For years, I have worked with a variety of translucent, transparent, and reflective materials to explore patterns in nature, in particular light patterns. Grafix Matte Dura-Lar Film has a beautiful translucent quality. I have worked with Dura-Lar in both two and three dimensions, the nature of the film allowing it to bend in soft organic shapes.

I first started using Dura-Lar for my series Pools of Light. My Pools of Light Series delves into the ability of light to reveal and obscure the world around you. There is a mystery in partially obscured views and the promise of more information that entices you to delve deeper. These works are created with layers of Dura-Lar with light patterns cut out allowing you to see a partially revealed layer of encaustic imagery behind. Light passes through the layers bending with every surface they pass through and changing with the light.

One day when moving large sheets of Dura-Lar with patterns cut out, the sheet no longer held its shape. It became fluid. This was one of those aha moments, when I realized I can do something with this, and started making 3-dimensional work using Dura-Lar. I used acrylic medium and high flow acrylic to add translucent color to the cut Dura-Lar shapes in my Light Forms series. My Reflected Light series explores reflected color and light using Montana Gold paint on Matte Dura-Lar and Metallized Dura-Lar.

One day when moving large sheets of Dura-Lar with patterns cut out, the sheet no longer held its shape. It became fluid. This was one of those aha moments, when I realized I can do something with this, and started making 3-dimensional work using Dura-Lar. I used acrylic medium and high flow acrylic to add translucent color to the cut Dura-Lar shapes in my Light Forms series. My Reflected Light series explores reflected color and light using Montana Gold paint on Matte Dura-Lar and Metallized Dura-Lar.

Recently, while working on a collaborative project with a Chamber Choir, I discovered the wonders of how the paint flows on Dura-Lar. In this collaboration, the lyrics are about a flowing river. I wanted to apply the paint to reflect that and found that working on a non-porous surface like Dura-Lar is amazing. Using an acrylic medium, with fluid acrylic and water, the paint starts to move and flow, imitating nature in its operation.

The ways of using Grafix films are endless. I look forward to exploring them more!

By Jane Guthridge

(You can see more of my work at www.janeguthridge.com or on Instagram @janeguthridge)