“Bossy Bird” contemporary figurative painting.
modeling paste, acrylic, gesso on canvas. 48 in x 36 in.

“Bossy Bird” contemporary figurative painting

I have resumed painting after three years of working on large assemblage sculpture. Bossy Bird is an initial experiment using modeling paste and gel medium. Modeling paste is used to provide some texture on the flat canvas. Texture allows earlier coatings of paint to peak through colors applied later, especially when the later colors are applied using a dry-brush technique or spread intermittently with a pallet knife.

Gels and liquid medium is essential for working with acrylics. Unlike oil paint, acrylics start to dry immediately, and thus you don’t get the subtle mixing of colors and soft edges that happen so easily with oils. The solution is to dilute the acrylic paint with a gel medium or liquid medium so that it is semi-transparent. By layering these semi-translucent paint, you can get some subtle variations in color and softer edges, although neither of these was emphasized in this painting.