Yupo paper Archives - Rochelle Weiner Carr

Workshop with Karlyn Holman

I've just returned from a week long workshop with Karlyn Holman in Washburn Wisconsin. This is the 4th year in a row I've attended a workshop with her. Karlyn is such an inspiring person - she's created a wonderful life for herself in the arts. She is a great artist, she teaches in her studio and in workshops all over the world, she has a thriving business in an idyllic small town - she really is a wonder.

The first class I took with Karlyn a few years ago opened my eyes. Her success has inspired me change my life and pursue fine art as a career - something I never really believed was a feasible goal until I met Karlyn. Thank you, Karlyn - you are my inspiration!

Each year, Karlyn has new techniques to teach and new directions to take us. Each year I come away with inspiration to feed my studio time, incorporating the new ideas I've learned into my own work.

Below are my finished pieces derived from the lessons we worked on last week.

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Now showing in Lincoln Park

On Thursday I installed my paintings at the new art gallery opening soon in Lincoln Park. It's called "Fortunate Discoveries", it's located at 1022 W Armitage, and is a similar business model to the Andersonville Galleria. I've signed a lease and I get a wall all to myself.

Fortunate Discoveries' focus is original artwork of all types. I am one of a few 2D artists showing there, and there are jewelers, photographers, sculptors, potters and more. It's a pretty fab place!

All the artists are installing their work this week. I decided to focus on my florals, still lifes and cheery landscapes seeing that spring has made an early appearance here in Chicago. If all goes well Fortunate Discoveries opens doors within a week. Soft opening meet and greet with the neighbors is April 1 and grand opening is Friday night, May 4 from 6-9pm. Hope to see you all there!

Art show / Collage paper / Cray pas / Masa paper / Materials / Monoprints / Original portraits / Paintings / Pet Portraits / Portraits from photos / Salt / Watercolor / Yupo paper - 03/16/2012

Sold!

Summer white

Thank you to Frances Limoncelli and Ben Loomis of Chicago for purchasing the original of "Rainy Day Poppies" tonight at the Galleria! (I knew this team had good taste!) They also took home a print of "Summer white" - one of the monoprint series.

"Rainy day poppies" is the first of a series I am working on using watercolor on Yupo paper. Yupo is a kind of plastic paper. It is totally opposite to traditional watercolor paper as it does not soak up the paint at all and the painting only dries once the water evaporates.

Anyway - I had a lot of fun creating this painting and love that someone else loves it as much as me.

Thanks Frances and Ben!

Fans / Paintings / Watercolor / Yupo paper - 06/18/2011

Cray pas and watercolor? huh?

I had an idea last week - why not mix cray pas with watercolor? Oil and water could create unexpected and hopefully very cool results.

So, I tried drawing different images and lines on different kinds of paper and then painted watercolor on to it. The oily lines repelled the wet paint and retained the integrity of the lines. Dig it!

This concept allows for some really free design and color applications. Just getting started with the idea so the below are basically tests and experiments, but I have to say, I see endless possibilities!

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Cray pas / Experimentation / Inspiration / Masa paper / Watercolor / Yupo paper - 06/13/2011

Yupo, my friend

I am having a love affair with Yupo paper.

This paper is used in commercial printing and is actually a kind of plastic. This means it does not soak up water so a watercolor painting sits on top of the page and dries only when the water evaporates.

I'm working on a few different techniques, but so far I am having luck with a mixture of loads of paint, little water, plastic wrap for texture and sprinkles of sea salt.

The plastic wrap put on wet paint creates some very interesting and unexpected shapes. You can either let it dry (takes ages) and then remove the plastic... or you can remove it while the paint is still wet. The painting showed uses the latter technique. What I like about it is the unexpected swooshes of color mixes that you get by removing the sopping wet plastic wrap. Then while it's still super wet I throw on some salt and let it set for a while. I come back when it's partially dry and work in more wet color and then pick up the sides of the paper and allow it to drip across the page creating rivulets of color.

This one, once it was finished, really reminded me of a growing thing - moss or algae or maybe something seen at a molecular level. I decided to title it "Algae".

I really think this style and techniqe has potential for some amazing large scale paintings... stay tuned!

Pictured above, "Algae".

Inspiration / Paintings / Watercolor / Yupo paper - 05/30/2011

Fun with Yupo paper

Painting with Yupo paper is totally different from painting on watercolor paper. Yupo is a plastic substrate - it's nonabsorbent - so when you put watercolor on it, it does not soak into the paper. You have to wait for the water to evaporate before the painting is dry.

The biggest plus I found so far is that you can keep changing your painting... over and over. Make a mistake and just wipe it right back up. No problem! if it's already dried, wet it a little an then wipe it up! Or dampen a clean brush and pull up small sections or lines of white. Wow!

Also, since the paint sits on top of the paper instead of soaking into it, it gives a totally different feel to your work. I am loving it. Below is a painting I did recently which I'm calling Rainy Day Poppies. I started out with a drawing of the poppies and then did a colorful under painting. Once that was dry I came in and painted the poppies with lots of paint and little water. After that dried, I misted water on the poppies and let them run. I'm totally loving the effect.

One thing to note, since the paint can be reactivated over and over by adding water, it's important to seal your finished paintings. I'm trying out a few different products but probably a clear archival fixative spray will be the best option.

Pictured above, "Rainy Day Poppies", watercolor on Yupo paper.

Paintings / Watercolor / Yupo paper - 05/18/2011

First day of workshop