Featured Artist Tom Psinka

Artist Tom Psinka creates dynamic abstract images with energized markings and vivid, raw color. Find more of his work on his website.

 

 

After retiring from my award-winning career as an art director and graphic designer, I picked up paints again. It was something I had loved as a child and throughout my art school and college days.

 

 

I’ve had eight paintings accepted in The San Diego County Fair Fine Art Show with one donors ribbon and one honorable mention. I won numerous first place ribbons and awards including best of show. I was awarded a dedicated Featured Artists Wall for the month of February to display art at the COAL Gallery (now called North Coastal Art Gallery) whose new logo I also designed. My innovative painting skills and techniques and unusual materials are applied with gusto.  They have become the trademark of my art creations.

 

 

Some people say I appear to paint with reckless abandon because of my high energy applications and use of raw color. While painting, I drip, drop, splash, flick, toss, squeeze, squirt, smear, spray, throw, blow, rub, wipe, tilt and run applications of ink. All of these characterize my brushless style.

 

 

I often have a vague idea of a subject and let the medium do its natural “thing” while I’m intuitively art directing the painting. Currently I’m successfully experimenting with watermedia and inks on yupo paper and brilliant alcohol inks on recycled aluminum. These create a dazzling colorful experience for the viewer.

 

 

In addition, I manipulate the metal surface through scratching, gouging the back and pounding. This allows the art to take on many interesting light reflections and colorful facets. My art appears to change when seen from different angles, simply from a tilt or slight turn of the head. When a viewer walks by one of my pieces, they see it “changing” and it grabs their attention.

 

 

In my art practice, I realized alcohol inks played a role both in my advertising design career and fine art painting. Before graphic computers came into play, I was a master at using alcohol-based markers. I used them to create visuals when designing and laying out ads and brochures on art board for advertising agencies.

 

 

Now, these brilliant inks play a huge role in my mixed media painting.

 

 

My first ink painting was created using those same markers. I placed small marks side by side on yupo and dripped a drop of alcohol on them until I created a red tree full of bubbles.

 

 

One day, while doing business with my favorite offset printer, I noticed thin aluminum plates stacked up against the wall waiting to be recycled. Knowing the ink will stick to anything, including metal and glass, I started dripping inks on them, experimenting with colorful alcohol ink, metal and acrylics.

 

 

It is a joy every time I pick up a bottle of transparent ink, alcohol and shiny aluminum to see what will be created.

 

Want to stay current on cutting edge business articles from Artsy Shark, plus artist features, and an invitation to the next Call for Artists? Click below to sign up for our twice-monthly email. You’ll get all this plus opportunities and special offers that you can’t get anywhere else!