A common media I use is silicone caulking, the goo that goes around the bathtub. I came up with this idea as a result of some experiments, while trying to make something similar to butter cream flowers, but out of acrylic paint.

I had been attaching mixed media elements to my large works, and the additions I selected were becoming more and more three dimensional. (barbie food, rhinestones, scrabble tiles, etc) At this stage, I felt that the painting and the decorations seemed too separate, and I needed a way to make them appear more incorporated. I was kind of fantasizing about painting in big thick gobs. I mean paint that stuck two or three inches off the canvas. The problem was, there is a leveling agent in acrylic paint that makes it go pretty flat by the time it dries.

Thats when I came across videos of cake decorators making beautiful buttercream flowers. They looked so vibrant and fluffy, and also looked a lot like paint. I knew that something like this was exactly what would tie my paintings together. Early experiments involved a mixture of acrylic paint and mediums piped through an icing piper. I started mixing in sand or glitter to add more stiffness and body, but the recipe I use now is mostly silicone caulk. It also works as a great waterproof adhesive, keeping tiny objects attached to my outdoor murals for years…not accounting for the sticky fingers in the neighborhood.

Come say hi on instagram! Spam with with your art!

@catywooley