Creating My Happiness with Alcohol Ink Art

My mother is the most creative person I know. Growing up she used to make clothes for her dolls from fabric scraps. If the scissors in their house were missing, her mom would call out, “Kristie, go clean your room!”. She has instilled that same creativity (and love of scissors) in me, so ever since I can remember, I have loved art. I love to draw, and make things. I was scrolling through Instagram one day and happened upon an artist’s account @_ksenyart_. She was creating the most beautiful pieces using a medium I had never heard of or seen before- alcohol ink. Alcohol ink is a highly pigmented ink mixed with alcohol. Once the alcohol dries, and it does so rather quickly, it leaves behind the dye and some incredible designs! I was immediately inspired to try it out for myself. I guarantee that once you see it, you will want to, too! Alcohol ink was a new and exciting challenge, and I was up for it!

My wedding was scheduled for April 4th, 2020 and I had the brilliant idea to make 150 alcohol ink coasters as our wedding favor. Quick question for brides- why do we do this to ourselves? After countless hours, late nights, and a few tears, I completed the coasters for our guests! But, we all know what happened the end of March 2020! Nothing like a global pandemic to shut down nearly everything. One of the things it did not shut down- my love of making art.

I love alcohol ink. I love the wavy line effects I can make with it. The pops of gold and depth of color you can achieve using just a single pigment. Certain pieces I can see the ocean, a river, and others the sun and clouds. Since it is fluid art, I can never make a piece look the same twice. That excites me! Art makes me incredibly happy. I love coming up with a design, and sometimes having it turn out completely different than how I imagined it. There is something special about being so focused on this sole purpose. Seeing the result is so satisfying. This is something that has brought me so much joy during months of fear and uncertainty in the world right now.

With everyone spending more time at home, I love the idea of functional art. My coasters double duty being beautiful and useful. Some might argue that art feels frivolous right now, but I think it has the ability to make people feel something. I hope that my pieces bring others joy like they have brought me while I was creating them. Art to me is giving a piece of yourself and sharing it with others.

I have been experimenting with a few other mediums (wood burning, resin) but have continued to create pieces using alcohol ink, more recently focusing on using yupo paper (a favorite in the ink community) instead of tiles for the designs. In order to move the alcohol ink around, you can use a straw, a heat gun, an embossing tool, a hair dryer (my personal favorite) and even just your breath! I love using different tools to achieve different effects. For my recent designs, I plan to cut them out, using my Fiskars scissors, and adhering them to circle wood boards for easier hanging and interesting shapes. Sometimes I will resin them for an extra glossy effect.

I started an Instagram account @kassieink to showcase my work and have found the art community to be so supportive and welcoming! I do plan to sell some of my pieces eventually but right now, I am just having a ton of fun! I’ve made a few pieces that I have given to my friends and family. Every piece I make is a step on my path of discovering what I like to make, and how to perfect them. My dream would be to take part in an art show and be featured in a gallery. For right now, I have my sights set on opening my Etsy shop.

My husband and I still got married on our day, without the big day, and without the coasters. Our celebration is scheduled for next year and fingers are crossed that we will be able to have our party. Recently my husband said to me, “we have too many scissors, can we get rid of some?” I compromised and left 2 in our kitchen drawer, the other 8 now residing in my bedside table. Like mother like daughter! You can never have too many scissors, you never know when creativity will strike next! If you’re considering starting a hobby or getting into a new form of art, my advice- go for it! Get out there and create your happiness!