A Gift for Lauren

In my full-time job, I work with acrylic paint on canvases.  Even though I work in a creative field, i still find myself needing a creative outlet every now and then.  Most of the time it's to help me remain sane and I don't have a plan when I start. Labor day weekend one of my oldest friends, Lauren, came to visit me.  We went on a day trip to Garden of the Gods in Shawnee National Forest (since she had never been).
 Most people go there to climb the big rock formations and appreciate the view over empty Illinois farmland.  The rock is fossilized from sand being pushed in between the layers of rock.  Eventually, the sand was washed away leaving grooves in the rock that resemble waterways on a hill after it rains.
 
 Lauren pointed to this particular pattern and asked if I could make her something that resembled it. I follow artist Emma Lindstrom on Instagram. She specializes in a technique called pour painting.  Although trendy, I thought that translating the rock patterns using pour painting would create a neat result. My biggest concern was figuring out a way to keep the sections of the rock separate.  Especially since the paint would flow much easier and faster than typical acrylic paint.  My solution  was to create dams with salt to control the fluidity.
 
 I'm pretty content with the result of the experimentation.  I am currently running into some problems with the salt.  Depending on how much paint was absorbed, the salt is still staying on the canvas and some is falling off.  I also am worried about what type of finish to put on it.  I had some varnish that I tested on it but the salt drank that stuff up! I'm thinking that I might have to go with a poly finish on it.  But I've never worked with poly before and don't know how the salt in going to interact with it as well.
 
 Just look how lovely these swirls are! So Therapeutic!