Day 21 – Blue Hue
Well, Blue Hue is an interesting piece…
I searched for years to find a non-brittle resin that could be painted with, and with a fast curing time so it would retain its form. I wanted to extend my work beyond the boundaries of the picture plane. It was only after collaborating with a polymer chemist that I found what I was searching for.
This is an industrial resin, usually used at sea to fix oil rigs and buoys, and it has all the qualities I am after!
See more 3 dimensional resin paintings in my online portfolio and also at gallery/ten
Day 20 – Exuding
It’s the final week of the exhibition! Read the latest newsletter and see photos from the gallery/ten show in Cardiff: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=6b55c4d4046f3077f616c8d86&id=300bfdf339&e=
Exhibition until 30th November 2013; gallery/ten, Windsor Place, Cardiff open 10 – 6 tues – fri + 10 – 5 sat
http://gallery-ten.co.uk/artists/ruth_mclees.html
Day 19 – Chroma 5
The colours revealed in Chroma 4 are truly intriguing. What I also found to be intriguing was the way the glaze reacted with the resin as it dried. The colour bubbled up and formed 3 dimensional raised areas on the tile. Why? Who knows! That’s the beauty of experimentation! But I have the process recorded and it appears to be repeatable. I’ll discuss the whys with the polymer chemist when we next meet up.
This is one of the greatest perks of a project focussed on experimentation. I can mix any substance with any other, observe the reactions and see where it takes me. If it works I log the process, take photos and continue, and if not, well it’s back to the drawing board. I can never predict successfully what will happen but the more I work with these substances, the more I’ve been able to refine what I do and achieve results that get me somewhere. I love the surprise element and the creation of unexpected beauty!
Day 18 – Luma
The Chroma Utopia exhibition is on until 30th November at gallery/ten, first floor, 23 Windsor Pl, Cardiff CF10 3BY
I’ll be in the gallery from 1 – 3pm on 30th November, the last day of the show! Pop in for a chat, learn some more about the project and perhaps even snap up an arty Christmas gift!
Day 17 – Black to Bloom No 2
Black to Bloom describes the ‘blooming’ of the pigment as it spreads out through the glaze. The pigment diffuses and mimics the circular spots already on the canvas. This painting is composed of a multitude of different layers to play with the viewer’s perception of space and depth within the picture plane. The canvas is semi-transparent, and then layered with acrylic glazes to create the image. The whole thing is then coated with resin into which is suspended a layer of chromatic pigment, both obscuring and enhancing the image beneath.
Today was spent with the art and design students at Gower College, Swansea. I was one of a group of entrepreneur role models invited into the college to talk about our businesses and inspire the students with hints and tips about how to succeed in their chosen creative careers. I was truly impressed with the input and response from many of the students and am sure they’ll go on to great things as long as they remember to follow their passions and believe in themselves.
The whole event was arranged by Big Ideas Wales, a wonderful organisation that exists to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and get the young people of Wales interested in starting up their own businesses. I left art college without a clue about business but managed somehow to navigate my way through by trial end error to the place I am today. I only wish something like this had existed when I graduated. I think it was just my stubbornness and determination to prove that it is possible to make money from art that kept me going through all the hardships and pitfalls of being an artist. Art can be a successful business but you need to learn how to operate as a business in order to make things happen.
