'FOVEAL' - go with the flow

Eventually, the engraving is done; it’s time to give the artwork its wings. All the experimentation in the world cannot guarantee what happens next…

To some degree, you can manipulate how the 2-part rust effect paint behaves. I wanted a tonal shift dark at the edge to a lighter inner glow, but essentially the change from black to earthy browns becomes a natural - and so less predictable - process. The mantra becomes “just go with the flow”!

The tell-tale rusty hues begin almost immediately after the copper salts solution is applied…

I could tweak the process by spraying water now and then too, getting radically different effects depending on droplet size and timing. I’m working with the dish concave side up, so anything liquid will of course run down the slope: all good though, as these trails follow the direction of the engraved radial lines

I found the tendency for anything to pool in the centre can also be countered by rotating the dish: centrifugal force versus gravity.

Once the rust conversion process has eased up, sealant is applied, entombing the dish…