Artist Barbara Taylor-Harris works where 3D pen meets paint – 3DPrint.com

Artists are known for their willingness to experiment, so it should come as no surprise that in the art world, the introduction of a new technology such as a 3D printing pen quickly attracts interest and easily fits into the toolbox. of an artist. Mixed media artist Barbara Taylor-Harris really enjoys exploring combinations and much of her recent adventure has been traversing uncharted territory in integrating 3Doodler into her work.

As with anything new, it wasn’t easy from the start. At first he found it difficult to use the 3Doodler to create sculptures, a seemingly obvious use for such technology.

However, not being one to get frustrated easily, she moved on to working with the printing pen on two-dimensional canvas and it was there that she had her first breakthroughs that led to her mastery.

In a recent interview with 3Doodler, Taylor-Harris explained her journey:

“I bought it [the 3Doodler] originally to do sculpture, but when I started doing linear designs I found that the plastic was quite brittle and didn’t hold up. So I left that at first and started using it in paints. In paints what I found is that hot plastic sticks to an acrylic base. So if I’ve done a primer, I can make the plastic adhere to the acrylic.”

His initial difficulties with creating sculptures cannot be attributed to any lack of sculpting experience. Before retiring in 2005, Taylor-Harris trained as a sculptor and worked as a teacher for many years. In fact, it was not until after her retirement that she decided to dedicate herself to painting as a means of expression, first with watercolor and then in mixed media with sculpted canvases.

What he ultimately found was that the 3Doodler gave him another opportunity to explore both his mixed media work and the creation of sculpture:

“It gives you the ability to do things that you can’t do with any other material, to me that’s a huge boost for creativity. I can sculpt in stone, I can sculpt in plaster, but sculpting with plastic is much easier. It is possible to create sculptures with the 3D pen that would be difficult to create in other materials. You have to learn a lot about it to get thickness and stability. You need to explore and work with it as a medium.”

Taylor-Harris typically works on series that explore topics like energy or the Everglades. She will typically exhibit as part of several group shows per year with at least one solo show allowing her to showcase exploration of her chosen theme. Her current project is titled Willow-Dream and you can see more of her work, including scans, on her Pintrest page. Let’s hear her thoughts on this artist’s work in the Barbara Taylor forum thread on 3DPB.com.