Artists are known for their willingness to experiment, so it’s no surprise that the introduction of a new technology like a 3D printing pen quickly generates interest in the art world and can easily be integrated into an artist’s toolbox. Mixed media artist Barbara Taylor-Harris really enjoys exploring combinations, and much of her recent adventure has been breaking new ground in incorporating the 3Doodler into her work.
As with anything new, it wasn’t easy from the start. At first, she found it difficult to create sculptures with the 3Doodler, a seemingly obvious use of such technology.
However, she didn’t get frustrated so quickly and began working with the compression pen on two-dimensional canvases. There she had her first breakthroughs that led her to the championship.
In a recent interview with 3Doodler, Taylor-Harris explained her journey:
“I bought it [the 3Doodler] Originally intended for making sculptures, but when I started making linear designs I found that the plastic was quite fragile and couldn’t hold up. So I initially gave up on that and started using it in paintings. With paintings I’ve found that the hot plastic sticks to an acrylic base. So once I’ve done a basic painting, I can then have the plastic stick to the acrylic.”
Her initial difficulties in creating sculptures cannot be attributed to a lack of experience in sculpture. Before her retirement in 2005, Taylor-Harris trained as a sculptor and worked as a teacher for many years. In fact, it was only after her retirement that she decided to turn to painting as a means of expression, first with watercolor and later in mixed media with sculptural canvases.
What she ultimately found was that the 3Doodler offered her another opportunity to explore both her mixed media work and sculpture creation:
“It gives you the opportunity to do things you can’t do with any other material. For me this is a huge boost to creativity. I can model in stone, I can model in plaster, but with plastic modeling is much easier. It is possible to create sculptures with the 3D pen that would be difficult to create with other materials. You have to learn a lot about it to achieve thickness and stability. You have to explore it as a medium and work with it.”
Taylor-Harris generally works on series that deal with topics like energy or the Everglades. She will typically exhibit in several group exhibitions per year, with at least one solo exhibition that allows her to present her exploration of her chosen topic. Her current project is titled Willow-Dream and you can see more of her work, including explorations, on her Pintrest page. Let’s hear your thoughts on this artist’s work in the Barbara Taylor forum thread at 3DPB.com.