What The Art Is Made Of

WHAT'S IT MADE OF?

Gouache (g'wah sh)

Gouache is a water-soluble paint similar to watercolor, and like watercolors it can be purchased in small tubes. Gouache is composed of pigments (colors) and a vegetable gum base, along with preservatives and other modifiers. Where watercolors are transparent in nature and quite thin in their constituency, gouache is opaque and can be quite thick in body, allowing for surface texture and a deep density of color saturation.

Gouache has often been used historically by designers, for layout and illustrative purposes, and by art teachers as a quick and easy tool in the classroom. Marc Chagall, a Russian painter in the early twentieth century, used gouache as a fine art medium.

I first began using gouache as a portable paint-box medium. It is a quick, gentle and easy medium to use when I'm painting outdoors. Recently I've been using it more and more in the studio. I use only lightfast colors in my palette.

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PASTEL
Pastels are pure pigment (colors in finely ground powder form) mixed to a paste with a finely ground chalk (calcium carbonate) and a light vegetable gum base, then molded or extruded into sticks and dried. I use only my own hand-crafted pastels, which are vibrantly rich with pure, light-fast pigments and tailored to my preference.

Edgar Degas, a French artist in the early nineteenth century, was well-known for his use of pastels, though the medium has been widely used by many other artists and is still well-loved by artists today.

Pastel can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces, including paper and prepared canvas. My works on canvas are treated with a special sealant to protect the pastels, so they may be displayed without glass. This allows the brilliance of the colors to really glow. Works on paper are usually displayed behind glass to protect the surface.

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ACRYLIC

Acrylic is a water-based medium composed of the pigments (colors) and a liquid plastic resin, along with other modifiers to create varying surface qualities (gloss or matte finishes or sculptural textures, for example). Acrylic paint undergoes a chemical transformation into an insoluble state when it dries. The brilliant color and flexible film of good acrylic paint results in a sturdy medium, curing to a tough film over time. I use only the highest quality light-fast paints. Works on wood are treated with an extremely durable protective coat. Works on canvas and paper are also varnished with a protective film.

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