This is the first ‘In the studio’ update from the new studio. The Picnic has been thoroughly roughed-in and the over-painting is underway. The dark tones will be pushed next. The folding chairs in the foreground will be very dark.
This photo shows two of the three easels (the third is smaller). I worked on the left-hand painting, ‘The Picnic,’ earlier in the morning.
The cabinets in the background are filled with oils, varnishes, siccatives, and whatnot. I did a lot of experimenting with mediums in the past and I’m glad I did–I encourage painters to really dig into their craft. An important thing I learned from all my experiments is that there is no magic formula. Don’t misunderstand: mediums are very important, but too often painters are obsessed with alchemical researches and overlook other aspects of the craft. Why spend months–or years!–on hand-crafted oils only to paint on shabby supports? Anyway, firm drawing is the best path. Drawing cures all ills; without it, magic elixirs are useless.