The Scrap Box; my childhood paradise, my artist playground
The Scrap Box has been a staple in Ann Arbor since the early 80s, and was my absolute favorite place to go as a kid. Whenever there was a special event to celebrate, or I had a few extra bucks from chores - this is where I begged my parents to take me.
The Scrap Box is is a donation-based creative reuse PARADISE, filled with all sorts of odds and ends, like thin-chopped white tubing, fantastic spongy shapes, nylon in every color of the rainbow, green nettings, yarns, papers, pieces of wood…. I couldn’t attempt to name everything they have! It’s all been donated by area businesses/individuals and provides kids/artists/educators/explorers with access to neat materials for very cost.
The bulk room; my favorite place.
As a child I would make 3D paintings, sculptures and scenes out of these bits and pieces - now as a working artist it is my haven for still life supplies. Especially when I’m teaching a class or breaking down my process, having access to all this weird stuff is amazing.
And if I’m setting up a still life for just me, I really appreciate having a cache of items that I don’t necessarily understand (or know what they are!) to scatter on a table. It keeps me from assigning meaning to their placement and sketch.
I usually combine the Scrapbox treasures with a few vases/cups I picked up at our thrift store add some crumpled paper, then get to work.
This is one of my favorite exercises to start the day with, or if I’m feeling just a little stuck - making some interesting (not necessarily pretty!) arrangements and sketching from these tends to yield some results that beg other questions, that warrant more sketching and exploration.
On Saturday I’ll be taking these supplies with me up to the MSU Broad Art Lab - where I’ll be setting up a few of these still lifes and teaching a little workshop on my contour drawing process. There’s still a few spaces left if you are in the area!
It was so wonderful to walk into the Scrap Box this week and gather a few extra items for Saturday’s class. This is the first I’ve been in since we moved back and I already have plans for more of the materials I saw there. Walking through the barrels in the bulk room gave me the same feeling as way back when; (except that now I am tall enough to actually see into the barrels!) endless inspiration, limitless possibility and knowing that I’m about to need A LOT more glue.
<3
Art Studio Renovation (part 1 of what seems like a million...)
I work out a studio in my home. Most of the time I love it; there’s no commute, no dress code, no weather to handle, just a groggy walk across the living room floor to the kitchen for coffee and a slow shuffle into the welcoming walls of my studio.
But it’s not always ideal.
In-home studios come with their own unique challenges and complications, and as I’m currently displaced from mine — I thought I might share a little bit about the current project.
We’re in the process of fixing/replacing the caulked and painted shut windows in the house, and the next batch up is my studio.
I’ve spent the last few days clearing everything out of the room to allow the work to begin, while simultaneously wrecking the living room with an influx of supplies.
Clean and empty studio! (yes, that’s PLYWOOD standing in for a storm.)
Living room explosion….
I know the windows don’t look too bad in the nice bright photo, so here’s a close-up; they definitely are in need of some love.
As an artist that relies so heavily on light and patterns in the light I’m so excited to get these restored. To have the broken glass replaced, the paint spattered panes cleaned, the mechanisms fixed so I can actually open them. The few we’ve already done look so incredibly clear, I can’t wait to see how much light will fill my workspace.
But for now, this means meetings are conducted somewhere else quiet (in the car!) and I’ll be painting outside until the carpenters finish their work.
In the end I know the hassle will be worth it.
Renovation in the studio - means meetings are held in the car!
From the Beach - Kona
Couldn’t pass this view up.
I had a little bit of extra time on my hands in Kona today so I packed up a few supplies and walked down the street about 20 minutes to find this little beach.
2 gessoed canvases just waiting for the right beach <3
This is the first time I’ve unrolled these canvases and I’m anxious to see how they hold up.
wet paint!
Here I’m using my watercolor pastels as I only brought carry-on bags - so no liquid paint. The watercolor pastels are great for this case as I can use them like a colored pencil and then apply water - turning them into nice pigmented washes.
And here is where I’ll stop for today - we’ve got dinner plans later so I want to make sure I’m back at the hotel and showered after this incredibly hot painting session!
Letting the paint dry!
What's in My Art Bag; Hawaii Edition
Tomorrow we head out for a little Hawaiian adventure. We’ll stay on the big island this time, rent a car and just sort of explore and venture out as the winds take us.
I’ve packed a slightly condensed bag because of this - mobility will be key and I don’t want to drag behind because I’ve overloaded my bag with supplies I won’t use.
This is the paired down collection;
Supplies for Hawaii
1.) Plastic tube.
Surfaces;
2.) Pre-stretched and gessoed canvases.
3.) Strathmore 9 x 12 Acrylic pad
4.) Fredrix 9 x 12 Watercolor Canvas
5.) Strathmore 9 x 12 Toned Mixed Media pad
6.) Moleskine Watercolor sketchbook
7.) Canson lay-flat sketchbook
Media;
8.) Fredricks and Mae circle watercolor palette
9.) Golden hi-flo in White
10.) Winsor and Newton Indigo
11.) Winsor and Newton Burnt Sienna
12.) Winsor and Newton sketching pencils
13.) Derwent graphitone watersoluble pencil
14.) Caran d’Ache watercolor pastels
Brushes;
15.) Rubber wedges
16.) Long-handled hake
17.) Niji waterbrush
And - it all fits!
So we’re off - I’ll check back in when we’re in Hawaii!
(Orders placed between today and the 13th won’t ship until the 15th, just FYI)
<3
Paper Tests; My usual materials on sample cards
** (Disclaimer) I was a bit on the fence about putting this post together. Experimentation (and actually doing it on your own) is such an incredibly important part of the process that I wondered if this piece was doing anyone any favors. And it really may not be - so please, don’t take these images and this text as your truth - GO GO DO YOUR OWN EXPERIMENTATION! Everyone’s process is different, and what works for me may not for you - and vice versa. **
That said, here’s an intro to surfaces!
Terms:
Acid-free: Acids leftover from the processing phase can yellow papers with age. It’s always a good idea to make sure whatever you are using (not limited to paper, check your tapes too!) is noted as “Acid-free” for archival purposes.
GSM/LB: These numbers refer to the weight (in pounds) of 500 sheets of 22 x 30 paper. The heavier the paper, the more sturdy it will be. I tend not to purchase anything below 140lb, as I use a lot of water in my work and anything with a weight less than that is likely to buckle and need several rounds of stretching. My favorite papers are in the 300lb range, these do not require the same amount of stretching and can hold lots of watery applications.
Surface Type:
Cotton vs. Cellulose: Artist-grade papers are 100% cotton, Cellulose papers are a little more affordable (student-grade) but use fillers instead of the natural pulp.
Hot Press: The paper is smooth and not incredibly absorbent. Colors tend to stay more vibrant on the paper, but at the sacrifice of texture.
Cold press: Slightly more texture than hot. Medium absorbency, great for washes and heavy paints.
Rough: Lots of texture, very pebbled like appearance. Can be harder to create exact details as the heavy texture can distort lines, but excellent for large stains and washes.
Fredrix Watercolor Canvas: Nice heavy cotton, medium texture, great absorbency.
Strathmore Mixed Media (toned): Heavy, smooth paper - low absorbency, so lots of opportunity to move paint around.
Strathmore Acrylic: canvas-like texture, heavy weight and great absorbency.
Sometimes the paper weights will vary company to company, so again - experimentation is key! Occasionally there are deals on sample packs of paper, so keep your eyes peeled at local art shops and online!
Materials Used:
(Top to bottom on each sample card)
Derwent Graphite Wash Pencil
Caran d’Ache water soluble pastel
Daniel Smith Watercolor Stick
Winsor and Newton watercolor (tube)
Golden hi-flow acrylic
Brands Used: I picked the materials I use the most frequently to demonstrate the paint’s behavior on each surface - but definitely do your own tests before committing to an expensive product!
Results:
140 lb Hot and Cold Press on Cellulose:
140 lb Hot and Cold Press on 100% Cotton:
300 lb Cold Press Cotton:
Additional Papers/Canvas:
Rough (Handmade):
Rough, heavy rag with great texture. Takes heavy water techniques really well.
Strathmore Acrylic:
Visible texture, great absorbancy - a little hard to get details into the texture.
Strathmore Mixed Media:
Excellent for multiple types of materials, my go-to for mixed media techniques. Available in non-toned colors as well!
Fredrix Watercolor Canvas:
Great absorbancy, not too fast in that I can still move pigment around - but not too slow in that it takes too long to dry. Holds mixed media great and has a nice canvas texture. Warping is to be expected (it is real canvas after all!) but is removed by stretching the back, ironing the back or dry-mounting. My go-to for travel watercolor work.
I had a lot of fun playing with all these papers and I hope this might be handy if you find yourself in a pickle choosing a surface! But again, it’s definitely so, so worth it to do your own tests as well, I never leave a pile of paper tests without learning something!
<3