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add some of this and some of that if you can find it around here, that is. Post created Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 by Maite Benito Agahnia. 1 Comment »

I am so unorganized I can’t find my own head. I have been working a lot, getting ready for my Temptation6 show. The studio is a disaster. There are things everywhere. Crumbled papers on the floor, tape, a box of toothpicks (for the paintings, not to pick my teeth), sketchbooks, half drunken coffee cups,  paints, pencils, pastels, HELP! The sweet janitor-man that cleans the place said: “Ohhh.. a bit messy. I didn’t want to vacuum and because I wasn’t sure what was trash and what wasn’t. I had thrown this paper away and realized when I looked at the painting that that’s what you were using, so I un-crumbled it and put it on your table.” Ha!

I came into work today, and after seeing all this I decided I needed to document it before I clean up. For this Secrets series I decided to use more collage and mediums, the only problem is that not only do I have a hard time finding them when I need them, but I am actually tripping on jars of gels, and paste.

I will take some time later to organize it all . Later, yes. I am a procrastinator, remember?

I have been experimenting with all the gels and mediums to create  the look of encaustic on some areas of the paintings. Feeling like the mad physicist, I sit here with different jars of mixtures excited to use them all. Since I paint like I cook, I do not know the exact measurements I used, but I will give you approximates at the end.

I think my favorite part about this series is that I have hidden certain drawings and words under layers of “waxy” gels, and only I know the real secret, then, I think about how a certain secret makes me feel and I write that on the canvas, covering that or part of it  too.  The whole painting becomes an enigma with my feelings somehow interlaced in them.

I always tell my friends I am like a vault. You can tell me a secret and it will never get out, Part of that is integrity, but a big part of it is that I have a  horrible memory, either way I am a pretty safe secret keeper. Have you told me one yet? Click here!

My favorites so far:

“Fake” beeswax recipe 1

I started with  a 4oz jar of soft gel (matte)

Added a drop of naples yellow

And a drop of fluid quinacridone nickel/azo gold

Pourable fake waxy goodness

About a spoonful of soft get (gloss) and  a teaspoon of soft gel (matte)

Added about 2 oz of water.

You can add any liquid color to these, I opted for an iridescent interface blue, because I liked the luminosity it gives it.

Remember a drop of any liquid acrylic goes a looooong way.

It looks yummy, but please don’t eat it.

About the author: Maite Benito Agahnia

Maite currently lives in San Diego, CA with her husband and two children. She is active in the Art Community in Southern California, and volunteers her time to help children and give back to the community.