The past two weeks have been filled with pigment tests. It is easy to see that certain colors take much longer to dry than others. I have consistently taken note of this during the actual painting process of the past many weeks. Waiting for a passage to dry sufficiently to apply the next layer can become very frustrating if prolonged. This can … [Read more...] about Testing, Testing
Chamber Pots and Candles
Painting #7 is based on The Sick Woman by Jan Steen. It is finished and drying as we speak! This was an easy painting to choose because of the shimmering, brilliant colors used in the original; lapis, vermilion, golden ochres, are but a few. Showing here is a very teeny detail on the left of the focus area which includes some of that vermilion … [Read more...] about Chamber Pots and Candles
Living Green
Some of the most useful colors I have found for this project are the lovely green earths. Green earth is a generic term used to describe a family of colors. Verona green, (mined near Verona, Italy), epidot, Bavarian and Bohemian, nicosia, celadonite, terre verde, and vagone are a few. For the most part, each one is slightly gritty. These natural … [Read more...] about Living Green
The Token
Rachel Ruysch is the one token woman represented in the Dutch Exhibit and was famous for her lovely colorful paintings of flowers. Her father was an amateur painter and an internationally renowned professor of anatomy and botany. Because of this she undoubtedly became familiar with flowers and gardens in her early years. She later married the … [Read more...] about The Token
Full Steam Ahead
March 1st is just around the corner and full steam ahead it is! Pictured here is a detail of painting #5. The detail is showing a very small portion because this is the "stool climbing canvas" and will be the largest in the exhibit. As some of you know, I started taking piano lessons a few years ago. This introduction to music opened vast … [Read more...] about Full Steam Ahead
Oil Change
Drying oils are an essential component to painting in oils, and there are several which can be used. The primary function of a drying oil is to bind the pigment particles together which enables the pigment to adhere to the surface of the painting. The most common oil is linseed which is pressed from the flax seed and has been used since antiquity. … [Read more...] about Oil Change