Forest Fae, alcohol ink and acrylic on Yupo paper, 16½ x 12 (42 x 30 cm) One of my signature fairies. They were a product of some imaginative play with my inks and a great way to express myself.
I am a mixed media artist from England and have been an artist for many years, taking my first commission as a teenager. Over my life, I have tried many different ways of creating work, but I now specialize in fluid media and a great deal of mixed media. The last couple of years, I have dedicated my time to my art more than ever and love the life that it gives me.
Most of my inspiration comes from nature, music and landscapes. However, I am also influenced by mythical stories and many abstract works. Ever since I was young, I was told I was “away with the fairies”—I guess there is a lot of truth in that! I started working with fluids because I immediately enjoyed the effects it was creating and found I could not stop.
The fluids I work with are high pigment inks, mixed with an isopropanol alcohol, known more commonly as alcohol inking. I love working this way because it allows for the colors to be moved around on a non-porous surface. For this, most of the time I use Yupo which is a synthetic paper, but I can also use primed and sealed canvas, ceramic tiles and much more. The combination of the ink, alcohol and non-porous surface means I can create pools of color and move them around the surface, forming shapes and patterns. It allows me to create textures and depths to my work that I had never seen before. On top of this, I will sometimes use acrylic paints to bring out more detailed images.
This story is from the June - July 2021 edition of International Artist.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June - July 2021 edition of International Artist.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Intrigue in the ordinary
I've \"'ve never had any formal training always had a strong attraction to the arts and the practice of painting
Paper Textures
John Lovett guides us through the varying properties of different watercolor surfaces
Creating Ambiance
Mona Parker Weidner selects colors palettes and light sources that emphasize the mood of her interior scenes
Visual Depth
Blending and smoothing with solvents, Holly Siniscal creates painterly portraits in colored pencil
Sharp Precision
Working with craft blades and tattoo needles, Conor Smith etches realistic renderings of wildlife
The architecture of water
When Then I moved from Toronto to a tiny community in Nova Scotia, I became fascinated by the ocean, its reflections and endlessly shifting patterns of color and light
Saturated World
Emphasizing the beauty of nature, Joe A. Oakes paints landscapes with warm colors and imaginative compositions
Pure Bliss
Working alla prima, Andreas Liss takes on a loose, unbridled approach in his artwork
Sculpting the Paint
Using a palette knife allows oil painter Maria Iva to create clean colors and rich textures
Forwad MOMENTUM
Artist Lisa Gleim shares the evolution of her career and how she grew into her preferred medium of pastels
