The Acrylics Forum is Closed
When I began hosting it in 2006, I had originally hoped the forum for painters working in acrylics would become a useful resource for artists, as well as a point of artistic community on the web. In practice, it was more of a magnet for spammers and spam robots than a hub for artists, which is why it is officially closed.
Perhaps, in the future, and if there is interest, and if I have the time, I would consider starting a new forum in the same theme. I can still be reached by email (see my contact page on davidjayspyker.com), and friends and fellow artists are welcomed to leave comments here on my blog too.
Wishing you peace in your lives,
David Jay Spyker
Some Advice on Artist’s Support Media
I don’t recall where I originally gave the following advice on artist’s supports for painting, but it was in answer to an oil painter seeking a large scale, more rigid alternative to canvas or linen. He was concerned with longevity and cracking. I felt it might be of interest, so I’ve republished it here.
Everything will decay eventually, but a quality Masonite (or “hardboard”, as Masonite is a manufacturer of the product) should be every bit as reliable as any canvas or linen supports. Make sure to fully seal the edges and the back of any hardboard panels. Ideally, the back of any type of panel should be gessoed with the same number of layers as are applied to the front so as to create more even tension on both sides of the support, which will minimize warping. This will also serve to seal the wood materials from the air – ancient Egyptian wood that was painted can be found surviving rather well in tombs, while unpainted wood in the same tombs has rotted terribly. You could go one step further and apply some extra to the back to account for the layers of paint that will be applied to the front.
There is a tiny oil painting in the Art Institute of Chicago which was done on copper sheet. I don’t remember the date off hand, but it was hundreds of years old, and it looked like it was painted yesterday. Aside from potential dents, which will be difficult to remove, copper’s drawback is its weight when used in large sheets. Aluminum is lighter, but it is also much softer than copper.
I have painted on copper, stone, wood panel, birch plywood, hardboard, canvas, linen, and paper; I have also used canvas, linen, and paper mounted on wood and hardboard. The birch plywood actually performs very well, but is very heavy in large sheets. For anything large, I’d recommend you do stick with canvas or linen. I know you said you did not want to do that, but it is still potentially the best choice for large pieces.
Focus instead on proper layering and preparatory techniques for your painting to help prevent any problems that might occur over time. At some point in the future, it will be up to the conservators to ensure the longevity of your work. Existing in museums are hundreds of pieces on canvas that have been transferred to rigid supports. Museum conservators know what they are doing, and once you’re dead (before that actually), your work’s future will be totally beyond your control.
Another thing to consider, if cracking is a nagging worry, would be to try working in acrylics instead.
If you are up for some technical reading on the subject of choosing the proper hardboards as artist’s supports, I recommend the following page: http://www.true-gesso-panels.com/2003_stp_article.htm
A Trip to the Art Institute of Chicago
On a recent trip to Chicago we spent several hours in the Art Institute viewing our favorite paintings, and seeing some wonderful, recent acquisitions. It had been a long time since our last visit there – too long, really, maybe two, perhaps three years – and it was an interesting experience. Much of the American art collection had been rearranged, and the place had that weird, alien-yet-familiar feel at first.
In The Sea by Arnold Bocklin (detail)
I say it was an interesting experience because, from my perspective, I knew I would be viewing these pieces through eyes which have been changed by personal study, and through experience as a painter over the past few years. My hope was to see new things, new techniques, and expanded artistic languages and expressions within the layers of paint that hang upon those walls. I was not disappointed.
It is amazing how much a painter can learn about another artist and his techniques by studying his work up close. As I learn more, I come to see more information twinkling in a masterpiece, and the more I see, the more I learn. I find myself wondering what I will see and understand after another decade or two of study and painting.
On this visit, I was paying particular attention to the various representations of water in the American landscapes, and in the more classical realistic works. There was something I sought, and I think that perhaps I found it, but only time at the easel will reveal what fruits will be borne of the experience. I am hoping for a rich harvest.
Remember to visit often the things you love, lest your soul starve, and your heart wither.
~David Jay Spyker
KIA Artbreak Slide Presentation
I will be giving a brief presentation at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 for the KIA’s Artbreak series. It will begin 12:15, and should run approximately twenty minutes. The slides will feature a selection of paintings from 1995 through 2005 as I give my thoughts on each piece.
A Brief Thought on Artistic Community
Recent events in my own life have reminded me of the importance of community between artists. It is all too easy to become insular, isolated, when living as an artist. Our work requires hours of solitary action, observation, and thought, but without creative interaction – between artists, and also between artists and the world at large – there is indeed a certain void in our lives.
“Flow” Wins Award
"Flow", 2006, Acrylics on Canvas, 20" x 24", by David Jay Spyker
David Jay Spyker has been awarded The Martin Maddox Prize for Imaginative Realist Painting at the Kalamazoo Area Show for “Flow”, a painting in acrylics on canvas. The prize is named after the artist Martin Maddox – who was a friend of Mr. Spyker – and it has been awarded at the show each year since Maddox’s death in 1997. Martin Maddox was known for the emotive, evocative, and imaginative style of his figurative paintings in oils and pastels.
The Kalamazoo Area Show is an annual regional art competition held at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. This year’s installment runs from July 1 – August 26, 2006; the show drew 718 entries (a record number), of which only 158 were accepted for exhibition by juror Tim Lowly. It is a very strong show this year, and is well worth the visit.
The Painting “Someday” in Battle Creek Competition
"Someday", by David Jay Spyker, (2005, Acrylics on Board, 4 x 6 in.)
The small painting, “Someday”, is currently on display as part of the 27th Annual Michigan Artists’ Competition at the Art Center of Battle Creek in Battle Creek, Michigan. The show, which includes 55 works by 43 regional artists, was judged by Jane Connell, Director of Collections and Exhibitions/Senior Curator of the Muskegon Museum of Art in Michigan. It runs from June 2 through July 1, 2006.
The Acrylic Painters’ Forum
A forum for and about representational painters working in acrylics.
When I first began painting with acrylics, there were no local teachers instructing students about the finer points and advanced techniques of the medium. The medium is young when compared to oils, and has undergone significant changes and improvements in just the last decade. Even now, the number of advanced acrylic painting instructors is small, and the medium’s potential is still being explored and developed by both the artists and the acrylics manufacturers.
I learned to work with acrylics by experimentation, and by reading every book I could find on the subject. In the beginning, I tried many different brands of paint, until I finally discovered artists’ acrylics made by Golden Paints. More than a decade ago, Golden was there with detailed technical advice in the form of product data sheets, color indices, and such. There were times I spoke with the head of their laboratory over the phone; Mark Golden even answered the phone once, and I spoke with him for a while.
Teaching oneself to paint, while rewarding, can be an arduous journey. I would like the discussions in this forum to provide the same level of support and assistance to acrylic painters that Golden has always supplied to artists – to make the journey a little less arduous. I hope this forum will provide a place where representational painters working in acrylics can share techniques and ideas, and develop a sense of community. Together, we can lift each others’ art to greater levels of mastery.
I invite representational painters working in acrylics, and anyone interested in the style and medium, the art, and the artists to join the forum at http://www.acrylicsforum.davidjayspyker.com/.
The acrylics forum has since been closed: http://www.acrossthewaters.davidjayspyker.com/2007/11/23/the-acrylics-forum-is-closed/