With "intuitive" painting, I start out without any particular image in mind and literally throw colors of acrylic paint over the painting surface. I choose colors" intuitively", and also do not control how and where the paint lands. This is a "fun" way of painting, and allows me to use my imagination to form images out of what is formed.

I do not use a brush to apply the paint, but prefer a brayer and boar hair brush to spread the paint around after it's applied to the surface. Depending on the sub surface I use, I have found that Bristle paper has less absorption, so the paint dries with more texture, I will sometime use gesso in the mix of paint that is applied. This seems to help the textures I create to hold up better and not flatten out, which seems to happen more easily on canvas, and watercolor paper. I sometimes will lay a sheet or two of plastic wrap over the paint while it is still wet, and then pull it off (reusing the image on the plastic as a mono print for another piece of art work). This gives my work some unexpected and interesting paint texture. After letting the paint dry on the surface, usually over night, I will look at the composition, and turn it, occasional to see if there are any images or shapes that might be distinct.

After I get an idea of where and what colors I will use over the acrylic, I start applying oil pastels, or colored pencil over the acrylic surface. I will sometimes spray the surface after layering colored pencil, so further application is made easier, and seals the layer below it. I use prismacolor colored pencils, and find them the best for layering colors, and working over even the darkest colors of the acrylic base.

If I decide to use the oil pastels over the acrylic, I use my fingers, paper towels, q-tips, or anything I may have on hand to apply or spread the color when I think it's needed. I use good quality pastels, not the most expensive, but the colors are bright and true, and don't fade. They also dry well. I also use what in the industry is called "cattle markers". These are large oil pastels that originally were designed to mark cattle, and still are. They're a very soft oil pastel, so smooth out well, and blend beautifully. I will use them as the last application to the painting. They dry within a few days after medium application. All paintings done on any kind of paper substrait need to be under glass or plexiglass to keep them protected. I have done a few on canvas, using oil pastels as the overlay, and they need at least one to two months before a varnish is applied.

Many of the pieces seen here are for sale. contact me by email if you are interested in purchasing a piece or would like to commission a piece of art.

Best Regards, Laurieann Lepper Dygowski - artist@dygowski.com
7242 Liberty Grove, Rowlett, TX 75089, 972-475-1836,
972-475-4744