Crafts : Painting / Finishes : Floating Rice Paper Art : Home & Garden Television

Project by Karen Mills from Canyon Country, Calif.

Karen Mills of Canyon Country, Calif., was a computer science and chemistry major that went on to work in the computer industry for many years. Her life took a major turn on November 11, 2001, when she awoke with an overwhelming urge to paint. By the end of that week she was signed up for a Chinese brushstroke class and within a matter of months, she had quit her lucrative computer job and was creating art full time. As an experimental brush artist, she has created innovative ways of transforming her art on rice paper into uniquely functional and decorative forms such as tables, lamps, doors, tiles, fountains, windows and this translucent floating art suspended from bamboo.

Materials:

7" x 6" sheet of rice paper
watercolors
2 Chinese flower brushes (for painting)
acrylic spray
9" x 8" sheet clear acrylic
liquid laminate
small brush
masking tape
ruler
marking pen
sandpaper
drill
twine
15" precut bamboo stalk
hammer
2 nails

Figure A

Steps:

1. Paint desired flower design on rice paper using Chinese spontaneous techniques with Chinese brushes and watercolors (figure A).

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

2. Place the painting in a clean area to dry flat.

3. Spray with a light coating of acrylic spray.

4. Apply masking tape around the edges of the acrylic sheet. Fold the opposite edges of the masking tape up creating a tray to hold the liquid laminate (figure B).

5. Pour the liquid laminate onto the acrylic sheet. Brush the laminate evenly around the sheet.

6. Place the painting upside down on the acrylic sheet (figure C) and brush the laminate over it (figure D). Make sure there are no air bubbles.

7. Leave in a cool clean place to dry.

Figure E

Figure F

Figure G

8. Remove the masking tape.

9. Sand the edges smooth.

10. Mark two spots to drill holes at the top of the acrylic sheet about 1-inch from the sides and 1/2-inch from the top (figure E).

11. Drill the holes.

12. Attach the laminated painting to the bamboo stalk by inserting twine through the two holes in the acrylic sheet (figure F) and tie.

13. To hang on the wall, hammer in two nails and position the bamboo stalk on the nails (figure G).

Website: www.ricepaperart.com

Also in this Episode

That's Clever! : Episode HCLVR-209
•	Bamboo Art Vessel
•	Papier-Mache Fish
•	Floating Rice Paper Art
•	Bento Collage

Crafts

Floating Rice Paper Art

This wall hanging features a Chinese brushstroke flower painted on rice paper.

Tools

Related Articles