OCTOBER 2, 2013 PROGRAM - BARBARA SAILOR
Our speaker today was Barbara Hart Sailor. Barb brought along her friend of 55 years, Rose, to help her with her program – and the two made quite a pilgrimage in order to be here today for our program.
Although Barb hails from Jackson Center, Ohio, north of Dayton, Ohio, she and our Program Director, Rhonda Carpenter, “met” on the internet via their blogs. Rhonda admired Barb’s work and process very much and invited her to come to GCWS for our March program. However, due to a heavy snowstorm which cancelled our March meeting, we were not able to see her amazing work until today – but it was definitely worth the wait!
Barb works in many art mediums, but she loves painting with watermedia. Today’s program detailed her process of pouring acrylic inks and finishing her paintings in watercolor.
Barb told us that, in today’s demonstration, the process takes precedence and the painting would be both realistic and conceptual.
Using a gridded photo, Barb had drawn her painting directly onto Arches 140 CP paper, and then applied Pebeo Drawing Gum to the edges of the leaves and any other areas she wanted to leave white. Barb explained that Pebeo is the only miskit she has found that will allow her to develop her paintings in this manner and she will use sharpened handles of brushes or a wooden stylus to apply the miskit.
Barb then mixes acrylic ink with water in small jars (baby food jars). She will pre-mix colors and test them for strength before applying them to her paper. She will then wet her paper completely and use eye droppers or pipettes to apply the ink to the paper, using the small misketed areas to contain the spread of her colors. She will then move her paper to allow the inks to blend.
Once this layer of color has dried she will begin painting with watercolor. Once she has removed the miskit, Barb is able to soften edges with a Magic Eraser, or by painting into the white spaces with watercolor.
Barb likes to use the inks for her first layer since they are so richly pigmented and because they are impervious to water and will not lift when additional layers are added to the painting.
Barb had brought a painting of a peony (in progress) which she painted on while her other painting was being dried. She had already removed the miskit from this painting and was using her watercolors for the final painting process. She showed us how she both darkens and lifts areas in her paintings.
Barb had several floral paintings set up on easels and she explained how she had painted each one.
Below is some information Barb shared with us regarding her painting technique.
Barb and a friend currently have a show hanging at the Art Center in Wapakoneta, Ohio entitled “Side by Side”. The show will consist of photographs by Pamela Baker and the painted rendition of those photos by Barb Sailor.
Riverside Art Center
3 West Auglaize Street
Wapakoneta, OH
Opening Reception: Sunday, October 6, 2013 from 2 – 4 p.m.
The show will hang through the month of October
We would like to thank Barb for her wonderful program today.
For more information about Barb:
www.barbsdailycreations.blogspot.com
www.barbarasailor.embarqspace.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Strokes-From-The-Heart-Paintings
Submitted by Deb Ward
