I have been spending a lot of time testing new media the last few months. Watercolors, sheet acrylic, opaque paint markers, overhead projector… a LOT of new stuff. I think I’ve gotten this down to a permanent set up. No more fading due to exposure to air or light. Much easier to clean without worrying about wiping off the black lines. I’ve been looking into efficient illumination like LEDs and EL wire. I’ve even been thinking about embedding the EL wire into the glue itself… But that will take time to learn. I’m getting there though…

So without the flowery… This is only a test.

Oh! I should tell you that if you’d like more information about the paintings on a regular basis (sometimes daily) I will try to put captions on the photos on my Facebook page.

http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_7472c18f-4641-5728-92a6-76a8fd129a2a.html

I started with ink. I thought of how beautiful it looks on rough paper, like milk on a tongue. I thought it would be transparent. Turns out not so much…

Stretched Out, Ink test one

Here you can see one of the suncatcher designs, Stretched Out, with a nice purple ink tinted glue. You can also see how much i care if my nail polish has chipped. Anyway… You can see that there is some amount of light getting through but nothing like what I was getting before with the food coloring. I wanted this shade, which is good, it means I understand how the ink mixes, but the solid particles of the pigment block out the light.

Stretched Out, backside

Here i was looking to get some of the splatter and bleed effect i got previously from flicking droplets of food coloring onto the glue’s surface. As you can see here, the pigments don’t bleed. I’m guessing it’s from the solidity. It just rests on top, flecks here and there, without spreading at all.

Angel's Morning, Ink test one

Here it is even more evident. I used straight white glue for the wings then dragged a little of the blue tinted glue through it to attempt a shading technique. As you can see, the blue pigment reveals itself as specks.

Angel's Morning, wing test

Fortunately, for me, it works quite well on this piece. Both of these techniques will not be thrown out completely. I think it’s wonderful that now i know how to create these effects should I need to!

Chani, Ink test one

Here on Chani you can see where gravity has decided to instruct me as well. I can see that if I would like thin layers of pale colors then i can utilize the inks just fine. Too bad I love the intensity that color brings.

I have also tested two different types of watercolors, to be expounded upon soon. After that I’d like to see what black ink does…

Dryad, approx 3'x4.5'

This is just being called Dryad for now. The drawing pad beneath it is 2′x3′ so the measurements above may be off. This is being made out of two panes of glass and I plan on framing them together. I just love the tree reflected in the glass in this photo. I know you can’t see it all too well but, have faith, you will soon enough.

Bored Boy, approx 1'x4'

Again, temporary title. Bored Boy was something I sketched out of my head… I love having the center of focus off center. I am telling you this just in case you’ve been reading and missed the obvious. (Just teasing…)

Chani, 4" square suncatcher

I am going to be doing a series of sun-catchers. Alas, in true Syren form, they will not be for everyone’s kitchen window. I’m doing a series of nudes first and maybe later I’ll consider something G rated. This is from a doodle from about 10 years ago.

Flight, 4" sun-catcher

Another one from the same day’s doodles… At first I thought she was falling. Today i saw the direction her hair was going…

Girl/downup, 9"x12"

From a speed sketch I did today. I’m testing new brushes and the non-concrete form of the sketch let me play a lot.

Lonely, 9"x12"

This is a teeny tiny painting on a 9″x12″ piece of glass, off center of course…

Cliff Tree, 9"x12"

Now this one I’m incredibly excited about. I plan on blowing the sketch up and making it into another two panel 3′x4′ like Dryad. I plan on experimenting with a bunch of different color schemes so you can expect to see this one a few times. I really like the way this medium is set up because I have the freedom to experiment with the same image, over and over. Also, if someone wants one that’s sold or wants something in a different color all they have to do is ask and 9 times out of 10 I will be able to do it.

Angel's Dance, 4" square sun-catcher

Another nudie sun-catcher. Funny thing, once I had a not-so-sober epiphany during a barbecue that if you watch the way light hits our skin you can see how it actually penetrates a few layers making us all into giant sun-catchers who dance in the light we make. It was an awesome barbecue.

One last thing to mention: I can’t seem to find a proper stat counter! If you know of one that lets me know how many hits I am getting, please let me know in the comments! Heck, comment anyway!!