This morning, I am sanding down some panels that I collaged late last year. The collages are fairly simple: three panels (purchased from Simon Liu, Inc. Fine Painting Supports) each with a single Polaroid image glued onto a ground of acrylic paint. Each of the three Polaroids is a portrait I made, I think in late 2001, of a man I was seeing. The paint and Polaroid are covered over with several layers of translucent Golden Extra Heavy Gel (Matte), for an encaustic effect.
I hang on to stuff. Sometimes it ends up encased in translucent acrylic media.
I was not careful in applying the gel. It foamed, trapping little air bubbles inside. You can see the bubbles against the paint and Polaroid below. This isn't the effect I wanted. The panels cost me just enough that they're worth reusing.
I emailed Golden late last year, asking how I might remove this stuff once it's dried. Sanding is pretty much the only option.
For a delicate material, Golden Extra Heavy Gel (Matte) is remarkably resiliant when sanded with 60-grade coarse sandpaper. I work away at the surface for several minutes. It doesn't want to smooth down. If I press too hard, it starts to heat up and get stringy. I have to stop for a while and let it cool.
The best I'm going get, I think, will be to clean up the panels around the edges, and get that gel roughed up and ready for a couple new coats of gesso. When that's dried down, I'll paint the panels again.
My current palette includes titanium white cut with a bit of umber; a bright sand color heavily reliant upon titan buff; and, a milky blue that reminds me of photographs of Antarctic glaciers.
I'm all out of Polaroids of exes.
Posted by Emily at February 15, 2004 11:43 AM