There are so many different ways to introduce texture into your designs. You can press leaves into polymer clay, water etch, use two part silicone molding mixes. But I like to play with my art – I guess that’s why I’m also a pastel artist — I like to actually have my hands in the medium. Must be leftover from my early days with finger paints. For whatever reason, I want to have a bigger part in creating my textures. I’ve used the new scratch foam, but the designs are just not crisp enough for me. My method is perfect for those of us who spent a good part of their high school years making holes in the square erasers with the point of their pencils – I carve my own textures and designs. I could carve into those same types of erasers I had as a teenager, but I long ago discovered Nasco Safety Cut.
At less than nine bucks for a 12×12 inch sheet, it lasts a while, especially if you remember that you can use both front and back, and all four sides! After picking up all the latest Dockyard carving tools at the last Convention, I was ready to go. I’ll share a few pics of some of the carvings I did, and some greenware copper pieces made from these textures that are cooking in the kiln even as I type. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
BARKING DOG GALLERY 