Blogger Blues and Vodka Paintings

I may not have blogged for some eight months, but I have at least been painting!  My passion for blogging, like painting, can surge and ebb, subject to mysterious forces-- the phase of the moon, daily chores, winter blues, or any number of other excuses.  But, it is a comfort to know I can return to the blogosphere with few taking notice of my extended absence, there being no shortage of bloggers these days.  Ahhhh, a blessing . . . and a curse.




And, yes, Vodka Paintings!

One exciting experience I had while on my blogging hiatus was my initiation into the world of vodka painting on Yupo paper, one of several innovative techniques developed by Steve Holford of Fairbanks.

His recent mini-workshop in North Pole was quite the riot of thumping music, vodka girls dispensing shots from holstered squeeze bottles, and vibrant pigments, hand-ground and specially formulated by Steve himself.  It was fun, liberating, and just a little intoxicating, though no one actually partook of the vodka-infused paint medium for fear of ingesting some cadmium and growing extra body parts.

Steve is holding his favorite brand of spirits, used as a paining medium in his "Vodka Skapes."

And here is Sue Cole with her vodka painting during the workshop.

Here are several examples of the vodka paintings I did during and after the workshop.

Green Glow - sold

The northern lights, with an nice yellow-green glow.  The sharp eye may detect a portion of the sky that was digitally manipulated to enhance the shape of the lights.

Palpable Orange - sold

Gauze was placed on the paper, straight vodka painted over the top, then regular watercolor paint dropped in and swirled around.  The Yupo paper, which is non-permeable, keeps the pigments suspended on top of the paper, making the colors very intense.

Vodka Lights - sold

This was the painting I did in Steve's workshop, with his hand-ground pigments and synthetic webbing material like that used for Halloween spider webs.

Raven Lights - Currently vailable at Gallery49, Fairbanks

The black details in silhouette are painted with Sumi-e paint, a very thick, opaque Chinese paint.

Tweet Chicks - Available during early May at Phillips Gallery in Fairbanks.

Painting precise, detailed subjects is extremely difficult on Yupo paper, as it easily smears and puddles.  This polypropylene paper has a very slick surface which causes paint to pool and move around freely.

Next posting:  sooner than later!