Ana Hefco

Joined Artfinder: Oct. 2020

Artworks for sale: 561

(33)

United States

Updates from Ana Hefco's studio

  • Time-lapse "Feel me now" - painting process

    07 December 2020
    Curing process

    Curing process

    Each layer of the painting needs 24 hours to cure, before painting the next one. The curing process needs to happen in a controlled environment: very clean, dust free, temperature and humidity controlled room. Hence the plastic walls, trying to keep out any spec of dust that would temper with the perfect, glass like finish, one of the biggest challenges a resin artist encounters.

    22 November 2020
    Work in progress - black sand beach painting

    Work in progress - black sand beach painting

    Dear Collector/Art Lover, This is the short story of any of my paintings. My favourite subject to paint is the ocean and in order to captured its fluid transparent nature my painting medium is not a conventional one. Normally used as a sealeant or as a final coat, resin (the medium that I paint with) presents itself in a 2 parts completely transparent formula liquids with a honey like level of viscosity that have to be throughly mixed together. To that I add the pigments and create my “paint”. Each painting session is limited timewise due to the fact that the result of the chemical reaction between the 2 liquid parts is hardening, and once that process starts, I will no longer be able to handle and spread it as I desire. When I paint with resin I paint in layers. Just imagine a number of differently tinted glass sheets layered on top on each other. Only when I layer them the glass sheets are liquid and will transform into a solid in 24 hours. Resin is exactly like that, and the fact that I paint in layers gives my paintings a tridimensional aspect with intricate details that add richness and depth to the oceans I paint, that can be viewed from an aerial perspective or as that of a shoreline viewpoint. I always start with a wood surface. Most of the time it is a cradled wood panel primed with premium, archival, acid-free gesso, high quality resin and different types of pigments. All paintings have 1 basecoat, 1 professional spray paint coat and several separate high-quality layers of resin. In order to tint the resin, I used Japanese dry pigments, alcohol inks, and professional resin dyes and pastes. For every single layer of resin, I have to wait 24 hours to cure before proceeding with the next step: sanding. Every single layer is sanded with 4 different grades of sandpaper and air-pressure cleaned and sterilized with alcohol. I do not use brushes or palette knives, my painting tools are a bit unconventional: my brushes are my hands, blow torches, heat guns, spatulas, gravity, cold and warm air, fire. The inspiration is always nature's force, balance, perfection in purpose and beauty, it can be a place I travelled or sailed to or just a feeling floating on our a boat docked in a turkish marina or just on anchor nearby a greek taverna on a remote tiny island in the Mediterranean or Aegean Sea. It can be this artist as a little girl reading "The count of Monte Christo" trying to escape her cold tiny grey communist bedroom daydreaming traveling to exotic warm places with gold sand beaches and teal waters oceans and seas. Regardless the place or sensation that triggers me to paint, I always seek and aim for same thing: I want the viewer to feel the warmth, solace, calm, inner peace, I want them to feel the warm waters touching their feet and that turquoise-teal-gold perfect color ratio fill their hungry for beauty eyes and soul.

    22 November 2020
    Safety First

    Safety First

    Due to the very toxic chemical reactions that take place during mixing my mediums and burning them, I have to wear a full face respirator with organic vapors and particles cartridge filters. Resin takes 72 hours to cure completely, so every time I enter the studio during those 3 days I have to wear the protection gear. I'll do everything it takes for my art.

    13 November 2020
    None
    Preparing the surface, first layers of color

    30 October 2020