Susan Coughlan from Southern California has been “painting” with powder coatings for more than 20 years. She does not do the industrial type of powder coating we are all familiar with, but creates works of art on canvas and other substrates using the unique properties of powder colors.
On her recent works, she lays down an image on a treated canvas with modified black ink, and then adds dry color and powders using brushes, silk screens and other tools. With the precision of the silk screen process, Susan can replicate highly technical images in her work, which stand in sharp contrast to the ephemeral and playful designs of ink. Using a modified hot plate, she heats the powder to the melt point when she is satisfied with each stage of the painting, taking care not to degrade the canvas surface. The lustrous dry colors reflect light directed on the image and become eye-catching aspects of the work. In some cases she adds semi-precious gems to the work to complement the colors.
Since powder coatings are so durable, Susan has applied her technique to stone surfaces for outdoor use. Flagstone and marble stepping stones outside her studio display vibrant animal, flower and human images. She has done many pieces on large sheets of galvanized steel and aluminum, in one case capturing a large spreading tree on a triptych of three steel pieces, which hangs in the lobby of a well-known powder equipment manufacturer.
Susan’s powder coated artwork presents a combination of color, texture and luster that could not be achieved through any other medium.
For more on Susan’s work, visit www.zaumart.com.
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