ESSAY 2D Ink and Acrylic Painting Technique
<<BACKMETAMORPHOSE
9' x 4'2" Sumi ink and acrylic on raw canvas
Robecca Quammen Art Collection
A new mop brush in the studio is always exciting, though I must admit this particular tool brought an air of caution. The black ink markings on Metamorphose was created with a bespoke mop, designed for the way I paint unstretched canvas on the studio floor. Typically my heavy, ink-saturated mops are held vertically—the new mop features a counterweight to offset heaviness, creating a lightweight, horizontally balanced tool.
Working with the new mop, sans the heaviness, Metamorphose became a quantum leap in my work. Approaching the canvas I felt challenged as if standing in the threshold of a major creative shift, cautious to throw to the wind years of honing my personal style of brush painting with heavier, smaller tools—for this unfamiliar tool. Captivated and ultimately delighted by the liberation of weight, exploring new ratios of sumi ink, acrylic, and water for the new mop ensued for months on end.
Essay revised August 24, 2021 | Originally published 2011
9' x 4'2" Sumi ink and acrylic on raw canvas
Robecca Quammen Art Collection
A new mop brush in the studio is always exciting, though I must admit this particular tool brought an air of caution. The black ink markings on Metamorphose was created with a bespoke mop, designed for the way I paint unstretched canvas on the studio floor. Typically my heavy, ink-saturated mops are held vertically—the new mop features a counterweight to offset heaviness, creating a lightweight, horizontally balanced tool.
Working with the new mop, sans the heaviness, Metamorphose became a quantum leap in my work. Approaching the canvas I felt challenged as if standing in the threshold of a major creative shift, cautious to throw to the wind years of honing my personal style of brush painting with heavier, smaller tools—for this unfamiliar tool. Captivated and ultimately delighted by the liberation of weight, exploring new ratios of sumi ink, acrylic, and water for the new mop ensued for months on end.
Essay revised August 24, 2021 | Originally published 2011