PROGRAM - SEPTEMBER 2, 2015
Our Presenter for September was our own Louise Allen. She has been painting now for 15 years, first with her husband Sam, attending workshops in many places, even overseas in such places as Paris, Amsterdam, and Nice, and since his passing, continuing on her own path. Thus, the title of her Presentation – “Unleashed”. She has been able to let him go, to ascend. He is no longer “trapped” in her heart. This, after a very spiritual experience, in which he let her know that he loved her, and that she would be “OK”.
Louise is currently very interested in working on Yupo (plastic) paper, with alcohol inks (Ranger Rick or Adirondack). One of her inspirers is Cathy Taylor. Louise told us it is a good idea to wear gloves because it is very staining (but, she doesn’t). J She loves the alcohol ink because the colors are very bright, and they spread out. First, she spritz’s 90-91% alcohol on the paper, then drops on the ink in small spots, and lets it move around. As she watches the action on the paper, she decides what her painting is going to be about.
Louise has just one eye, and she believes that she sees the world differently; but then, everyone does. She encouraged us to look at the world with two eyes, and then close one, and see the difference. Louise is all about seeing the world differently, and experiencing it differently, and lately has taken to meditating to relieve stress. She breathes in and when breathing out, thinks her mantra, “Be Calm”. Her current morning prayer is “Whatever”, and evening prayer is “Oh, well”. Her brain is full of “flowers”.
Examples of her work show that her brain is full of many other wonderful subjects and colors, and her creativity is exploding! She gave us many examples of how to experiment with this media – drip the ink and then spray with alcohol; blow on the paint and paper with a straw; use magic markers to add to the paint; outline something in black marker. She uses a heavyweight Yupo paper which can take more experimenting and abuse.
Louise showed us how to lift color with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol, how to spray mousse, or shaving cream in a “cake pan”, then spritz ink on it, swirl a straw through it, or splatter ink with a toothbrush on it; then lay a piece of Yupo paper on it, to see what happens. She sometimes uses a stencil to get an effect. She doesn’t use a brush or a tool, since she found out she can just “throw it on”.
But her “throwing it on” yields wonderful artistic results, particularly when she frames her work – which she says, is the “name of the game”.
Louise gave us a delightful and inspiring Presentation, and it speaks volumes that some of the members were heard to say “I wish we could have her on tape”.
Submitted by Joyce Grothaus, Secretary, GCWS, September, 2015
