| Back to Back Issues Page |
 |
|
Acrylics Anonymous, Issue #134 -- Darkest Before The Dawn May 01, 2025 |
Passionate about painting with acrylics? Need a monthly fix chock full of inspiration? Need some help to take the pain out of your painting process? It's all here for you. Acrylics Anonymous. Zero elitism. Dive in. If you enjoy Acrylics Anonymous, and you know someone who might also enjoy it, you can share by forwarding it to your friends! If you are receiving this because a friend has forwarded this to you, and you would like to subscribe, click here! 
Every month, we will produce a Subscribers Only "sealed section" - just keep scrolling to see it. It could be a painting technique, a short video tip, or anything we can think of that we reckon you might enjoy. Please let us know what you think, we love your feedback! To leave comments, contact us here.
Chaos Theory! The world’s a bit crazy right now, highlighting the need for us to manage our thoughts. I can’t think of a better way to stabilise your nervous system than with moving some paint around. Painting has been scientifically shown to produce similar brain patterns to meditating. So pick up a paintbrush, and do some news-avoidance meditating today! You might even end up with a decent painting at the end of it. Let’s not get carried away though :) 
News and more news! You may have noticed if you are on our other mailing lists that we are sending more regular emails. If you want to be first in line for workshop news, painting studies, book news and more, make sure you sign up here!
Workshop News "Secluded Beach" June 14-15 2025 Bribie Island, QLD Click here for the Bribie Island workshop program Click here to make your booking through our contact form "Inspiration, Discovery and Technique" August 30 to September 6 2025 Daku resort, Savusavu, Fiji Click here for more information on Mark's Fiji workshop! "Immersion" Enclave x Mark Waller October 5 to 11th 2025 Winnaleah, Tasmania Click here for the Tassie programme :) And click here to make your booking! Aussie Businesses Take Heed! Time is running out for the 100% artwork deductibility for businesses. Give your office a glow up before it's too late! Read all about it here! 
Every month, we choose an Artist from our
forum
to showcase. You can even nominate someone if you like. (Or yourself!). To do this, check out the forum and then send us an email! It’s that easy. This month we're featuring artist Sue, from Wilmington, United States with their painting "Keys Time". Thanks so much for sharing your painting and process with us Sue - a bit of peace that we all need right now I reckon :) Click here for more on Sue's "Keys Time" painting.
Mark Rox is an artist from Baltiysk in Russia. Since 2008 he has been creating 3d illusions, murals, street art, graffiti and more. Check out his Instagram here. Douglas Hoekzema, also known as Hoxxoh, is a Miami-based artist who has gained international recognition for his innovative approach to contemporary art. His works are characterized by intricate patterns, vibrant colors, and a focus on rhythm and repetition. Check out his website and large scale murals here. If you have a link you like, please share it with us! You can contact us to let us know. Thank you! 
This is the section where you can "get your name in lights!" (well at least out there in the internet world!).If you have works in progress you would love to show off, or finished pieces you are particularly proud of, we would love to see them! We especially like to hear about the story behind the creation. This month's submission comes again from the original hairy stick wielder, Mark! From Mark: "I was recently lucky enough to get a couple of tickets to the Solomon Islands, which is one of my favourite places in the world. While I was there, we decided to go up and camp on a remote island for the night. It’s a lovely little sandy quay, complete with fringing coral reef, coconuts and everything you expect from a tropical island. We slept under a tarp on coconut leaves, and at some point I got up, walked out on the sandy spit, looked back at the island and lay down, looking at the stars. There’s no light pollution there, so the Milky Way was laid out in all its glory. I lay there for a few hours watching satellites and shooting stars. It truly felt like a tiny little haven in the depths of the universe. It’s a miracle we exist.
When I was back in the studio, I couldn’t help but want to try to capture that scene on canvas. I went for a canvas 1m x 1.2, and started blocking in the elements. With Dioxazine Purple (Free Flow), I marked in the horizon and the loose shape of the island, and the band of darkness that makes up the Milky Way, just to give me an idea of where everything is. I don’t like using black, but black covers really well. So I mixed black with Dioxazine Purple and Pthalo Blue here and there, and made out the loose shape of the Milky Way, leaving the bottom quite light, so I could add that lovely pink sky close to the horizon. I mixed that colour using Permanent Alizarine, Dioxazine Purple, Cadmium Yellow Medium and White, and defined the horizon. I then mixed Pthalo Blue, Permanent Alizarine, Cadmium Yellow Medium and painted in the water close to the horizon. As I came down the canvas, I added Pthalo Blue and Cadmium Yellow Light to the colour to represent the water
getting shallower in places and closer to the viewer.
I then added Dioxazine Purple and Cadmium Yellow Medium to that mix, and began to suggest the reef under the water, or patches of reef under the water. When all that was dry, I loosely repeated that process again, just tidying up. But again, not taking too much time because I was going to make a mess when I painted the sky. I gave the whole painting a coat of Impasto Gel at this point. I wanted the stars to kind of sit “on top of” the distant nebula.
With a dry brush, I scrubbed in bands of stars that make up the spiralled arms of our galaxy, using White and Cadmium Yellow Medium with a tiny bit of Permanent Alizarine. Then I gradually added more White and more Cadmium Yellow Medium to this colour to build up the highlights. It’s mind boggling to imagine that each of those indistinct clouds of light are in fact billions of stars. At this point I laid the canvas on the floor and laid an old towel over the bits that I didn’t want stars on. Not really a big deal, but saves tidying up later.
I wanted to add to the illusion of distance, and create the idea of a plane receding off into the distance against the emptiness of space. I added the bolder, more solid clouds close to the horizon, and softer, wispier clouds to create the plane overhead. No, not an airplane overhead, a three- dimensional space is what I mean. I gave the entire painting a coat of Impasto Gel, and pretty much repeated that process again each time tweaking the colours a little bit.
I scratched in a little bit of the detritus that washes up on the beach on this island, and punched some holes in the trees in the island for the light to shine through (it really was a tiny little island). And of course, define the lone tall coconut tree that stood above everything else."
Until next time, make sure you stay safe and well, and don't forget to chuck some paint around! Cheers from Frankie & Mark :) For our Youtube channel, click here. To join our Youtube channel as a member for a few bucks every month (in exchange for even MORE awesome perks, click here. For our Instagram, click here. For our Threads, Click here. For our Website, click here. For our Facebook page, click here. For our Pinterest, click here. For our Tik Tok, click here. |
| Back to Back Issues Page |
