Artist Collaboration

Pawtucket RI

Description

I’d like to meet other artists to share ideas and encouragement, or to simply talk about the challenges and rewards of making stuff. I have always found it motivational speaking with people who share a passion, and you might feel the same way. A little about me: I like working in mixed-media, and have some experience with a lot of different materials. For example I’ve made masks and helmets out of wood, metal, cloth, recycled plastic, plaster tape, ground-up cardboard boxes, and several types of papier-mache. I’m posting some pictures of my creations to give you an idea of my style. Masks and sculptures are my favorite things to make, but I like to try new things, too. As far as I’m concerned, you can have any style of creativity you want to answer this post, I’m not looking for only people who do the same stuff as me. So what could we talk about? I’ll go first with a few ideas. If you have thoughts on any of this I’d like to hear them, but if you have your own questions on something totally different, that’s cool too. I’m happy to share what I’ve learned on any of these subjects, if you’d like more detail on them. Anyway, here they are: *How to paint hard-to-paint surfaces such as epoxy and plastics.* The main recommendation I’ve seen is to sand and use good primer, and then a sealer after painting. I haven’t done enough with these materials to have many opinions of my own. What are realistic expectations for the durability of paint on these materials? I have found that if you paint sculpted epoxy, even without a good primer, you can protect it by painting on a layer of clear liquid epoxy afterwards. *Solutions to not having an artist studio.* Everything would be easier with a dedicated studio space. But a lot of people live in apartments and can’t afford to rent extra space or convert part of their house into a studio. Now where there’s enough motivation, you can find a solution to almost any problem. As a small example, when I need to seal something with a spray sealer, I go outside and find a spot that’s not too windy, spray my work, and put it near a window to dry. Do you have ideas about better ways of doing things with fumes and limited space, and dealing with these challenges? *Best glues (or other attachment methods) for bonding a wide range of materials.* Gluing two pieces of wood together is pretty easy, but what if you want to attach cloth to plastic or metal, for example? In various projects I’ve used a lot of Elmer’s, and sometimes methylcellulose, both of which are good for paper and cloth. If you mix joint compound with Elmer’s, it makes it grainier but much more rigid once it’s dried. Fabric glue can attach fabric together pretty well if you don’t want to sew and aren’t planning on washing it a lot. I’ve also used various types of epoxy, and have recently started to use Barge cement and super glue for different projects. Milliput is my newest purchase. *Ideas for getting known and selling pieces.* You probably didn’t get into your art for the marketing, but that stuff’s necessary to make money, or to share your completed pieces with the world. I’ve sold plenty of non-art items on eBay, and have used Facebook Marketplace and Etsy. I also have Instagram and a Pinterest account (that I don’t use). Years ago I exhibited artwork a couple of times, but I didn’t list it for sale. I have always found it more fun to make things than do social media, promote them, or go through the gallery submission process. But I’m coming to that stage of doing the unfun-but-necessary stuff. Maybe you’re the same way, maybe you’re different. Maybe you’re great at in-person sales but have never opened an eBay account. Could we share motivation or knowledge? As I said earlier, I’m happy to share what I know on these topics or others. This list is just a starting point to begin the conversation. I’d like to hear your perspective on them, or any other art-related topics that interests you. Got an idea? Send it over!