Why the Iconics are expressed as Acrylic Prints?

Angels, mandalas, landscapes: all of these icons in my works are residents of acrylic prints – the sole process I use in printing my Iconics series. I wanted to share about the process of acrylic printing and why I chose this medium. 

An acrylic print is an innovative way of printing fine-art works. It’s a process which layers a print against layers of durable acrylic for this glossy, luminous finish. Whereas canvas printing involves printing directly onto the fabric, the layer of acrylic acts as a protective barrier that also preserves the work behind it. The appearance, vibrancy, durability are all factors that I consider when choosing how best to bring my art to the physical world.

Appearance

The main benefit of an acrylic print, and the top reason I chose it, is its luminous appearance. These painting-collages come together on a digital canvas, and my process inevitably involves a screen. The beauty of a screen is the white light which gives makes colors glow and vibrate. The acrylic print is the closest medium to showing the colors as light itself. This light adds to the dream-like quality that my images evoke. As my work itself traverses both the tangible and the digital realms, borrowing from each and uniting them in a single image, so the printed piece must evoke this exchange. 

The eye catching, sleek acrylic format, with its sharp corners, offer a chance to view into a window of color. It’s frameless as well, really allowing the image to take the centerstage. There is a “spacer” mounted to the back of the frame, so that when hung on the wall, the image seems to float off of it. Although some themes in my Iconics series reference traditional artistic periods, the way of printing brings it squarely into the contemporary moment.

Vibrancy

I am passionate about color, and I want the hues to be vibrant. My choice in colorways is fully intentional, and the acrylic printing process is a way I can ensure that the image retains that intensity. Due to the layer of acrylic, more light is able to enter the image. From that refraction, small details that could otherwise be missed in other printing processes are able to shine in acrylic printing. 

Durability

Acrylic prints also have a built-in durability factor because of that glossy layer that protects them. It is shatter-resistant, lighter than glass and provides UV protection to prevent the image being damaged by sunlight. I appreciate the modernity of the medium, juxtaposed with my frequent use of baroque and ancient imagery. 

Limited Editions

Despite the ubiquity of printing methods for digital paintings, I produce only a limited series of actual prints for each work. Once acquired, each work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, its own number and my signature. While I can if desired, customize the size of the print, the ideal size is 36 inches wide (approximately one meter). One client of mine came up with the clever name “digital etchings” – a reference to the tradition of artists’ numbering their etchings or custom prints, but in this case, those created in the digital ambience.

To view the entire series, go to this page. To order your own acrylic “digital etching” of one of these works, please contact my studio.