The development of modern acrylic polymers (gels and mediums) has allowed the contemporary artist a greater variety of application techniques and ways to create different surface effects. While working with my abstracts, I developed a way of casting these gels to create forms that I could use to enhance my painting by creating a different surface feel and depth. The process itself takes several steps for curing in order to insure the desired thickness of the gel cast.
My approach to creating these three-dimensional, topographic forms follows similar steps to those employed in the casting of bronze or fibre glass, but uses acrylic paint and gel as its medium. Once the acrylic gel has cured in the moulds, large skins of acrylic paint are removed and then artistically applied to the canvas to create the textured surface which both enhance and complements the completed painting.
By incorporating this innovative technique to landscape painting, I am able to add a dimension that allows me to uniquely capture the essence of nature in a completely
new manner.