Category: Shop Talk

In the studio 3/22/15

I don’t think I’ve shown this painting–Sunday Parade–before. According to my studio journal, today’s painting session is the fifth. It was too raw. Still is, really. The underpainting isn’t finished; but it’s far enough along that you can get a sense of where it’s going. This design is put together from several photos of Manhattan.…

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Tom Hudson

After several orders from RGH, I downgraded my rating to Quality: B (from A-). I modified my initial rating on my Oil Brand Reference but neglected to update the review. The reason for the downgrade is the cheap jars RGH uses for some of their colors. Their jars render the fast-drying colors, like the all-important lead white, useless because the colors dry too fast. I lost half of a 250 ml jar even after spraying the paint with water. I will not buy any more lead white from RGH until they use tubes for all colors and sizes.

Playhouse Square

I started a series of paintings early in the winter called Playhouse Square. Each painting in the series portrays the area around Cleveland’s Playhouse Square and the people going about their Square-related business. I am amassing photographs for the project; I already have several hundred. I’ve taken photos in all weather and all light conditions. I took…

Knot-riddled stretcher strips

Art supplies are absurdly expensive. Artists have to pay Cadillac and boutique prices regardless of the quality of the goods, which varies widely. What’s worse is the cynicism of manufacturers. You can buy ‘genuine copal varnish’ that contains no copal–none.  You can buy ‘genuine flake white’ that contains no lead–none.  The list can go on and…

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Tom Hudson

I wrote before about my genius for getting oil paint on my clothing–much to the chagrin of my long-suffering wife. It’s almost always red paint, usually cadmiums–heavy metal paint. I arrange my palette with the warm colors, reds and yellows, nearest to me.  So when I drag a shirt sleeve through the paint, as I did once again this morning, it’s usually one of the reds. When this happens, my sleeve magically succeeds in painting every nearby surface and article of clothing before I discover the accident.

Yes, I have a collection of paint-shamed clothing that’s been relegated to ‘studio togs,’ but sometimes I just grab the nearest shirt before entering the studio. This is especially prone to happen early in the morning. I took-off the newly-ruined shirt and donned a ‘studio tog shirt’–one previously smeared with red paint and with the sleeves cut off. Dressed this way–old, ragged, paint splattered clothes–makes me look like a bum.  My neighbors cross the street to avoid me when I’m in my ‘studio togs.’

I haven’t worked up the courage to tell my wife about this latest incident. Wish me luck.

Bad easel

I whined about my previously-praised easel earlier this month. I’ve had the Utrecht-branded easel less than a year, and I complained about having to replace one of its casters. The way the casters are attached is poorly implemented; once one detaches, it’s impossible to reattach.   While I was replacing the caster, the support brace split. #@!**@#!!! I glued…

In the studio 3/8/15

Yesterday’s painting session was the 4th for Taking Note. The underapinting is finished, which is fast (for me) considering it’s large size–42″ x 56″. But it’s only a single figure and the design is simple and straightforward. In the background on the floor is the new Sunday Parade, which is also 42″ x 56″. After several…

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Tom Hudson

My large order of heavy-duty stretcher strips arrived from Jerry’s on Thursday. Enough stretchers and cross braces for 12 paintings: 6 @ 36″ x 48″; 6 @ 40″ x 50″. I am preparing three at a time–three of one size and then three of the other and so forth. Buying in bulk saves money plus I got them on sale–$275 for the lot.  I have everything necessary to prepare the canvases–GAC 100, acrylic gesso, and oil ground. And the canvas, of course.

These 12 new canvases along with the 12 larger ones I prepared earlier (the biggest is 5′ x 6′) will keep me busy for awhile.