The most exciting new medium in visual arts is textile hardeners. New techniques that have been developed with this medium are changing the way art is made. Now you can convert almost anything around you into a permanent indoor/outdoor sculpture. 

Would you believe that you can create a standing figurative sculpture in one day?  You can.  And it is easy to learn how to do it.

This is Doug Simpson, professional artist at Artplace, Inc. This one method has totally changed everything I create in terms of fine art.  I started looking for this seemingly secret knowledge - at least I couldn't find it - about 25 years ago. Two years ago, I discovered it by accident while looking for something else. 

I saw an ad for making "garden statues" out of t-shirts. Make a statue out of fabric? Now that sounds interesting.  I read the small amount of information of the site and my mind immediately started seeing possibilities.  It took me a whole 5 minutes to get the online order filled out. 

So how does it work? It is a textile hardener. Not like anything that you might have tried before. It is a polymer based liquid. The combination of this medium and most any natural fiber will make sculpture.  Saturate and solidify. That's all it takes. 

This medium will soak into the fibers of most any natural ffiber, fill in the space in between, and dry to a solid plastic like consistency. The more natural the fiber, the more saturation and the harder the cured surface.  Almost anything that will absorb liquid can be hardened. Organic materials such as      * leaves     * grass     * feathers     * paper     * old rags     * clothing     * yarn     * cotton batting     * hundreds more!

 So how does that relate to making art?

Not only will it solidify fabrics, textile hardeners make a superior bond between dissimilar materials. For example, bonding fabric and glass, or wood and metal.  The images shown here use a metal background,   That becomes my canvas. After doing some fire work with a torch and welder to create some patterns, texture, and interest points, I pick up the textile hardener. I work on top of the modified metal with cotton fibers, paper pulp, epoxie clay, glass, acrylic and automotive paint.  Because it bonds and solidfies so well your local builder's supply becomes a huge art store!  Insulation foam, those pink and blue sheets, become a source for inexpensive sculpture and wall art material. Cut it, shape it, stack it, or hang it. These hardeners bond to foam with no adverse effects on the foam.  So create a substructure of foam,cover with fabric, paper, or other materials to create a hard surface. Or just paint the textile hardene directly on the foam for a smooth hard surface.  After it dries, paint it or use it totally transparent.  Find out more at the Mixed Media Store