11 April 2022 – SoFlat acrylic paints by Golden have arrived. They look good, but Golden only sells them in 2-ounce and 4-ounce jars – not enough for a large painting. Golden likely is aiming for the illustrator market. SoFlat is a new product for Golden and only came out in February 2021, so maybe they will produce more significant amounts at a lower per-ounce cost in time. Unfortunately, that does not help me now.
Mixed Media in Westdale (Hamilton) is looking around for alternative producers of flat acrylic paints available in larger qualities. Guerra Paint and Pigments out of New York City is great, but the import duties plus exchange rates make it impractical cost-wise. Not sure what is going on with Curry’s in Hamilton, their in-stock paint supplies is crap. Maybe it is supply chain issues, but even online is not great. For SoFlat, I had to order from Above Ground art supplies out of Toronto. However, I like supporting local, and Curry’s has always been my go-to store. I will use Mixed Media more – if they can get stuff for me.
My goal is to create a foundation of flat colour in a patchwork pattern, removing all signs of the brush and having each block of colour flat and matted. On top of this layer, I want to layer oil paints in a pattern of dots or lines to create the shading and texture of the work (like Damien Hirst’s Cherry Blossom paintings). With luck, the oil will contrast nicely with the acrylic foundation and add a layer of complexity that will help slow the reading of the painting by the viewer, like what Gerhard Richter’s blurred photography paintings achieved.
The new flat paints combined with oils are part of a new direction that I am trying out for the representational art that I am developing for the Elizabeth Gardens Project. I am also re-examining my approach to space and colour, but I haven’t settled on anything yet. I am still experimenting at the moment.
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Chris Erskine - News 