Thursday, May 8, 2014

watercolor question

A fellow artist emailed me asking what she should use to seal her watercolor postcards so that don't get ruined in the mail.

An excellent question!

But let me start by saying I'm pretty comfortable with the inherent risk of mailing "naked" art through the mail.  Sometimes the elements and postal machinery interact with our work.  For me, that's all part of this big mail-art adventure.

But it's true that if your mail carrier delivers in a downpour, your watercolors are more likely to be effected by the weather than other types of art we swap here.

SO....
have any of you sealed or protected your watercolors, and if so, what did you use?

When I have something I don't want to smudge or smear, I use Krylon low-odor clear finish.  It comes in an aerosol can like spray paint and is readily available at your average craft store.  But even the low-odor variety is pretty nasty and should really be sprayed outside or in very well ventilated space.

Have you used anything different?
I welcome your thoughts and advice for sealing watercolors
(even if you decide NOT to seal these pieces)

4 comments:

Tameko said...

Good question....Here is an option:
http://davidcastleart.wordpress.com/2007/03/06/how-i-seal-my-watercolors-on-paper/

cjsrq said...

Nope, didn't seal mine. Trusting in the mail art goddesses to see they are delivered in good shape.

Laura said...

I usually send all my cards "naked" too but I also thought about rain so i put one light coat of Grumbacher matte workable fixative because I had it. I just sprayed some water on it to test it and it didn't run, so it passed!

GinaVisione said...

RutRoh… Hope there's no rain or humidity wherever mine travel! Didn't even think about it. I'll go try some good ol ModPodge now on some (watercolor & collage) leftovers & see what happens.

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