Page 94 - The Decorative Painter Spring 2018

Painting Pantry
Holidays call for fabulous food! Long before a festivity, I plan what the menu will include, looking through time- treasured recipe files, pouring over recipe books and soaking in their beautiful photos, or surfing the Internet in search of something new and exciting I want to try. Often I bake ahead, putting my treats in the freezer for future quick retrieval, sav- ing time when my schedule is crazy with houseguests. First I choose recipes, second, I stock my pantry and finally, I make each recipe according to plan—adding my personal touch of creativity here and there.
So is the pattern for creating beautiful works of art: Start with a plan. That plan includes a pattern giving our painting direction. As with following a recipe, experience may give you confidence to divert from the pattern according to your personal taste and inspiration. This is wonderful! Do it! You’ll experience high adventure as you explore uncharted painting frontiers and create something unique to you.
Collecting patterns is like collecting recipes. Over my lifetime of painting I have collected countless patterns, many of which I lovingly file for safekeeping. Others I’ve digitized and keep paperless in my computer. Today our patterns may come from The Decorative Painter, our treasure trove of print books and packets, off Internet artist sites or from classes. We might even create our own original patterns and designs! As we collect and paint from patterns they become a diary of our personal artistic journey.
Unlike recipes, we can’t simply copy and share painting patterns because of artist copyright. I remind us all to honor our designers by purchasing their patterns, keeping them in business. As a designer myself and a painter of other artists’ patterns, I know that unless specifically stated, designers are happy for several painters to get together and share one pat- tern or loan theirs to a friend, as you’d lend a book. But when several patterns are needed, buy the pattern rather than make illegal copies. As in the case of my designs, many patterns include a phrase similar to, “The patterns in this book may be hand-traced for teaching or personal use only or hand-painted for fun and personal profit. No designs in this book may be reproduced.” Sometimes vintage patterns aren’t available for purchase anymore in which case, after making every effort to contact the designer or publisher to confirm the pattern is out of print and receive their permission, you may make copies for limited, personal use.
Transferring a pattern requires tracing or vellum paper onto which you trace your pattern with a fine-tipped black marker.
I prefer a Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Permanent Marker for this purpose. (Most designers are O.K. with you photocopying one duplicate of the pattern onto tracing or vellum paper in order to avoid hand-tracing it twice.) While sandwiching a piece of transfer paper between your project surface and pattern, use either a stylus or fine-point pen and trace the pattern lines, resulting in an identical mark on your surface. (See “It’s No Fai- rytale” FUNdamentals in The Decorative Painter Issue 4, 2015, where I go into detail on the merits of various transfer papers.) Remember that these lines can be permanent if you’re not careful. Keep them light. If you’re using a transparent painting technique, choose a disappearing transfer paper. Or, like many
92 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 2, 2016
by Nanette Hilton
painting masters, choose to enjoy your pattern lines as part
of the finished piece. If you’d like to remove pattern lines after you’re done painting, once it’s cured (it takes several days), first try an eraser. Watch carefully that you’re not removing paint! Odorless turpentine on a clean paper towel or cotton swab will gently lift pattern lines without removing significant paint.
As with collecting recipes and planning the perfect holiday menu, you can collect patterns and plan well in advance of sitting down to paint. Stay on the lookout for great patterns and nab them when you have the chance! Then, on a lucky day you’ll stumble upon the perfect surface for a pattern you’ve been safekeeping. Or, maybe you’ll first have an amazing sur- face just hungering for the right pattern and, together, they’ll be a cosmic success!
In conclusion, food expires and so does paint—‘tis the sad truth. As much fun as collecting is, you must actually sit down and use what you’ve carefully acquired. Keep your painting pantry well stocked, organized and rotated by using it; other- wise you risk becoming a hoarder until you can’t find even your painting table—not to mention the patterns with their compan- ion surfaces and supplies. Bon appétit!
This is one of my binders storing past The Decorative Painter magazines. This one is 21 years old!
Filing cabinets are still in style when you want to safeguard printed patterns. Like enjoying a photo-heavy recipe book,
these pattern books make me hungry to paint!
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