The Yupo Paintings of Kristine Parins

“Carpe Diem” by Kristine Parins.

Inspired by travel or the forested landscape around her, Kristine Parins’ watercolor paintings reference the look of silk-screens and woodcuts. Her watercolors will be on display at The Flying Pig Gallery in Algoma throughout the 2011 season.

“I enjoy the inevitable surprises that occur when working with watercolor,” Parins said. “In order to encourage that element of surprise, I sometimes work on Yupo.” Yupo is a sheet of plastic – a state-of-the-art synthetic material. When paints are applied to Yupo, the watercolors are not lost in the paper; they float on top and playfully interact. The hard surface repels water so only the watercolor pigment adheres via the lengthy process of evaporation. “It’s a waiting game,” said Parins, “as it can take several hours for each application to dry – you never know what you have until it’s done.”

Since 1998, Parins has been a freelance artist. She spends her summers on a small lake in northern Wisconsin and winters in a community of artists in Sarasota, Florida.

The Flying Pig Gallery and Greenspace, open 9 am to 6 pm daily, is located at N6975 Highway 42, two miles south of Algoma. For more information call 920.487.9902, email [email protected], or visit http://www.theflyingpig.biz.