After the glue is thoroughly dry the fabric must be sanded lightly to remove the fine furry particles of fiber from the face of the canvas. It is now ready to prime. Here I have used an oil lead primer from Robert Doak & Associates. It is applied to the surface with a step down palette knife in a thin coating. After several days of drying add one more coat, then allow to dry and cure for a while in a dry space open to the air. I have now stretched and primed 10 canvases of varying sizes from 10×11 inches to 36×48 inches in preparation for this project. I could not have done this much work without the assistance of Dave who is my steady helpmate. He assembled all the stretcher bars, squared and secured the corners, and posed for the previous picture showing the sizing.
Margret E. Short Fine Arts
Portland, Oregon artist Margret Short - a modern day master of 17th Century Dutch art using the chiaroscuro technique to create still life and floral paintings.
Dear Margret,
I came across your blog and sent a message, but I am not too sure if it posted. I’ll try again as this message I sent from your website was returned! When I read your latest entry and you mentioned you squeezed a colour out of a tube and then it became quickly unworkable, I thought I must write further. The only way to work with the mineral pigments is by mulling the pigment yourself. Colour in tubes is out of the question. Each pigment requires a different binding medium due to its chemistry.
I have done a lot of research into the pigments and have published three papers since 2000 on the preparation and application of the pigments. At present I have various binding medium tests running with the Vienna University of Technology in Austria. Some of the results will be presented at the CAA – College Art Association Conference in New York this February.
For some basic information go to my website at:
http://www.michaelprice.info
With best wishes,
Michael Price