learning Patience

"Artistry is an innate distrust of the theory of

reality concocted by the five senses." 

~ Robert Brault

The Successful Artist

See more "Before" and "After" photos

in my newest video.

 "Art is your emotions flowing

in a river of imagination."

~ Devin

Keep on rollin', rollin' on a river,

X ♥  O

Everything Connected With Autumn

"Over everything connected with autumn 

there lingers some golden spell - 

some unseen influence 

that penetrates the soul  with

its mysterious power."

See Sandy's Abstracts in Room Settings here.

Some Golden Spell

 "Poets and artists who speak
of the mystery are rare."
~ Joseph Cambell

Embrace the mysteries of life,

X ♥  O

The Ultimate Quest

"First, one seeks to become an artist 

by training the hand – techniques. 

Then one finds it is the eye 

that needs improving – drawing skills.

 Later, one learns it is the mind that

 wants developing – design or composition; 

only to discover that the ultimate quest 

of the artist is in the spirit – content."

~ Larry Brullo

September 2015 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day Thirty

See abstracts in room settings here.

"It is a shameful thing to be weary of inquiry
when what we search for is excellence."
~ Cicero

See (E and F) Soul Searching here and here.

Prints of this painting in different orientations are available here.

See this image framed here.

"Sometimes you have to go through something else
to find what you're looking for."
~ Robert Genn

Another 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge has come to an end. I can hardly believe it's over. After doing it five previous times, I can honestly say that they do get easier. I am glad I took this opportunity to turbo- charge my career. Accelerated production has a way of clarifying the search and adding velocity to the journey. I want to thank each and every one of you for your wonderful feedback, support and for coming along on this wild, amazing, abstract, alcohol ink ride with me!

"There's always a way to do it better. Find it."

~ Thomas Edison

Come back tomorrow to see the wrap up collage of all 30 of my alcohol ink abstracts!

Thanks so much for your friendship, 

 X ♥  O

Mysterious Entity

"We all move on the fringes of eternity and  are

 sometimes granted vistas through fabric of illusion. 

Many refuse to admit it: I feel a mystery exists. 

There are certain times, when, as on the 

whisper of the wind, there comes a clear and quiet

realization that there is indeed a presence in the 

world, a nonhuman entity that is not necessarily inhuman."

~ Ansel Adams

September 2015 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day Twenty-seven

See Sandy's Abstracts in Room Settings here.

"The job of the artist is to always deepen the mystery."

~ Francis Bacon

See Whirling Whisper here

See framed prints of this painting here.

Prints of this painting in different orientations are available here.

"A painting requires a little mystery,

some vagueness, some fantasy.

When you always make

your meaning perfectly plain,

you end up boring people."
~ Edgar Degas

"Poets and artists who speak
of the mystery are rare."
~ Joseph Cambell

Embrace the mysteries of life,

X ♥  O

Like A Gardener

"My kind of composing is more
like the work of a gardener. 
The gardener takes his seeds and scatters them,
knowing what he is planting but not quite
what will grow where and when;

and he won't necessarily be able to
reproduce it again afterwards either."

~ Brian Eno

September 2015 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day Twenty-six

"One compositional element suggests and asks for another. This is what makes the activity interesting." 

~ Robert Genn

See  Scattering Seeds here

See this piece framed.

Prints of this painting in different orientations are available here.

"The relationships of shape, texture, and color

all contribute to the creative action that

gradually becomes the expressive concept."

~ Marilyn Hughey Phillis

"Composition is the gravity that holds a painting together."
 ~ Frank Webb

X ♥  O