Class explores use of alcohol ink

Alcohol ink is a fun, relaxing way to produce art while letting your mind wander. Ann McCullough from Strawberry Point taught this interesting technique on Thursday night in Fredericksburg at the Plum Creek Art Center.One participant, Dolores Buchheit from St. Lucas, said she saw Ann’s work somewhere and it got her interested in trying the art herself.“I decided to order a bunch of supplies and of  course over did it fast,” said Buchheit. “I just couldn’t lay it down once it got started.”McCullough described the process of using alcohol ink to paint. It is important to first clean your Yupo sheet surface with alcohol to clean it of any fingerprints.You should have a drip pan because the process can be messy. Different alcohol based colors can be purchased for about $9.99 for a three pack. There are several different makers of the bottles of color.Different shapes and pictures can be made with the alcohol ink or it can be used to make obscure paintings that bring out objects within themselves.“I like to work with fantasy landscapes,” said McCullough.She will sometimes even leave one of her pieces alone for some time - months - and come back to see how it has evolved and what she can see in the photo.The Plum Creek Art Center has a variety of upcoming classes including a Slush and Brush class on Tuesday, March 7, a Rustic Rocks art class on Tuesday, March 28 and a Wool Felted Scarf class on Thursday, March 30.