Calligraphy: A Scribe's Notes - Art Blog
My Love Hate Relationship With Glitter
by calligraphy , November 18, 2009—12:00 AM
For the past 16 years I have volunteered my artistic services to a fund raising event, The Bright Nights Ball. Every year has a theme, and each year I make elaborate table numbers (45) to mach the color and theme. Additionally, I make matching name tags for the 30 or so student volunteers. This year, like every year the ballroom was magical in shades of teal, and white, beautifully lit and staged. Elaborate floral arrangements were at every turn and the most divine scent of roses. This year I got together all the stock, cut it down, layered two shades of teal with silver and white. I painted the table numbers with pearlescent teal paint and they looked quite nice. The student name tags followed suite lettered with Earth Safe Acrylic gouache with Luminarte Primary Elements added. Everything looked fine but there was something missing. The soft shimmer of the papers and paint were not going to be enough in the ballroom light. I knew what needed to be done and I cringed a little knowing that I had to add glitter to every piece. Glitter is just the right touch in certain circumstances but can be easily over or under done. Plus it makes a big giant mess. No matter how carefully or sparingly I apply it, and with collecting devices beneath, it gets everywhere. I used a micro cut clear glitter this year. I just wanted a starburst on the names and numbers so I dug out my Sakura Glue Pen and what do you know, after lying dormant for some time, it still worked. I drew the starbursts in glue, sprinkled on the glitter and the first few went smoothly. Then the glitter began to accumulate on the catch sheet, so I poured it back into the container. That’s when the trouble started. The micro glitter, static clung to everything. It went from my hands, to my clothes, to my face, to all over the work surface. As I went adding glitter to the rest of the pieces, my black cat appeared on the table, sparkling all over, glitter whiskers, glitter feet, glitter floating in the air. The cat, of course, tracked it downstairs and you know the rest. In the end the glitter was just the right touch for the ballroom pieces. That was a week ago. My house is still lovely, glitter winking in the sun. Good thing Christmas is coming.
COMMENTS
( homepage )
12/14/2009 * 12:50:00
I have just finished creating a large prop for "The Nutcracker," which required jewels, ribbons, and yes, glitter. Glitter glue offers hope for sparkle control. A few drawbacks are that it must have dry time, there is a finite color palette, and it does have a certain thickness. It does, however, tend to stay put!
Darren Daz Cox ( homepage )
12/29/2009 * 08:34:19
I use glitter on my acrylic paintings and for months afterwards the residue appears in unexpected places.
If I'm going to have dust in my often un-cleaned studio it might as well sparkle!
There's nothing un-serious about using glitter in your art, it is just another way to use the effects of light.