Classic Work in Acrylic

Some of our major pioneers borrowed, almost from the start, mediums from other disciplines. Elise Winters‘ easily recognizable undulating forms sparkle with the crackle effect she got from adding acrylic. Likewise, the Bonnard Disc Collar Necklace by Rachel Carren that you see here is textured with acrylic paints, carrying the design so the polymer, as essential as it is, is the foundation rather than the star of the piece.

Acrylics are also widely used in screen printing on polymer, antiquing, accenting, and just straight up painting either to add realistic, exaggerated or decorative elements to polymer sculptural forms or to actually work with polymer in wall pieces and even jewelry. Acrylic, a plastic cousin of polymer that had its coming out as a true three dimensional medium in the 90’s with the production of new and highly varied thickening and texturing mediums, has also become known for its versatility and ease of use; along with polymer, this makes for a mind-boggling number of possibilities that I think have only been touched upon as of yet. We shall see what acrylic and polymer together have in store for us in the coming years as our innovative community continues to push the boundaries of what our medium can do.