[TAGS] Tactile paintings

Sat Feb 9 12:31:22 UTC 2019

Aishwarya,

You may be interested in investigating the work of Sargy Mann. He was an
English impressionist painter who lost his eyesight gradually over his
career, and kept on painting visual art.

He developed some techniques that helped him paint figures, and those
techniques may be something you can experiment with, or improve upon.

You can find more of his work and videos and articles about him at the
following URL: http://sargymannarchive.com/.

Unfortunately, most of these are intended for a sighted audience, but may
still be of interest. I brailled a few of his late writings for his
publisher (his son), and can ask for permission to make some of it
available.

Best,

_don

On Fri, Feb 8, 2019 at 11:14 PM Aishwarya Pillai via TAGS <tags at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Hello Noel,
>
> Thank you for your word of caution about the lacquer. I will look into
> it and see how well  and safely i will be able to work with it.  As
> for your question about my painting techniques, i make use of garbage
> bags to cover the portions using adhesive tape so that only the
> portion i intend to paint is exposed to me. Let me explain this with
> "Caribbean Feast", one of the paintings i shared here.  The background
> is divided into 3 horizontal portions.  The upper one is the sunset
> sky, the middle one is the sea and the bottom one is the sand.  So
> when i painted blue for the sea, i covered the portions of sunset sky
> and sand with garbage bags. I then use horizontal strokes and coated
> the area at least 2 - 3 times . i repeated the same to cover the other
> two portions as well.  I am currently working on adding fine textures
> to my paints so that one will be able to differentiate the colors in
> the background. As for coloring foreground tactile pieces, i use
> brush, fingers or sometimes even dip them into colors if necessary. It
> was challenging in the beginning, but with practice it got easier and
> fun to work with.  I do ask someone's feedback if i filled the colors
> properly or not.
> I'd love to know if members here have any other techniques.
>
> With regards,
> Aishwarya.
>
>
>
> On 2/8/19, Noel Runyan <noel at personaldatasystems.com> wrote:
> > Aishwarya,
> > Sorry, yes, I was referring to Ann Cunningham, who is well known for
> > her wonderful support of tactile art and artists.
> > If you are thinking about using acrylic or krylon plastic materials
> > for stiffening fragile portions of your art, please be aware that as
> > too many other artists who have used these materials carelessly have
> > discovered, it can be very unhealthy to get the spray forms of such
> > materials in your lungs.  If using spray applications instead of
> > brushing them on, you should use a proper respirator mask and good
> > ventilation.
> > I didn't realize that you were also painting your pieces.  That
> > sounds great and challenging.  Can you share with us some of your
> > techniques for applying paint?
> > Thanks.
> > Cordially,
> > Noel
> >
> > At 02:50 AM 2/8/2019, Aishwarya Pillai wrote:
> >
> >>Hello Noel,
> >>
> >>Thank you for writing to me.  It is interesting to know your feedback
> >>on my art work. I hope someday it will be able to reach out to many
> >>persons with vision loss so that they can experience it as well. As
> >>for calling it tactile paintings, besides using physical elements , I
> >>also paint them.  My idea behind it is that both sighted and visually
> >>impaired persons should be able to enjoy and come together to
> >>experience it.  I am from India and in this country, there is a wide
> >>gap between both communities.  I hope through these paintings, i will
> >>be able to bring them together to raise awareness about the abilities
> >>of persons with vision loss.
> >>I am still learning and trying to make my artwork more durable and
> >>suitable for touch experience. You mentioned about Ann, is she by any
> >>chance Ann Cunningham? If yes, I am aware of her work and I have
> >>spoken to her once.  She is also helping me out to connect with other
> >>blind artists in Colorado.  Her work deeply fasinates me and would
> >>love to experience it myself one day.
> >>
> >>With regards,
> >>Aishwarya.
> >>
> >>On 2/8/19, Noel Runyan <noel at personaldatasystems.com> wrote:
> >> > Aishwarya ,
> >> > Welcome to the list.
> >> > Thanks for sharing the photos of your artworks and their descriptions
> >> > with
> >> > us.
> >> > My sighted wife has studied them and said that you should definitely
> >> > be encouraged to produce more art like them.  Hopefully the members
> >> > of this list will someday have a chance to experience your work by
> >> > touch.
> >> > By the way, I wonder if it might be more proper to call such pieces
> >> > "tactile collage art", rather than "tactile paintings".
> >> > Whatever it is called, I'm sure many others would like to experience
> >> > it.
> >> > I was fascinated by the interesting materials you were able to shape
> >> > into your tactile art.
> >> > I suppose that there might be some tactile art that is too fragile to
> >> > be appreciated by tactile examination, although it might be visually
> >> > appreciated.  Certainly art designed for appreciation by touch needs
> >> > to be constructed of rugged materials, such as Ann's wonderful slate
> >> > etchings.
> >> > I am curious to know if anyone on this list knows of any meaningful
> >> > works of art that are only appreciated by touch but might be visually
> >> > meaningless?
> >> > Cordially,
> >> > Noel
> >> > -
> >> > Noel H. Runyan
> >> > Email: Noel at PersonalDataSystems.com
> >> > Smail: 638 Sobrato Lane, Campbell, CA, 95008, USA
> >> > Phone: 1-408-866-7564
> >> > -
> >> > At 12:05 AM 2/7/2019, Aishwarya Pillai via TAGS wrote:
> >> >
> >> >>Hi All,
> >> >>
> >> >>I am Aishwarya and i'm new to this list. I work as a Rehabilitation
> >> >>Counselor and I'm also into tactile paintings for blind persons.  I
> >> >>was looking to connect with blind artists from around the world.  In
> >> >>this regard, I had written to few centres, One of them is NFB. That's
> >> >>when i got to correspond with Lou Ann who was kind to let me know
> >> >>about TAGS list.
> >> >>If i may introduce more about myself, I was struck blind 10 years ago.
> >> >>One of my interests at that time was pencil sketching.  Unfortunately
> >> >>I gave it up as I couldn't pursue it any further.  Last year, I
> >> >>happened to visit a painting gallery in my city.  To my disappointment
> >> >>I could not enjoy any of the paintings there as all of them were 2
> >> >>dimensional.  That's when i thought of doing tactile paintings.
> >> >>I personally believe that art is a form of expression and it should be
> >> >>experienced by everyone including blind persons.  So I started working
> >> >>on tactile paintings from there on.  My first task was to define
> >> >>colors in a way that it would represent an emotion or meaning. For
> >> >>example, when I say red, it may represent love, passion on the
> >> >>positive side and anger on the negative side. My second task was to
> >> >>choose material for the tactile elements of the painting. Combining
> >> >>both, I was able to paint 4 tactile paintings.  I am planning to do
> >> >>many more as days go by.  I am also in the process of organizing a
> >> >>workshop and an exhibition at my work place for blind persons so that
> >> >>they not only learn how to do it themselves but also touch and
> >> >>experience it. My aim through these programs is to bring them and the
> >> >>sighted community together to bridge the gap between the two so that
> >> >>they can enjoy art under one roof.
> >> >>I have attached four images of my paintings to this email.  Below is a
> >> >>description of each one of them for blind persons on this list.
> >> >>Happy Blossoms:
> >> >>It has blue background and four yellow flowers. The reason I selected
> >> >>blue is because it represents gloom and I chose yellow for the flowers
> >> >>because it represents happiness.  I used dry leaves for the petals.
> >> >>The center of the flower is a small circle of golden colored beads.
> >> >>The message it gives away is that despite the sadness in one's life,
> >> >>there would always come a moment of happiness that would surely
> >> >>blossom!
> >> >>An evening in Paris
> >> >>The background elements of this painting are a blue wall and a table.
> >> >>As for the tactile foreground, towards the left-hand side, there is a
> >> >>burning candle on a stand and a beaded chain hanging from it. The
> >> >>bottom end of the chain is broken. So few beads are scattered around
> >> >>two roses that are placed on the table.  Towards the top right-hand
> >> >>side, a painting frame of the Eiffel tower appears to be hanging on
> >> >>the wall. I used ice-cream sticks, beads and silver foil for the
> >> >>candle stand, mixture of glue, water and tissue paper for the candle,
> >> >>colored paper for the roses and the painting frame of the Eifel tower.
> >> >>Caribbean feast:
> >> >>This is a painting of a beach with a sunset sky, the sea and the sand
> >> >>with two coconut trees.  I used reddish orange color for the sky and
> >> >>blue for the beach. The sand is real and was glued to the canvas.  As
> >> >>for the coconut trees, I used silver foil to make its trunks, one
> >> >>longer than the other.  I later layered them with sheets of blank
> >> >>paper and colored them brown.  As for the leaves I used thick paper,
> >> >>cut it in the right shape and colored them green.  I also glued
> >> >>coconuts that were made of silver foil and tissue paper and glued them
> >> >>to the trees.  Finally, I cut paper like a shape of a flying bird,
> >> >>colored it black and glued it on the sky.
> >> >>  Great Expectations:
> >> >>It has fenced dry yellow-brown grass, dark grey sky, a lightning bolt,
> >> >>a hut and a windmill. The grass is made of paper that was colored and
> >> >>cut into thin conical shapes, the fencing is made of ice-cream sticks
> >> >>and silver foil, the hut is made of paper and silver foil, the
> >> >>windmill is made of a bead, paper coffee cup and straws and the
> >> >>lightning bolt is made of silver foil.  The message that this painting
> >> >>gives away is that although one has gone through bad times, good times
> >> >>are yet to come.  The dry grass represents bad times whereas the
> >> >>lightning bolt reminds one that showers are soon to come, so one can
> >> >>expect great things to happen!
> >> >>
> >> >>I am currently looking to connect to other blind artists so that we
> >> >>can exchange ideas and share experiences.  It would be nice to know
> >> >>what you think of these paintings. I'm sorry if my email was too long,
> >> >>going to end it for now.  Looking forward to connecting to you all.
> >> >>
> >> >>Thanks and regards,
> >> >>Aishwarya
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Happy blossoms
> >> >> 1.jpg";UTF8ISO-CONVERTED;\n
> >> >>Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Happy blossoms 1.jpg"
> >> >>X-Attachment-Id: file1
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="An evening in
> >> Paris.jpg";UTF8ISO-CONVERTED;\n
> >> >>Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="An evening in Paris.jpg"
> >> >>X-Attachment-Id: file2
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Caribbean
> >> >> Feast.jpg";UTF8ISO-CONVERTED;\n
> >> >>Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Caribbean Feast.jpg"
> >> >>X-Attachment-Id: file3
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Great
> >> expectations.jpg";UTF8ISO-CONVERTED;\n
> >> >>Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Great expectations.jpg"
> >> >>X-Attachment-Id: file4
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>_______________________________________________
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> >> >>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/tags_nfbnet.org/noel%40personald
> >> atasystems.com
> >> >
> >
>
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