PM artist Studio Glossary

Addables or addible – This one comes with a warning, never ever use the word fodder in P & M’s earshot as they detest that word. Any leftover pieces, scraps, cut-offs are all worth saving to be ‘added’ to future products hence they are addables which is a far more positive, attractive, and important future life for them! If you asked P she would tell you fodder is what cows eat but shh don’t mention that word has now been repeated!

The angle of the Dangle – Pythagoras’ theorem states the area of the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other sides… Or just how it sits on the page, tag, postcard, ATC… you know.

Big Bertha – she is the grandest lady of the brayer family and only comes out to play in certain scenarios. She is a six-incher so special attention to splattering is needed when she has too vigorous of a workout. A special thank you to Lisa from Sirius Heka for supplying P with this gracious gift. 

Baby kisses – baby kiss it – The gentlest and lightest of touches, the kind of touch that you would give a sleeping baby when not wanting to wake them. If you want paper to ‘baby kiss’ the paint-covered gel plate, it would be using a brief gentle contact, not full contact.

Bad brayer job – When using the brayer on the gel plate and annoyingly the brayer lines show or the paint has not been evenly distributed, or even the incorrect amount of paint has been used this feels like it is user error thus a bad brayer job.

Be Prepared to Modify Your Plan – As found within the fortune cookie, this has become a P mantra

Chalky – dry powder-like and dries ultra fast in the Texas climate. This may also suggest an opaque paint too.

Cheddar – a paint shade initially, but then another paint was similar so that became the ‘other cheddar’ and then yet another one appeared so that would be the ‘other other cheddar’ and then there is an Amsterdam one too which we gave up on how much cheddar there was around, how mature (that’s what the British say for sharp) it was and simply gave it its #218 number. Not quite such a cheesy explanation as you thought? Martha may or may not have been dipping her finger in the cheese.

Control your variables – anything that will affect the quality of a print: 1) paint consistency 2) condition of your plate 3) brayer 4) type of paper 5) humidity or lack of…

Dab’ll do ya (a little dabbadoya) –  Meaning a small amount or ‘dab’ will be all you need. In popular culture, this has been taken from The Flintstones where Yabba dabba doo was an expression of happiness or excitement and the catchphrase of Fred Flintstones voice actor who was inspired to use it by his mother watching pre-1960s commercials in America.

Dilly dally – To wait around, waste time or dawdle. When used as ‘don’t dilly dally’ it means to move quickly with intent, indecision is not on your side at this moment in time.

Doohickies – whatchamacallit, doohickey, thingamabob, doodad, thingamajig, whatsit all of which refer to those things whose names escape you.

Dry Pulling – Allowing the paint to dry fully on the gel plate before a print is pulled. This could be due to the particular paint or medium used being only suitable for ‘dry pulls’ or the technique requiring paint to dry before paper is added or even after paper/substrate has been added to the paint on the gel plate but drying fully and properly before pulling.

Duck on a June Bug – Also sometimes said “Juney” Simply stating things are going to be done or have happened rapidly. Get’r done is part of this process. 

Earth-shattering information – earth-shattering engagements – whatever the topic may be, this is an expression that may not be new or of great excitement to anyone, but it sparks an idea or an explanation or the reasoning of a technique and it could just be the tiny piece that completes the puzzle.

Faba-Doodling – taking standard or basic doodling to a new level through mixed media, term coined by our arty friend Paulla Keenee during this stream watch the really now –> https://youtube.com/live/ESSNf2Ml9FU

Flop off – Flopping a paint-covered stencil off of the gel plate onto paper or onto a fresh paint layer on the gel plate. Involves placing in a more accidental way than an intended and considered placement.

Fra-gee-lay aka Fra-gil-e – (fragile with a hint of PM je ne sais quoi) – Watch the movie The Christmas Story and you will know, here is a CLIP

Frankenstenciling – Gluing your bits – Gluing together the outer parts of the innards (you have to request them when you order) will create a unique bespoke design in your own style, fondly called a Frankenstencil.

Goose poop – A historical shade of green used as long ago as 17th century. Not common on official paint colour palettes but is still found as a yarn dye colour. Here is a link to the full chart.

Gussy her up – make something more attractive or interesting to the eye, fancy it up even. We get gussied up for almost every livestream (early streams do not apply)

Hammermill, hammerhill, hammer something – just one type of favoured paper to pull prints on a gel plate, so many possible endings for hammer beginnings that PM community know if P starts with a hammer it just means that branded paper! (Link for exact product available on the blog Most commonly used products)

Happy slappy – #FlipThatBabyBackDownAndPoundOnIt #YouGottaGiveItaGoodSlap #SlapIt

Harvesting – Collecting and sorting treasures in your stash just in case you need’em. 

Hoopdeedoos – Closely akin to Doohickies but needing a more circular movement.

Horny Man – A male face with horns, a little devil like, diablo, lucifer, beelzebub, but also fondly known with common names too like Richard, Pedro…. This started as a PM stencil but has been used in so many different ways horny man is a firm friend not a fiend.

Hot diggedy or Boom Shaka-laka – an expression of awe, surprise, excitement, joy, delight or approval.

I’m not mad at it – An okay print, a fabulous layer, wonderful mark-making or anything that feels good that you can work with or improve but not a completed finished piece.

JENKINS! – The tribal call of the lesser-spotted maker when the lovely Jenkin color is being used by P and can be said with all sorts of exclamation!!! 

Loosey Goosey – can refer to the consistency of paint or an attitude.

Long Haul – A technique coined during a stream by our superstar arty friend Deb C. Once known as super layering the “Long Haul”  stuck for this extreme use of one stencil, layers of paint, pull with tissue then another layer of paint, and so on!

Lukas grips better than Martha – Two brands of paint that work on the gel plate in different ways. We cannot confirm or deny that Lukas or Martha have ever met in real life….

Might need a little missionary work – To be worked on later to rectify an existing problem

Mealy – dry and powder-like, sometimes grainy.

Mucky Muck – Any intended or non-intended mark on the gel plate that appears and remains after a print has been pulled. This also includes any edges of paint or grunge that have been left behind after a print has been pulled. Mucky muck could also appear on the stencil (remaining paint leaving a beautiful texture) or even on a perfect print that contains wonderful examples of grunge or mucky muck.

Murdery – an excess amount of bold red paint (usually paint but can be ink/sprays/pastels) being used, this has also been described as the surgeon’s table too. Remember PMisms are always used in kindness, never ever used as or in a threatening situation.

No lollygagging – No waiting around, work quickly don’t dawdle as time is short for the technique or product being used.

Nettle and nettle shots – a tonic that assists P through her live stream and any number of medicinal benefits (aka tincture). Sometimes this nettle might resemble sipping whisky to help her allergies or her throat and keep it lubricated for talking during the live stream.

No contemplating navels – don’t be contemplating your navel – most likely there isn’t time for that!

“The Nurt” – Eddie of Eddie Makes Art a frequent flyer of the naughty chair (along with his co-pilot Paulla, the originator of the naughty chair) decided to put up an imaginary yurt for all the naughty chatters to hang out in, so they created a naughty yurt hence “The Nurt”.

Orifice – a hole or opening usually of the human body like a nostril, however in the PM live stream imaginary bets are taken on when that word will be uttered by P or by M. Friends in the chat may or may not accidentally on purpose try to set it up so the accidental orifice will occur. Followed by shouts of it in the chat! In the art context, this orifice will usually be a small cut-out section/hole in a stencil, not an actual part of the human body.

Overnighter – when a gel print needs to dry fully and completely overnight before pulling perhaps due to there being many layers to pull on the print. This can also apply to other occasions when for example glue needs to dry fully at least overnight before the next step is started.

The “P Eye Roll” – needs no explanation and can be felt through the internet.

Partial Fran – PM friend and guest stencil designer Fran On The Edge really enjoys seeing shapes appear as P demonstrates on her gel plate during live streams. For a while she described a certain shape as mappy, meaning like the shoreline on a pirate’s treasure map, but the confusion between US English and UK English never mind confusing other English speakers meant it took a while to decipher what she meant. The early days meant Patricia would say ‘we have a partial there Fran’ (a part map-looking section) which has been fondly shortened to a Partial Fran.

Pickable Uppable – desirable matter, marks, paint left behind on the plate and the fact that it will come up.

Poinking – The process of using parts of a stencil or mask to create marks for visual texture.

Poosh – This means push but really push, not a light touch but to push a lot.

Relationship status complicated – best not to explain further…

Render/Ripen/Mature/Ferment as in “Let us leave this to…” – give it some time to dry, take a walk, make some coffee or just set it aside to dry while working on other artiness.

Reruns – just like our favourite TV shows the PM artist Studio replays are available to watch after the live streams have ended. The live chat will take a little longer to show, this is due to Youtube and nothing PM can change. We all think it’s cute P calls it reruns!

Roll my balls – can you hear my balls rolling – both means to pay attention that if there is a ball bearing inside your paint container it means you need to shake your paint vigorously. Ensure the lid is on fully and always think with a smile that maybe just maybe P covered herself and the studio with teal paint! And ‘never let your balls get gooped up’ as you simply won’t get them rolling.

Rookie error or move – errors allegedly only made by the new or inexperienced so when we all make those errors though experienced in the task or technique we mock ourselves by saying rookie error while meaning ‘I should have known better than to do that’.

Rustification – Making something look rusty, old, worn, torn…

Sally Forth – the dictionary meaning is “to leave a place”… In P’s speak this means we are moving forward from this technique, piece, etc..

Scooching or Moving about the cabin – an expression said when things are moving or need to… usually when there have been items on the plate or within the studio that have moved about unintentionally. 

Semi and semi-semi – when transparent paint is not fully transparent but halfway between transparent and opaque this would indicate as semitransparent but P firmly believes that there should be another halfway point between semitransparent and actually transparent, this would be semi semi transparent –make sense or is all not fully transparent here?

Shadow technique – taking a stencil and moving it about while braying over it at the same time. Not an easy thing to do, mixing movement with the right amount of pressure and paint.

Shiz Nit, That’s The – When someone is mightily impressed with something you’ve made. Also said when using awesome products. 

Skid marks – When using the gel plate these are the marks made by the brayer from sliding on the plate or skipping a section when rolling.

Smoosh and don’t linger – Quick movement of the hand to hit certain areas.

Smudedgy – a bit smudegdy is a far superior statement of fact than the simple word smudge. Smudge suggests all interest is lost but smudedgy tells you exactly whats happening and where the party on the paper is at!

Soupy – synonymous with Loosy Goosy.

Spit on it, spray it, put it outside and let the birds poop on it – P is very encouraging to make your art your own, even when using patterned paper, do something, anything to make it so that it is unique to you.

Strippers – stripper bits – PM smaller stencils usually in a set of 5 or less and based on larger stencils or makes typically.

Stucky Stucky – the sounds made when brayering over Too much paint on the gel plate.

Sugar biscuits – sadly there are no cookies or other delightful sweet snacks but a phrase used instead of cuss/swear words to save P a coin or two in the cuss jar!

Superfluous “thickness” as in No need for – Superfluous means unnecessary so this P phrase is telling us that there is no need to exceed the thickness that is sufficient or necessary for its purpose. She will also use this whenever she has this feeling about things. 

Tambien – Spanish for “also” and/or “as well” which is when and where P&M will use it always followed by chuckles and grins. Not to be confused with the French word Tombien, hahaha.  CLICK HERE for a fun moment in which this occurred.

The wrinkle of judgment – That wrinkle occurring when tissue paper goes on and crumples up leaving behind ev

Twofer – A two for one! Often stencils or masks purchased from the PM artist Studio come with their outer bits (the parts left from cutting the stencil or masks) or their innards (the small pieces from inside the stencil or mask) The outer bits can make wonderful shapes and all parts perfect for frankenstenciling. So, remember to ask for the outer bits and innards when you order your stencil (in the notes area) be aware not all stencils or masks have bits that can be saved, but the PM gang will send what they can.

Trinkets and Trophies – the dried circles of paint that form around the lids of paint… pull’em off and collect them in a jar for a future project (trinkets). A trophy is the paint pulled off your brayer as a full skin and is most coveted. 

Umbelliferous – of, relating to, or belonging to the Umbelliferae, a family of herbaceous plants and shrubs, typically having hollow stems, divided or compound leaves, and flowers in umbels: includes fennel, dill, parsley, carrot, celery, and parsnip (Source Collins dictionary).

Uncle Joe – Aunt Jane’s husband laboring under the illusion he knows what he is talking about. You know that guy that sloshes his coffee around while “explaining” things.

Yadayadayada – used mainly as etc… though this can be used when something is boring repetitive, long-winded or tedious. You can dance on it it’s that stiff – P had been making texture plates or impression plates and had covered both sides of her board with her favourite Light and Fluffy paste. Sadly, she discovered that the texture paste would cut into her hand when rubbing or pressing down because it had hardened that much you would be able to stand on it and jump up and down and the shape still holds its form. Wonderful if she had used it only on one side of her board it would have been perfect for the technique but not so wonderful on her hand. (This was included in the glossary especially to make PM friend Aussie Dianne laugh all over again).

And so here we are The Tao of P, that place in the universe where everything is equal. We hope this gives peace and understanding and some insight into the idiosyncrasies of PM artist Studio. This glossary can and will be added to as more Patricia-isms come to light and of course, any suggested additions to this glossary list will be ‘taken into consideration’…. oh wait, that’s yet another phrase that needs adding to the list!

A very special thank you to our Arty Friend Cookie Wookie (aka Jason Mamoa’s real wife).