Swipe Set is a collection of three pieces (so far) that explore movement through swiping across ink that has been allowed to sit for a just a bit – not dry, not fully wet either. My swiping tool of choice is a simple piece of hand-sized cardboard salvaged from various types of packaging.
Swipe Set #1 Swipe Set #2 Swipe Set #3
This technique is so simple, yet creates a huge effect, sometimes changing the painting in a dramatic way. Other times, it lends a unique soft or even an edgy feel when building up the background of the work. It also works well as a finishing technique for the very top layer of an otherwise motionless painting.
I often find that just dropping the ink from the bottle or a pipette and using air (my own breath, a hair dryer, or canned air) and brushes to place the ink can get very boring after a time. I like to challenge myself with new ideas, especially when they are organic ideas that arise from a tactile experience that just happens to be occurring in my hands at any given moment.
This type of freedom – to try anything and everything – is a gift I give myself as I refuse to be boxed in by anyone or anything…including the defined edges of my chosen substrate.
~Maya