Go With the FLOW!

 Happy New Year!
2024 offered many opportunities for inspiration from wildlife, including these fabulous fish. The brown carp are residents of a local lake and are always so excited to see folks coming onto the dock. I remember seeing them with my Dad many years ago, and I finally was able to capture a good reference photo while on a trip with my kids this past September.  The Koi are from  an Art Center in Wheeling that I visit with friends. Their energy is captivating. I'm inspired by their tumult of patterns and textures along with the splashing water.
​   I was mildly surprised to learn that KOI and Carp are related, so I decide to "dive in and splash around" with these beautiful creatures!
​   I had played with paper marbling this Spring and had several sheets of 140lb Arches cold press to play with. I thought the pattern of the ink resembled water and I wanted to see if I could "swim " my fish in that.
   I had shown "Lilly Don't be Koi" in our 2024 Aqueous Exhibit, and wanted to continue the water theme. I had in my my mind a variety of colors other than brown for the carp, but mainly wanted to get the textures of the scales. After many layers and hours of fun, I still wasn't happy with the result. The carp felt drab and overworked, and so was I. I put it away at the back of the table and played with some new hand made and iridescent paints. I love the idea of using hand made materials and the iridescent ones really take off when you touch them to water. These are BEAM paints created by indigenous peoples of Lake Huron. You can find them in specialty shops in the Mountains or look them up at www.BEAMPAINTS.com .
   I had so much fun experimenting!  I was able to finish the "Carpe Diem" painting them move on to develop my skill with the Koi. I made some 4x6 practice cards and did more than 50 Koi in assorted shapes and sizes. I'm trying to keep them light and loose so I can let the marbled paper show through in my next painting. 
   I have several works planed in my "idea book" for the marbled paper. I can't wait to see what comes "swimming down the creek" in 2025!

​Happy Painting! :)