Time Flies by Laura Allinder

Time Flies
My work is the silver lining to my perspective; a yearning to reconcile life’s follies, a reminder that life is
not always complicated, but inspire hope. I create art to capture fleeting moments in time, to preserve
and cherish, and to highlight the wondrous and whimsical variety in life, drawing inspiration from the
gardens I grow, the birds I feed, and the experiences I share with those I love.
Technology is embraced in the production of my art. Less restrictive and more forgiving than traditional
methods, such as drawing and painting, the mixed media process I adapted provides freedom from
certain constraints, particularly time. I prefer investing time in experiences, travel and cultural events,
which provide exposure to a breadth of inspirational subject matter more than in the physical
production of the artwork.
A camera, iPhone, and monocular are the tools implemented to document my experiences, but
inspiration—the identification of a subject—is an essential first step in the creative process. Sometimes,
as is the case with gardening, the subject itself is a work of art. Like Claude Monet, I am energized by
the abundant possibilities within my garden. Planting flowers and foliage, watching for life to grow and
blossom, attracting insects and other critters, I am astonished by the awesome expansion of subject
matter upon which I can turn my lens to record an endless stream of digital images.
Although cameras are important, photography is rarely my goal. My preference is to artistically render
and digitally enhance the captured images using an array of apps on my iPad. Each image is often
manipulated through dozens of iterations before I settle on a final composition, often bearing little
resemblance to the original photo. Then, following an archival printing process invented by Bonny
Lhotka using a specially coated transparent film sheet, an ink-jet printer, and a gel medium, the image is
transferred to a prepared wood panel via the film sheet. (Maximizing time, I am beginning to appreciate
premade birch panels because of the variety of sizes readily available, but my first choice is pine board
that’s hand sawn and sanded for the compositional depth added by the wood grain.)
Contributing to the success of an ink transfer is the smoothness of the wood, the chemical composition
of the gel, and the humidity in the environment. Air bubbles get trapped in the gel between the film
and wood, causing the ink to distort or lift off in places, especially the edges, as the film is removed. The
result is a unique fingerprint on each piece. (Even if duplicating an image, each piece would be
distinctive in the transfer effect and wood grain, not exact replicas of one another.) Depending on the
aesthetic appeal of the air bubbles’ effect, I may continue working with any combination of ink, gel,
marker, and acrylic paint to achieve my vision. Finally, the work is protected with a clear fixative spray
and often the edges are painted black.
This exhibit represents a variety of mixed media finishes, all starting with ink and gel on wood. Many of
the pieces are landscapes or from the garden series, but portraits and themed collages are included as
well. Color saturation is employed throughout to draw attention to each scene. Slow down, pause, and
enjoy these moments in time.