Surface Treatment Workshop

Surface Treatment Workshop – Week 13

Evelyn Flint

Today sees a return to the Surface Treatment Workshop after a few weeks break for my holiday and time for me to recover from a rather unpleasant injury. Week 13 is about using pastes. I used Galeria Modelling Paste.  Here’s what I did with it…

Week 13 - Pastes - Collage 1 - NB

Pastes are very good for embedding objects into your art work. Above, after applying my paste (not too thinly) I pressed some papers, cardboard and some rusty washers into the paste. The washers were quite chunky and heavy but the paste did a great job of sticking them down. I then simply applied a thin wash of pale blue acrylic paint over the paste.

Week 13 - Pastes - Collage 2 - NB

In the above sample, after applying the paste I embedded some papers and then I used a number of different things to make marks in the paste around the paper. I used a round cardboard tube and some bubble wrap. When the paste was dry I painted over the paste with pale blue and turquoise paint and highlighted some of the marks in the paste with gel pens.

Week 13 - Pastes - Emboss 1 - NB

Pastes are very good for embossing patterns into. Above I applied my paste to some thick paper and then pressed some swirly shapes into the paste. When it had dried I painted the shapes with blue, gold and turquoise acrylic paint.

Below is another similar sample:

Week 13 - Pastes - Emboss 2 - NB

I simply applied a pale turquoise acrylic paint to this one. These shapes turned out quite well.

So then to sum up my findings for this weeks workshop I would say pastes are a very useful commodity to have among my art supplies. I don’t think I will be using huge amounts of it but it will come in handy on occasions and it is very easy to use – does what it says on the tin… ! As always, these samples will be stuck into my dedicated STW sketchbook!

Next weeks Surface Treatment Workshop is about skins – this could turn out quite interesting. Looking forward to it…

30 thoughts on “Surface Treatment Workshop – Week 13”

  5. I love to see what you are doing with paste! Love your signature colors and creative multi-media textures and creations!!! Hope you are doing ok as you mentioned a recent injury!

  6. I like these. For some reason I am thinking, cake frosting. Oh dear. Anyway, I especially like the found objects’ contributions – intriguing. And the colors you used are so peaceful and clear.

  7. Being an unreformed texture junkie, I adore your experiments with the moulding paste, Evelyn! Because Shoshi’s a cheapskate, she uses Polyfilla instead, though! Cheap as chips in comparison, and it does a great job! I get the ready-mixed Polyfilla One-Fill in a tub – it has a lovely smooth texture. Everyone’s always very amused when I tell them I use Polyfilla in my art. Thank you for your visit – I’ve made some progress on my hand-made paper mini-album and have just updated my blog so you can see the work so far.

    Shoshi

      1. Our addiction is cheaper than crack cocaine, isn’t it, Evelyn! And, I think, a whole lot more fun too! Glad you have some Polyfilla too! Thank you for your lovely comment – I’m glad you like my latest project. I did some more this afternoon and have just updated my blog again. I think the pictures are more dramatic now. Yes, I’ve been through a lot with my health, but I am still very much here and enjoying life immensely – every day is a gift!! I have a great deal to be thankful for. I didn’t make the hand-made paper – it’s been in my stash for ages, and I think it was from some recycled wedding service sheets I picked up after a wedding once. When it’s all gone, I shall probably try making some myself!

        Shoshi

  8. Some very good ideas on texture, Evelyn. Thank you. What is the light blue you’re using or do you mix your own? Also, wishing you safety in the days ahead – it’s a bummer to be laid up but…on the happy side, hopefully your hands and head enjoyed more time for art.

    1. Thank you Carol! The pale blue colour I mixed myself – white acrylic paint mixed with a tiny amount of Prussian Blue acrylic paint. I also mixed turquoise with white acrylic paint too for a light aqua colour for the last sample. I do sometimes use Reeves Pale Powder Blue acrylic paint (quite a nice paler blue colour) but I like to mix that with some white too to tone it down a bit….

  11. Thanks for another great comment, Evelyn. I am so glad you enjoyed reading about my little book and that you found it inspiring. It was very much a spur of the moment project but I so enjoyed doing it and got a lot of satisfaction from it too. I really appreciate your kind words, coming from such an accomplished artist as yourself!

    hope you are having a lovely weekend.
    Shoshi

  12. Sorry to hear about your injury, hope you’re feeling better soon. I love the textures you’ve achieved and fascinating to see you can actually stick quite substantial things down with modeling paste.

    1. Thank you Sunnyfae, I’m now fully recovered and not even any significant scars left, I was very fortunate…! Yes, modelling paste is such useful stuff, it will stick quite heavy items and awesome for creating textures…

  14. Very cool! I haven’t thought of using modelling paste this way – I tend to just push it through a stencil. Embedding sounds like a great idea! Hope your injury has healed by now! Thanks for visiting last week, Evelyn 😉

    1. Thank you Zsuzsa! I’m completely recovered now thank you. Embedding and embossing with modelling paste is great fun and adds interest to art work… !

  16. Just been catching up on blog reading and looked through all your recent posts. I love all the colours you use – they are so soft and soothing and the techniques that you use to get the effects are so clever. Sorry to see you had an injury and glad you are on the mend 🙂

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