Patti's Techniques

Visit Patti's Workshop Schedule

Patti Brady is a painter with more than 30 years experience in working with acrylic. She is the face of Golden Artist Colors, Inc. and has worked with Golden for 15 years developing acrylic techniques and training over 50 artists that work in the program. She has traveled to Europe and Japan to lecture and teach at Universities. Her new book, Rethinking Acrylics, Radical Solutions for Exploiting the World’s Most Versatile Medium, is an compendium of her many years of exploring and pushing the limits of the acrylic medium. (Published by Northlight Books) She was featured in Artist’s Magazine , 2007, a recipient of the South Carolina’s Art Commissions’ Fellowship, and has work in several important collections throughout the US.

My philosophy of teaching!
I thoroughly enjoy teaching and sharing my enthusiasm for this incredible medium, ACRYLIC. I have worked with acrylic for over 20 years, and with Golden’s products for that same 20 years. Seventeen of them actually working for Golden Artist Colors, Inc. Acrylic excites me with all the possibilities, all the varied ways, you can take one single gel, and create so many varied options. I love the discovery of this, and the searching for another twist to it. I love the materiality of the material, and often I let it lead me into experimentation.

Sharing this excitement and discovery with artists who are open to making messes with a willingness to find beauty in that mess, is contagious.

I am not interested in teaching anyone “how to paint”. There are so many great teachers that have that particular skill. I’m interested in opening doors for exploration, for the artist to get a peek inside the options and for that artist to take these discoveries home, and make paintings.

Click for a live action view of Patti teaching

Workshop Themes

There are many variations on a theme when planning for workshops. Although, you make want me to teach everything listed below in one workshop, I have found, that focusing on one aspect and working with the variations within that focus are the best ways to learn. One of the most wonderful properties of acrylic, is the layering process. Layering, needs time for dying built into the workshop. One day workshop, although possible, do not allow for the drying time and the opportunity to build on surfaces, so I always opt for a minimum of two days.

Acrylic Painting and Printed Imagery
Techniques for combining printed imagery with an inkjet printer with seductive acrylic surfaces. Creating acrylic skins (sans the paper) in opaque, translucent and unique layers, and printing images on the surface, and reworking them in a more painterly fashion. Techniques to layer these painted images into layered gels, creating depth, richness and curious finishes.

Encaustic Wax Effects with Acrylic, “Beeswax” without the Bees
Learn how to create several wax like surfaces that are milky, translucent and rich with that buttery patina of wax. Explore layering in transferred images, collage and embedded images with gels and pours. Carving, scraping, and staining with layers will enrich your acrylic paintings and surfaces and these techniques can be combined to create a luminous depth to your work.

Luminous Layers, Translucent Surfaces, and Gorgeous Grounds.
Beginning with the sumptus grounds that can give your paintings a new beginning, we will work in multiple layers of acrylic gels, pouring, staining, and painting. Build your painting from the ground up. Each layer opens the door for new decisions…a workshop for painters who enjoy process that allows a painting to unfold with unexpected results. An interactive idea generating workshop where we work together and explore different techniques.

Etching on Acrylic, Paint and Plexi, Layering Techniques
This workshop uses layers of gels and plexiglas as surfaces for etching with a dremel tool. Surfaces can be painted on front and back of the plexiglass, challenging your choices. Gels and paints add to the layers. This is a great way to print printmaking and drawing skills into object making.

Traditional and Contemporary Effects with the new OPEN acrylic
In this workshop we will explore the new OPEN (the acrylic that stays wet for an extended time). OPEN is a completely new acrylic, that is very different due to it’s new binder system. It can be combined with all other acrylics to take control of drying times that were not possible before.

Learn all the great “tricks” to OPEN, the new mediums, and how to combine it with gels, Heavy Body and Fluids,,,,in traditional techniques like blending andglazing,subtractive techniques and how to combine with more modern techniques.

Contact me for Fees and Possible Dates.
I’m happy to explore ideas and possibilities with you and your group and develop a workshop that fits your needs. I can provide a more detailed description of the listed workshops.

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Patti Brady Studio • 10 Woodland Drive • Greenville SC 29617
(864) 467-1985 • Copyright Patti Brady 2008