Painting

GALLERY

Acrylic Paintings Dimensional Powder Paintings Vitreous Enamel Paintings

Vitreous Enamel on Glass

As a glass artist, I have been seeking new ways to use salvaged glass. I have found that I can use many of the same mark making techniques with a variety of vitreous enamels. I can create depth through multiple pieces of glass or multiple enamel layers. I can add texture by applying the enamel in different viscosities, including dry, and by firing at different temperatures. In fact, temperature has a direct impact on color, and can be very useful.

I chose to use vitreous enamel paintings for a large number of pieces in Before We’re Gone 2019.

Dimensional Powder Paintings

Dimensional powder paintings are created with finely ground powdered glass that is applied through sifters. Some of the sifters are wide, some narrow, and I also use a tool, called a chakpur, that is similar to the ones the Tibetan Monks use to create sand mandalas. The chakpur is a copper cone with ridges on it. A bamboo stick similar to a chopstick is rubbed along the ridges to control the flow of the powdered glass. The powders are fired at lower temperatures than traditionally used for fused glass, which helps them retain their texture, rather than melting.

Acrylic Paintings

Over the years, most of my paintings have been based in acrylics. Recent acrylics are either on recycled canvas, such as used drop cloths, or on wood cradle boards. I often use salvaged house paint as a base, and mix my own colors with acrylic pigments.

Many of the pieces in the Before We’re Gone series were painted with house paint on recycled canvas.