COSMIC CLOUDS
My inspiration for this Platter was from Gary Lowe, Wood turner - youtube demo of this platter that he named "Cosmic Clouds Platter" and subsequent Demo by Tim Yoder http://www.woodturningwithtim.com. They are both very good artist Wood turners, and great guys.
I thought that it will be good to try and replicate the technique as a Learning excersise, however soon discovered that with so many techniques these days seen on youtube worldwide the products that are used are not available in south Africa!
Despite the colouring problem I went ahead and turned the platter from very stable and dry Hard Maple wood.
The Wood was brutally Kiln dried so it warped badly and I used a live centre until the disk was cut in balance.
Sanding sealer applied then Black Acrylic laquer and 320 grit sanding.
Iridescent acrylic needs to applied on gloss black surface for best results.
The products used by Gary Lowe and Tim Yoder - Chestnut Ebony lacquer and Jo Sonja Iridescent acrylics are not available in this country so my search began to find alternative iridescent acrylics.
After a long and frustrating search via all the major Art shops in Cape Town, I ended up purchasing a number of different products from all the known fluid acrylic brands - expensive exercise!
The key to this technique is to apply the iridescent acrylic by brush in small quantity and have it fluid enough to flow by moving it around with air, either with artists vapouriser or Airbrush which I find easier to do.
The iridescent paint from the bottle is white and as one disperses it over a black surface the colour manifests - quite magical!
My first attempts were frustrating as could not get the paint fluid enough to flow and the the biggest problem was that thinning it down with various brands of fluid mediums it would not harden and remained tacky.
More research with suppliers, Skye Kennedy at The Italian Art shop was a inspiration as she undertook her own experimentation with the MAIMERI products Acrilico Pasta Iridescent paste with their Gloss medium and I at last found something that worked.
In the end, I ended up also using Golden and Schmincke fluid Iridescent acrylics as some colours worked better than others.
Completed and next one ready for more creativity!
