Liquitex Flexible Modeling Paste ~ product review

I'm always on the lookout for ways to add texture to some of my paintings. Today I experimented with this product and I highly recommend it to artists that prefer to work on paper like myself. It's flexible, as the label states, so it won't crack on flexible surfaces. Up to this point I've been relying on Liquitex gesso to get a degree of texture but there's a lot of moisture in gesso and it takes a long time to dry. Also it's rather runny, causing the paper to buckle, and has to be worked and reworked with a palette knife or other tool to produce an interesting surface. However this product is thick, easy to mold and dries much faster. It's also possible to get a high degree of texture not possible with acrylic gesso. I created this sample floral to see how well the modeling paste accepted watercolor and ink. It behaved very similar to gesso. Paint was pretty easy to lift but I think the surface tended to stain a bit more. If a non porous surface was needed a coat or two of high gloss gel medium over the modeling paste would accomplish that.  

Moo.com Greeting Cards~Product Review

I was saddened to discover Imagekind no longer offers greeting cards so I decided to try Moo.com . I received my first order today and am pleased to report the quality is excellent. All pertinent information regarding the paper quality, dimensions of the cards, etc. is readily available on the site however I'd like to add my own list of pros and cons:

Pros

• Quality of the images on the cards is excellent, colors true to life.

• Each card comes with a standard white envelope or you can chose from an alternative assortment at extra cost.

• Images are easily uploaded to the site, extra large files are not required.

• Moo offers an image editing and preview feature so the customer has more control over any cropping that may occur.

• Regular cost is very reasonable. Moo.com is currently running a 25% off sale on all printed products which unfortunately ends today.

• Moo requires a minimum order of 25 cards but the customer can include more than one image in the 25 cards.

• Moo allows the customer to remove their logo from the back of the cards and replace it with their own or any text or image they chose.

• Customer service is great. I emailed Moo twice with questions and they got back to me in a very timely manner.

_________________________Cons________________________

• The cards are an odd size, smaller than a standard 5" x 7" greeting card and slightly larger than a notecard. I like to present my cards in an acetate sleeve and was unable to find a sleeve that would fit these cards correctly. I had to order 5" x 7" sleeves from another source and will have to make some adjustments with tape.

• When creating your cards using multiple images per batch of 25 it's not possible to edit the back of each card so including separate titles for each image is not possible.

Epson 725 All-In-One Printer

I recently purchased a new Epson 725 All-In-One (click-able link) from a vendor on Amazon (click-able link). My poor old Dell 922 All-In-One had seen better days and was no longer producing acceptable results so it was time to replace it. The Epson 725 All-In-One should be called a 3-In-One (print, copy and scan) as it has no fax capabilities which I don't need anyway. I read the reviews on Amazon and it sounded like what I was looking for and the price was unbeatable. At the time I placed my order the printer was $129 w/free shipping. It was easy to setup and install and I don't miss the vertical paper feed of my old Dell. The prints from the Epson look very nice. Today I ran some 110# cardstock through it with no problem. I've yet to try running 140# watercolor paper but I'll keep you posted. It's a bit noisy when it's getting ready to run. Some whirs, clicks and humming I'm not used to but nothing I can't live with.

7/23/2011-Follow-up with my new Epson printer: Since purchasing the Epson 725 I will still say I made the right choice however this printer does not like dust. My room is dusty and after about a month or so I began seeing horizontal stripes or gaps in color across my prints. The booklet that came with has a very good chapter on troubleshooting and the printer comes with built in features that will auto clean the print head and print head nozzles. The instructions are easy to follow and simple to carry out. The problem may require cleaning multiple times to correct the issue and I'd recommend providing some sort of cover over the unit to keep the dust down.

Daniel Smith's 66 Color Try It Sheet~product review

FYI...Daniel Smith Art Supply offers a product called the 66 Try It Sheet (link), an 8.5" x 11" sheet of watercolor paper with 66 sample dots of their various extra fine watercolors, including many of their specialty colors such as interference shades and duochromes complete with all color information such as ASTM LR rating, degree of transparency, etc. I think it's a brilliant sales tactic on their part because it gives the artist a sampling of each of these colors for very little money. I ordered my sheet and today I wet most of the dots (some colors I have and am already familiar with) to see with my own eyes what they look like IRL and how they perform. I highly recommend this product to any artist if DS products are available in their country.

Review~Cirrus Floating Picture Frame~Update

Pond Life I
watercolor on matboard
11" x 14" frame

Pond Life II
watercolor on matboard
8" x 10" frame

Pond Life III
watercolor on matboard
8" x 10" frame

I've just completed framing three paintings using the Cirrus floating frame system. See my initial review here. I really like the glass for these smaller frames. The extra weight isn't an issue at this size and I'm always so nervous when working with Plexi for fear I will inadvertently scratch it. Glass also doesn't collect static as much (cat hair is a major problem at my house).

I see Framatic has corrected their instructions regarding the adhesive tabs. Unfortunately the adhesive provided was not strong enough to support even a small piece (7" x 9") of 3/16" matboard. I'm not quite sure if it was the weight or the paper on the back surface of the matboard that was the problem. Either way it's of concern so I chose to use another adhesive I had on hand. For larger pieces I wouldn't bother with the tabs at all and instead use acid free foamcore in the traditional way.

July 6, 2010~Update: Framatic no longer produces the bronze floating frames which I show in the above images. The only colors now available are silver and black.

Review~Cirrus Floating Picture Frame

The adhesive square has been applied and the backing plastic is ready to be removed.

Here's a closer shot of the adhesive tabs. I've lifted the backing plastic off slightly. One adhesive tab will have to be applied to each side of the mounting tabs...one for the underside of the artwork, the other to adhere the work to the foamcore backing board.

The 1" adhesive squares actually contain only a 1/4" square of adhesive in the center, sandwiched between plastic. The adhesive is supposed to be repositionable and I've been putting that claim to the test. So far I've removed the mounting tabs from my paper 2-3 times with no damage to the back of the painting.


These are the 1" acid free foamcore mounting tabs and a sheet of adhesive squares.

The locking system is made of sturdy plastic. Flip the tabs up and grasping the sides of the top of the frame, simply pull straight up. When replacing, slide the clips into the frame's channel and once in place snap the tabs back down. Everything is locked in nice and tight.

The hanger system is simple and sturdy. No picture wire to deal with here. The hanger can be easily removed by gently prying up on each side below the holes you can see in this image with a flathead screw driver and it pops back in with some minimal effort.

Here's the frame as it arrived. Well, not exactly. I had taken it apart and replaced the original image crookedly before snapping this shot.:(

The instructions that Framatic included regarding the float mount tabs are incorrect. The adhesive is not already on the tabs when they arrive even though their graphic shows this.

I've received my float mount frame from Your Picture Frame.com and I'm pretty darn happy with it. I ordered an 8" x 10" frame in bronze which will accomodate an image up to 7" x 9" but plan to use it for a 5" x 7" painting. The frame itself is made of aluminum and is 1 1/4" deep with a 1/4" reveal. The reveal is smooth, the sides are slightly brushed. With the combined thickness of the foamcore and the float mount tabs it allows for 1/2" space between the artwork and the glass(no Plexi). The backer board/mat is acid free foamcore in an off white/slightly ivory color(no other color choices). The float mount tabs are also acid free.

Overall I'm very happy with this framing system. The materials are all acid free and this system makes float mounting artwork extremely simple and easy. My only negative critiques...(1.)The instructions contained an error and (2.) I wish they would've included some of those little wall protectors that attach to the lower corners of the back of the frame.

This frame is produced by Framatic of Los Angeles, Ca. and sold through various distributors. I did have some questions when it arrived and found the representative at Your Picture Frame to be friendly, helpful and knowledgable. I'd like to thank Alisha Lee for being so patient and going out of her way to assist me with my concerns.