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9/5/2016
Art Phase
Rembrandt and me
So I paid Walmart $40 to print my accordian players photo on canvas 16 x 20. It was beautiful but I now want to print several dozen more of my work but don't want to pay thousands of dollars for the effort. I found that I can do an image on canvas for less than $5. Went to the art store and ended up with $150 worth of supplies to do the job. I may fail, but a single quality photocanvas costs typically $150 so it's worth a shot. Why can't I have a retirement hobby?
Above are 3 of my Cooper's Hawk shots in various stage of preparation. My first try is using the Mod Podge method. Laserprint my image at Staples for around a buck. Paint the Mod Podge glue on a cheap $2 canvas and place the paper print face down on the glue. A day later when it's dry I gently rub with a wet finger to remove the paper stock whilst leaving the toner ink on canvas. Then spray clear coat of acrylic and touch up paint with acrylics. Not a bad result, tedious and I'm waiting for my other supplies to come in from Walmart online order (half price to art store). This will be an ongoing project. You can't hurry art. (some call it a craft- I don't like that word). The easy way is to simply print a photo on paper but I just like a canvas frame.
Always admired Rembrandt's use of contrasting light and dark to capture the essence of a character. Got in for a free showing on Senior Wednesday at the Hyde Museum. No flash photography is allowed so I turned up the ISO to 3200 for hand held. What's amazing is how in the devil could he engrave this tiny 2 inch tall self portrait with such delicacy and control of shading (and 400 years ago). He was a master of etching on a copper plate with a needle then printing with ink on paper. My friend from the Netherlands says, "If you ain't Dutch, you ain't much."
Again this is only about 4 inches high but his Delft (deft) touch evokes the character of his mother. Incredible.
None of the million dollar art really appealed to me to actually own other than a couple pieces by Winslow Homer. His amazing Complete Works video covers hundreds of paintings that are all terrific.
It makes you wonder, "Will there be any remnants of your life's work around in several hundred years?" Pretty much, no one cares. And I don't either really. But, wouldn't it be cool if there were at least a smidgen of tangible artifacts lingering around a while showing that you were here and you left a mark. My 100 year archival quality canvases might last, even though they might be in the bottom of a landfill.
Photo Transfer to Canvas
Mod Podge vs Mod Podge Photo Transfer medium
Andrew Wyeth by Miachael Palin terrific hour video documentary
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