My First Pour of 2019

This pour was not intended to be a ‘How To’ instructional video but rather a shot of inspiration for all of us who stopped pouring over the holidays. With that in mind here is the supply list, process, finished product, and a couple of extra things.

Supplies I Used:

Every December my studio becomes a storage closet. To make matters worse, every December I also lose my claim to the dining room. Eleven months out of the year the dining room serves as an extra work space for my artistic endeavors. Turns out that nice, large dining room table that my in-laws gave us is the perfect spot to put paintings to dry. From January through mid November my wonderful wife is very understanding. But when the holidays arrive, all the art stuff has to go because at some point during the holidays, we will be hosting at least one sit-down dinner. As a result, not much painting gets done because my studio is literally stacked knee deep with various and sundry artistic and household items.

This is a photo of one corner of my studio during December. My small but happy studio is filled with stacks of stuff.

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Oddly enough I don’t really mind the transformation of my studio into a storage closet. December is crazy busy for me (as it is for everyone) and I really don’t have much time to paint anyway. So when December arrives I allow my studio to become a storage closet and I take a short break from painting. Sometimes taking a break can be a good thing. Two or three weeks without painting allows my mind to clear and I find myself reflecting on the previous year. After a few weeks without painting, I also feel a wave of creative urgency building up and before I even realize what I’m doing, stacks of stuff are leaving my studio and I’m mixing up paint.

That is exactly what happened two weeks ago. The morning of January 2nd I made a cup of coffee, read a few blog entries at the Acrylic Pouring website and got busy. I really enjoyed the article from Kelsey Rodriguez about setting goals and the blog entry by PS Koz inspired me to set a few pouring resolutions of my own. I’ll include a list of my goals/resolutions down below.

On that morning I made a few notes and sipped my cup of joe, then I headed to my little studio that sits just to the side of the kitchen. I put on some good music and spent the next 3 hours straightening, organizing, removing, washing, and mixing. By mid afternoon my studio was ready to go. I was exhausted but I knew I had to do my first pour of the year. Sometimes I find myself doing everything related to pour painting instead of doing an actual painting. I’m not sure why that happens but that was not going to happen this time.

Below is a photo of what my studio looks like when it is organized and ready for me to paint. It may be cluttered but I like it this way and it works great for me.

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You’ll see in the video that I don’t spend a lot time talking about paints or mixing techniques. I was so ready to make the first pour of the year that I almost forgot to make a video and share the moment. This video is not about “How To.” I made it so I could check the box on my first paining of the year and in so doing, perhaps inspire you to clear off your kitchen table, grab your paints and start a new year of making wonderful, satisfying pour art of your own.

Steve’s Pouring Goals for 2019

My goals for this new year are three fold: Waves, Divers, and Landscapes.

Goal #1 Make Waves

Make several more (at least 10) waves like the one in the “Riding the Acrylic Wave” video. It took some practice but last year I finally climbed up the learning curve and figured out how to make a really beautiful wave using acrylic pouring techniques. I made four or five wave paintings in various sizes but for some odd reason I stopped and moved onto another idea. The Wave was fun to make and it was also popular at the one art show I did last year. I guess this goal combines fun and profit.

Goal #2 Add Silhouettes

I love cool colors like blue, green, and turquoise. As you might imagine, many of my pours end up looking like ocean scenes. The thought crossed my mind… what if I included a simple, dark silhouette of something one might see in the ocean? Things like scuba divers, fish or mermaids might look great when discreetly placed in one of my paintings. There are some logistics to be worked out but I think I can do it.

Goal #3 Acrylic Pour Abstract Landscapes

Up until this point I have not tried to make my pour paintings be anything other than a beautiful, swirling dance of color. This year I want to play with the idea of using areas of color to loosely represent hills and sky or oceans and sky. It may not work but I’m curious to find out—and that’s half the fun of Pour Painting.

Have a great 2019 and I hope you make dozens of paintings that you love.

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This is a photo of my first painting of the year. Once it fully dries I will seal it with clear epoxy resin giving it the ultimate shine then list it on my Etsy Store

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