[TAGS] Tactile paintings

Sat Feb 9 16:33:23 UTC 2019

Hello Don,

Thank you for the URL.  I did read about Sargy Mann when I was
researching to improve my painting techniques.  It amazes me how he
adapted them to bring the best out of his art.  I will certainly keep
exploring more of his works so that I could experiment with my
artwork.  It is great to know you brailled few of his writings.
Unfortunately, I am slow with Braille. Thanks for writing!

Aishwarya

On 2/9/19, Donald Winiecki via TAGS <tags at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 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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>> >> atasystems.com
>> >> >
>> >
>>
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>