Kamish Studios

Oil Painting on Sculpted Canvas

Paul Kamish and Kamish Studios, Inc. has given a rebirth to an art form that dates back far before Egyptian Civilization.

By Paul Kamish

Definition: Sculptured-Canvas; (n) (sk lp ch r)ed- /'kan-v&s/; a modern process of casting a sculpture in a mold, whose shape is taken from an original sculpture, that becomes a rigid piece of artwork that can then be painted. The finished work of art is both a sculpture and a painting.

As Paul Kamish explains, “The process for making my artwork goes like this”:

1. Once a subject matter has been chosen, a series of drawings and sketches are produced. We refer to these as “Studies”. Some of the “Studies” will be reproduced on canvas in the form of a Giclée Print. These studies act as references and guides for the eventual sculpture, or Bas Relief.
2. The Bas Relief is sculpted out of oil-base clay. The clay’s purpose is only to act as a temporary sculpture. Once completed, a modern age silicon rubber mold (Master Mold) encapsulates the clay and takes an exact replica of the clay sculpture. The Master Mold picks up every detail of the clay sculpture, even down to the thumbprints.
3. Modern-day materials as well as “Old World” materials are cast into the Master Mold creating an exact replica of the once clay sculpture. We call this our “Sculpted Canvas”. Because the original clay is destroyed in the mold-making process, in some ways each cast piece from the edition is an original in that it is ultimately the output of what it was intended to be!
4. With our solid substrate (Sculpted Canvas), it is now time to take the artwork to the final stage in its creation. Using the Sculpture as our Canvas, each piece is painstakingly hand-painted with the “Old World” process of Oil Painting. This process truly makes each piece an original in its own right. The innate challenges in using Oil Paints, as opposed to say acrylic paints, and the complexity of painting to a sculpture, make this a unique and valuable work of art.
5. On the subject of Form and Color (Sculpture and Painting)Combining form with color is truly one of the oldest forms of art. We see it as early as 15,000 B.C. on wall carvings in caves. The sculptures from Egyptian times and even in Greek and Roman times that we view today as marble relief sculptures were originally painted with color. Very few artists are doing this today. Most sculpture we see today is simple one or two colors (bronze and patina).

“How fantastic it is to combine form with color!!! It is a forgotten art form. Form infused with color. We see the world in color; why shouldn’t the artist, whose job it is to interpret life as he sees it, also create it in form and color?! This process and medium has brought wholeness to me and my world of art. I have created monochrome sculptures in the past. My new found medium is far richer, exciting and amazing to me. I am charged and energized by the possibilities!”

Contact: Mike Kamish mike@kamishstudios.com 612-490-2879