My encounter with materials by Thi Quynh Phan

Meeting paper

s8209576 — 2025-10-02 04:35:17 UTC

Watercolor paper is a whole different category by itself. During my year or enjoying watercolor as a hobby, I am really particular about my paper. The ideal is 250gsm or above, and the grain is not too groovy or too smooth. Before even touching the paper, I have to stretch it by wetting the whole page with water, to prevent curvy paper when it dries. It does not go as planned however, as I discover that my paper had "mould" in it. Not actual mould, but it is the sizing of the paper that deteriorated. A rush of dissapointment came over me. It is something unwanted, a flaw that I actively avoid whenever using watercolor. Then I realised something.

Melbourne has been affected by the cold winter and heavy rains from the transition to srping. The papers were most likely being affected by it. Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. stated about how we always use paper in a dynamic way. Ingold (2013, as sited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016, p. 29) explained how materials are always changing and on their way to become something else as we use it. I decided to move on with it, thinking that I could use this opportunity to experrment with the "unwanted" texture. I quickly got over it, when the paint itself got involved.

Reference: Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. L. M. (2016). Paper: Movement. Encounters with materials in early childhood education (pp. 24–32). Routledge. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=4649662&ppg=14&c=UERG

s8209576 — 2025-10-02 04:51:34 UTC

I brought my beloved watercolor palette that I had for over 10 years. I learnt how to use watercolor with this palette, which felt quite emotional revisitting it again, now with better knowledge about the medium. I also gathered some natural elements, as it might provide some interesting encounter with the watercolour itself. Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. (2016) stressed the need to think with the material and not just use it as merely a lifeless tool (p. 3). That's why I choose watercolor. Though I have been using it for a while, it is easy to step back and let the medium shine. Watercolor is well known around artist community to be the most difficult to master due to its unpredictability. Therefore, letting the color glides freely on paper was pretty exciting idea for me, though it maybe also uncomfortable because it is not what I used to do.

Reference: Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. L. M. (2016). Thinking with materials. Encounters with materials in early childhood education (pp. 1–21). Routledge. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=4649662&ppg=14&c=UERG

s8209576 — 2025-10-02 05:08:29 UTC

I laid the first color on top of the wet paper and let it ran freely. The pigmented color quickly highlighted the uneaven texture of the paper, creating an interesting texture. Mannin (2007, p. xviii, as sited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. 2016, p. 48) highlight the creative potential that emerges through dynamic alliances between materials, bodies, and practices, which continually reassemble and make new possibilities. I quickly embraced this posibility, and wonder what more can I do with this kind of surprise. It was still a bit uncomfortable, as in the back of my mind, I still wished that I had better paper to experiment with, but I quickly forgot that as I got distracted with new medium.

Reference: Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. L. M. (2016). Paint: Assemblages. Encounters with materials in early childhood education (pp. 46-54). Routledge. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=4649662&ppg=14&c=UERG

s8209576 — 2025-10-02 05:23:04 UTC

After getting comfortable with the brushes, I quickly moved on to using other natural material around me. Using watercolor with normal paint brushes seemed boring to me at this point, like relearning the ABCs, so I use leafs that I brought as stamps. Deleuze & Guattari (1987, p. 311- 312, as cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016, p. 48) emphasised how assemblages are dynamic gatherings that can spark new possibilities. Starting with the paint brush, the possibilities quickly open up to using plants, leafs, and other objects to interact with the color. This feel quite exciting, as I see new images and texture being created that a paint brush will have a hard time to mimic.

Orange peel

s8209576 — 2025-10-02 05:35:35 UTC

I quickly realised that interestingly shaped objects leave interesting marks. I looked over to Kat, my peer next desk, and saw her painting on the orange peel, same stuff that I got. "Why are you painting it?" I asked. She replied "Cause it has bumps, so I want to stampt it". The rushing classical musicl in the background urged me to join into the simutaniously moment with her. Mannin (2010, p. 122, as cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., p. 50) explained that paint doesn’t just get used. It actively participates in shaping actions, rhythms, and possibilities, driving transformation in the learning process, and enviroment elements such as teachers, music, rythms affect and spark inspiration as well. I tried that stamping method with Kat, and it came out amazing. I love how the texture looked, and noted that in my mind just in case I need to use that texture again in future painting.

Revisit paint brush

s8209576 — 2025-10-02 05:47:52 UTC

After a moment stamping with natural medium, I returned to using brushes again, and tried to apply the same motion. I observed the outcomes from using leaves and orange peels, then proceeded to explore same motion with brushes to see new possibility. Mannin (2006, p. 212, as cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et al, 2016, p. 52) stated how in paint assemblages, bodies are not static things that just sense the world, they are shifting, sensing events that actively invent new possibilities. By constantly moving from one possibility to the next, I reformed reality. Paint, brushes, and bodies together recompose space, time, and relation.

Let the paint speak

s8209576 — 2025-10-02 06:04:27 UTC

The classical music in its triump really made me want to push myself out of the comfort zone. I imagined myself as a creater of life, using paint to make galaxies and life paths. It was that kind of cringy imagination I had as a child, however it was justified in that moment. I let the color drip and be affected by the gravity itself. The colors moved, parted ways, then joined again. Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. (2016) argued that genuine encounters with materials mean letting go of predetermined uses and expectations (p. 36). Erasing the predetermined way of using watercolor (using paint brushes and water), I explored the new posibility by letting the unkown took place. The experience was pretty fun. The colors chased each others like race horses, and then joined each other at the end.

Reference: Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. L. M. (2016). Charcoal: Rncounter. Encounters with materials in early childhood education (pp. 34-43). Routledge. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=4649662&ppg=14&c=UERG

Paint fight

s8209576 — 2025-10-02 06:13:17 UTC

Continuing that idea of Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. (2016) about changing the way we know already about medium, I went ahead and set up a water bridge and let two colors glide on opposite side (p. 34). It was interesting to see how the colors moved against each other, avoided and joined in different moment. It reminded me of those tales about hero and villian always on the opposite side and fighting each other. It was like watching a movie on paper. I also asked Kat for her much smoother paper for this, so the enviroment was actively joined in with me, and improved my experience.