Citrus Solvent Sunflower

Step 1 of a 4-step process: Cathy Taylor dissolves

ink on a magazine page using Citra Solv

Step 4 of a 4-step process: Cathy Taylor adds

acrylic paint to create an autumn forest scene

In the January/February 2010 issue of “Cloth Paper Scissors”, mixed-media artist Cathy Taylor demonstrates how to create soulful backgrounds by blurring the ink on magazine pages with Citra Solv. Unfortunately this citrus-based solvent isn’t available in Australia, but the previous owner of our house had left something similar tucked in a rickety cupboard in the garage.

My first attempt at "painting" a magazine page with

Citro Clean before manipulating the ink with ear buds,

tooth picks and paint brushes

Close-up detail 1: I'm inspired to paint this in oils

Close-up detail 2: I'm fascinated by the texture and pattern

While I didn’t get Taylor’s sea of Turner-esque intermingling, I did have fun manipulating the ink with cotton buds, toothpicks and paint brushes. I wonder if ink, paper and geographic differences across the publishing world make a difference to the effects one can achieve — where Taylor used the US version of “National Geographic”, I used the Australian version of “Better Homes and Gardens”.

Still, I’m intrigued with my painterly results, especially in close-up detail, so plan more experiments.