Discussion of current works on the easel.
I ‘finished’ Trooper Escort several months ago. I often struggle with what ‘finished’ means in practice. These days, I put ‘finished’ paintings aside before signing them. This gives me time to cool off and be more objective. So I took up the painting this morning and, sure enough, felt compelled to add a few touches.…
There is a lot of confusion among artists about turpentine and mineral spirits. Some YouTubers promote Gamasol as an alternative to turpentine. One even recommends Gamsol as a natural substitute for mineral spirits.(?) This particular artist provides commercial seminars on oil painting! Turpentine is distilled from the naturally-occurring resin from fir trees. It’s been used…
The two series that have preoccupied me over the past several years are still moving along. One of them, Playhouse Square, I started deliberately. After launching the series, I continued to take photographs in the target area for some time. The other series, Along Main Street, just happened. Many paintings in both series are finished,…
I’ve been following a reader’s tip for slowing the drying time of oils. Responding to my complaint about how oil paint in jars dries too quickly, reader Clint Atkinson suggested that I put a piece of cloth soaked with oil of cloves in the jar. I’ve been following this tip for several weeks and it…
I know me. When I finish a painting, if I don’t put it away I’ll find something to fix or improve. Paintings never get finished that way. It’s the deepest and rabbit-ity of all rabbit holes. I finished this painting, Phone Call on Main Street, some time ago, but every time I look at it,…
I don’t mind being grounded by the pandemic. After all, I already spend most of my time isolated in my studio working. But I’m not alone; I’m in constant contact with the world–the current one the past one. It’s not work either. Working on art nourishes and refreshes me. I do miss my weekly trip…
When you work on an oil painting over an extended period, colors sometimes become dull. The upper paint layers merge with an earlier layers. This process is called sinking in. If the problem isn’t corrected, it gets worse as the painting progresses. A final varnish can mitigate the bad effects of sinking in, but how…
I have several themes in mind for today’s post. One theme is about varnish–intermediate varnish. An intermediate varnish is used to seal the surface and prevent subsequent paint layers from sinking into the earlier layers. This “sinking in” robs the colors of their light and life. Since I paint in layers, I use intermediate varnishes…