Trish McKinney gave a demonstration of re-discovering the beauty in discarded artwork in her presentation “Rebirth & Re-imagine”. Trish has found that an artist can re-use work that may have been set aside as not meeting the standards set for oneself. She uses mixed media techniques to turn rejected paintings into something new and exciting, to reinvent the surface of a painting into a “playground of inspiration”. In this way, nothing need be wasted in regards to one’s artwork.
She used a discarded painting as an example of her process. She uses stencils of her own design to apply patterns on top of a painting. She then applies gesso over the stencil(s), spreading the gesso over the surface with a plastic card (such as a credit card) and a scratch tool or a paper towel to provide texture. She will on occasion, cut up a large work into smaller pieces and then use this technique. She uses Golden Fluid Acrylic as a medium, using the acrylic paint like watercolor. “Those who look for beauty will find it”, even in trash – your discarded artwork. Trish’s “Blessings Collection” has been developed using this idea of rebirth, and is now her most popular collection.