S. Raines Art ~~~ Stephanie Irvine

In my previous life, I was a work-a-holic divorce litigator. I felt I had to fight with myself for art and music time. Playing drums, painting or making jewelry became guilty pleasures. I never had enough time to do any of it well and I was burning out.  I needed more art, more music and less time in court.  I finally listened to myself. Over the past several years, I have refocused my legal practice to services offered online. I play in a band, The Lads avl, and we have 2 - 3 gigs a week around western NC. The biggest change, however, has been finally allowing myself the time to concentrate on making art.

My legal career requires a strict adherence to rules, time constraints and obligations to others. Playing drums certainly requires structure, but I can add creativity on top of the rules.  Fluid acrylic art is all about creating without rules, without boundaries. While there is some math and science involved in creating the paint mixes, the actual painting is magic.  I cannot predict the outcome.  Each painting is unique. No painting can be replicated.  For someone used to order and predictability, fluid acrylic painting takes me far outside my comfort zone. 

The painting process begins with acrylic paints and understanding their density and opacity. In order to make the paint flow on the canvas, I add a pouring medium. The pouring medium is a combination of substances, generally including a common paint additive, Floetrol. Silicone, varnish, wood conditioner and water can be added to achieve different results. There are various fluid acrylic techniques, each requiring its own combination of paint and media. The manner in which the paint is then poured onto the canvas dramatically affects the end result. I have only begun to discover the many ways to create fluid acrylic art.

Thank you for viewing my website. If you are interested in my art or jewelry, please feel free to email me.

Stephanie

S. Raines Art

stephanie@SRainesArt.com