The Calypso Dancer Begins to Emerge!

— Meet The Calypso Dancer, “16X20 ” Acrylic.

She’s the beneficiary of two new discoveries that have gotten her to this point so far. I’m still in the progression stages with her but she’s got enough presence to introduce on this site until I complete her, hopefully after this weekend’s Good Hope Art Show here on St. Croix, which I’m exhibiting in.

First, I sketched her, not on the canvas as I usually do, but in a sketchbook that I’ve promised myself I would use more often than I have.
Doing that first, gives me a sense of the planes of a face, lights, darks, shadows.
I like the process.
But here’s the big discovery. The thing that I absolutely LOVE and can’t believe I just found.
First, though, I must confess to having oil paint envy!
I’ve mentioned here on these pages that I don’t work with oils because of the humidity factor of living on St. Croix. Then there’s the fumes of turp and spirits that linger in a non air-conditioned environment.
Add to that, my mail order arsenal of accumulated Acrylic paints which I can’t replace without spending even more than I already have on supplies.
I love Dick Blick for mail order- they’re fast, professional, ship to the US Virgin Islands at low cost, and have a great catalogue and website.
But acrylics dry too fast. And if you choose to work with many layers of colors in sheer coats, your paints dry in seconds.
Here is my big discovery.
It’s called ” Sta-Wet Palette ” made by Masterson. It allows your acrylic paints to stay wet for days-even a week. Now I can treat my palette to the same range of paint subtleties and nuances that oils allow you to do. And you don’t waste paint.
I can’t say enough about this product or you’ll all zone out from reading this entry.
But have a look.
It’s a 13 “X 17” plastic box with a snap tight lid ( think of Tupperwares’ seal ).

The bottom is lined with a spongy yellow pad that gets soaked and squeezed.

The special acrylic sheet that also gets pre-soaked and placed on top of the sponge.
That’s it! Paint stays wet just like happy, non-envious blobs of oils!
Painting The Calypso Dancer is actually fun for me now.

Speaking of fun, notice how much fun that coconut is having, tormenting Aberra at La Reine farmers market. Aberra grows and nurtures exotic fruits at his orchard on St Croix. Coconuts, cherimoya, wax jambu, egg fruit, Black Sapote, mango, and Shaddock ( sounds like a fish, looks like a grapefruit !). He will be at Ag Fair this weekend and so will I.

Tags: acrylic or oils, advice for painting with acrylics, calypso, farmers' market, tropical fruit