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Donna Barnes-Roberts teaches an Acrylic class using Atelier Interactive Acrylics - a whole new way of using Acrylics.
How Chroma's Atelier Interactive Acrylics Saved My Life (or at least an important commission)
Over a year ago, I was chosen to be an artist for the "Roses On Parade" fundraiser sponsored by the Tournament of Roses Association in Pasadena. This project was modeled after the "Cows on Parade" fund raiser that was done in Chicago, and the "Angels on Parade" done by the City of Los Angeles. The entire project was conceived as a vehicle to raise money for and awareness of the arts in local schools. Approximately 15 artists were chosen were to paint a rose - actually a fiberglass statue of a vase containing a single rose blossom. The rose statue was made of fiberglass and was over 6 feet tall including the base.
I was running late on delivering the finished piece, because I had to use acrylics so it would dry quickly and be durable enough to keep out-of-doors. The sponsors wanted us to guarantee that we would maintain it for 6 months whether it was indoors or out, and I knew that my sponsor was going to put this outdoors next to the entrance to her business.
Being a watercolor and oil painter, I love soft edges. But I just couldn't get anything to work in acrylics. I was painting outside on my porch in 100+ degree temps and maybe 15-20% humidity. This gave me NO time to blend - by the time I was putting a second color on the painting - hoping to blend with what I already had painted, the first color was dry! I was wringing my hands, and was almost ready to give up and COMPROMISE. Maybe paint SOMETHING, but not with the kind of colorful transitions I love to do.
And then I thought, hey, the Learning and Product EXPO is coming to Pasadena this weekend. Maybe I can find a solution there! I went up and down the aisles, and talked to most of the acrylic manufacturers. I learned a lot about acrylics, but even Golden's Open Acrylics wouldn't do what I wanted in the time frame I needed it.
Low and behold, that is when I discovered Chroma's Atelier Interactive Acrylics. Jennifer Vonstein at the booth showed me how these unique acrylics would allow me to blend colors even HOURS after they had dried, just by misting them with water or with their unlocking formula. I bought an intro kit plus a few other colors and went to work.
How fabulous it was! Using these Interactive Acrylics, I could put down one color, put another color next to it, and then lightly spray them with water and voila! I could blend the two to my heart's content. A crisis was averted! The rose was finished just in the nick of time!
After using a clear spray varnish on the finished rose, it was delivered to the Tournament of Roses coordinator. It joined all the roses at a public showing at the Tournament House, after which it was installed outside the sponsor's business (Sharp Seating, located at 1737 E Colorado Blvd (In The Back) Pasadena, CA 91106). It has now been on outdoor display there for almost a year, and still looks great (IMHO). --
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