Steve Satushek is a Bellingham resident that has traveled all over the world to find inspiration for his photography. He recently started painting. He visits our retail store, Otion, to purchase mica for his artwork. Big thanks to Kat over at Otion for alerting me to this super cool use of micas. I was blown away when I saw Steve’s work and I hope you’re equally inspired.
“Macre 2” is made of opalescent mica for a shell look.
“Planet C” is made of metallic and glittery mica.
I was so inspired by his artwork that I emailed Steve to ask if we could blog about him. Luckily he agreed. Here’s what I asked and his answers…
Steve Satushek: I have been working with resin (several kinds of polyurethanes and epoxies) for the last 3 years but I only do this in the warm part of the year. I have a big workshop with giant doors that I open so I am almost working outside. I use a very good mask as the fumes can be nasty. I do my photography compositing work at my computer in the cold months with my nice heated floor under my feet. Professional photography has been my career for more than 20 years.
Anne-Marie: How did you stumble upon micas and oxides for your artwork?
Steve Satushek: Over the last several years my wife and family and I have been doing many outdoor art projects at our place outside of Bellingham. One of my missions is to bring artwork to our outdoor sanctuary in ways not usually done. We have many 3’x4′ weather-proof photos hanging on the side of our house (printed at Appplied Digital Imaging). On my website you may have found the spot called “installations” that shows some of these prints. I also wanted to make paintings, that could be outdoors, hence, the resins. The clear medium is used on big trucks and airliners so it should last a long time outside. UV rays will eventually take their toll, but part of my quest is to find out firsthand what the longevity will be- so far so good.
I started out using liquid acid stains on white cement and I love the look but there are limited colors. I used some powdered pigments on our cements columns that we made in our Mediterranean entryway. I had no idea how to apply the color so I painted on a sticky, milky, medium let it get tacky and then applied the pigment with a dry brush with a plastic bag to catch most of the powder. I had no idea if it would stay on, but it has held up very well for the last 5 years. It was just a progression of trying everything I could get my hands on from there. I am somewhat of a mad scientist always using products in ways they were never intended for. So when I call up the tech reps at some industrial company they probably are chuckling at my ideas while they are trying to figure out what I am doing.
Anne-Marie: I can relate to that, Steve. I’m always trying new things with soap and sometimes that means asking the weird questions. Thanks for letting us blog about you and good luck with all of your projects! You’re an inspiration!
Check out his Artist’s Statement and visit his website here. You can purchase some of his stock photos here and here. And, if you’re lucky enough to live in my neck of the woods, hopefully Steve will do a gallery show soon. When I hear of one, I’ll let you know!
regarding micas, as soon as i clear off my kitchen island where i work, i have plans to get out the pasta roller and try out some new designs to embellish candles.
for that project i will definitely need some…….flexifastmoldingputty!!!!!!! yipppeeeee!
i hope it is in stock!!!
I'm glad you like his work – I was blown away when I saw it. It's just gorgeous – and of course, he's finding new uses for products I love so that makes me happy too =)
Thanks for introducing us to Steve's art, A-M!
I loved the use of micas and had to go to his website to check the rest out. His photography is striking, too. I will be sharing his website with others.
Cheers!
So beautiful……I love them.
naiad,
that is good input! i am from mission viejo just 60 miles north of san diego, and i would say that would be optimal too!
i am just eager to see it dry and ultimately…sell!
Those are just beautiful. The colors are so rich. Thanks for sharing.
Great interview! Thank you so much for showing this artists work! I am blown away by the rich color and texture in his paintings!
I had a comment for Kat too!
Hey Kat, I use 28% water as a percentage of my oils. The soap seems to dry out a lot faster in my hot garage in summer, and less so in damp winter. Immediately after cure I take it out of the heat for storage in a cool, dry, dark place.
My garage is hot and dry – not sure if you can get good evaporation in hot damp conditions.
happy soaping!
great interview
the work he does is out of this world!
little miss antsy pants i am!
thank you AM for answering!
my trace starts so fast that i should probably do the 20-30% like you said.
because i am trying to swirl, the water discount would probably thwart all attempts at pretty swirls!
thank you!!!!
xxoo
Hi Kat,
Yes, you can put the soap in the attic where the temp is higher. I don't know if that will help them dry out faster.
2. I've never seen CP soap mold.
3. Good air flow and ventilation is essential for a full cure.
4. I don't think sun helps.
5. Yes, you can do a 50% water reduction. This will significantly speed up trace. I would start with a 20-30% reduction before you try 50%.
You still need to wait a full 4 to 6 weeks before selling though. The water discount does not improve on the cure time for you =)
speaking about focusing…
i am getting tired of waiting for my cp's to dry out.
now i have all kinds of questions on drying out cp soap.
1) can we put it in an indirect heat source such as an attic where the temp is higher.
2) is mold ever an issue in damp conditions?
3) should there be good air flow and ventilation?
4) does sun help?
final question: promise
how much can I reduce the water in my lye solution when it will both dissolve and yet decrease drying time. can i reduce up to 50 or even 60 percent?
thank you for all your help!
xxx0000
oh my.
doesn't this just open up new
galaxies, vistas, horizons, and a
myriad of visionary imaginations amongst us!!!!!
telling self "ok now, take a deep breath and focus!!!"
you know, I never put my micas away. they are always there; on my kitchen island….looking at me and calling…
i was planning on trying out a new design for a seal and motif pattern just yesterday!
this is incredible! for some reason, i find the mica a little less intimidating than paint. and a little goes a long way!
thanks for sharing Anne_Marie! I love that you love art in it's myriad of forms.
The Macre 2 and Macre B and Planet C pieces are especially striking in the spheres with the black backgrounds. His photography is breathtaking, too.
I liked your questions, Anne-Marie!
Very Cool! Who would have thought? Thanks for sharing AM!
Wow! Very cool! I love micas- to me, they're all about drama, and that shows in Steve's work too. Nice interview!