Oil
The best oil I’ve used has been cold-pressed linseed oil. Cold-pressed oil combines with colors well, and doesn’t ‘suede’ like refined oils. Cold-pressing refers to extracting oil from flax seeds with a mill or press and without heat or chemical processes. The resulting oil is highly acidic, which is why it combines well with pigment.
Oil Paint Brands Update
I updated the oil paint brand list with information about the binders used by some manufacturers (Blockx, Old Holland, Michael Hadring, Blue Ridge, and Holbein). I also downgraded my ratings for Blue Ridge. I prefer cold-pressed linseed to alkali refined method they use. They also use a blend of walnut and linseed oils. Finally, I’ve
Main Street x2
Today I worked on these paintings. Both are titled ‘Main Street.’ Each is taken from a one-block area of–you guessed it–Main Street in our small town. #1 (bottom painting) might end up being called ‘Antique Shop,’ or some-such. While not identical, both are roughly the same size. As you can see from the photograph, both
Lunch at the Cleveland Museum of Art
Due to the bad weather, the usually crowded Cleveland Museum of Art cafeteria was practically deserted today. The fare isn’t good enough to fight jostling lines, but today’s peace made the none-too-good food perfectly acceptable. Especially hungry, my designer salad was delicious, piled delightfully high with anchovies and blue cheese. After lunch, I did my
Lunch with my daughter
What could be better than lingering over lunch with a beautiful young lady? My daughter Jane and I had lunch in a cozy restaurant near the Baldwin Wallace campus. Jane started her second semester there this week. Over Philly-cheese steaks and fries, she described her courses for the semester: religion, philosophy, psychology (taught by her
New computers
For Christmas, my son and I built new computers. For ease of maintenance, both computers have the same specs. We used Haswell-type motherboards (Asus Z87-A) and, of course, Intel processors–Core i5 4670 (4670K for my son). I’ve had good results with Asus products in the past, and I love my Nexus 7 tablet (Google brand
Study: ‘The Call’ Part 5
The latest version of the study shows the painting much advanced. The modelling is done on the cement bench and pediment. The figure modeling needs more refinement, as is evident in this detail. I am still painting according to plan–more or less(!) After a plan is complete, there is always much to be done, especially
Poem: Why do I remember this?
Why do I remember? I’ve carried this, and now–see?–here it is. Guided by a compulsion (that has never left me) I painted the walls of my mother’s house the entire length of the hallway; floating above the floor–I was light. You’ll laugh, but it was art. That’s the simple truth. My mother didn’t see it