In the studio 9/7/14
Fourteen figures are in this 40″ x 56″ oil. Main St. #2 is a scene from our hometown’s annual Festival of the Fish (Main st. #1 is another scene from the festival). With every viewer-facing figure sporting sunglasses, I should call it “Sunglasses Festival.” I’ve had 10 sessions with this painting and I still have along way
Two similar-themed paintings revisited
I’ve posted about this before–working on two paintings with the same theme simultaneously. These are two paintings of my son Keith in the studio standing in front of a painting of himself. I hope you can tell that these paintings aren’t finished. I recently had a session with the lower one and it’s almost finished.
New painting started–The Photographer
I had my first drawing session for a new painting this morning. The Photographer is 32″ x 48″ and like The Explainer the subject is a single figure, although this time the figure is outdoors.
Winsor Newton supplants RGH as my preferred mid-range paint
Winsor Newton has become my choice for mid-range oil paint, supplanting RGH. While not Old Holland, W & N’s quality is consistently high, and I prefer some of their colors over all competing brands, such as madder lake and cadmium scarlet. I like RGH’s cold-pressed, lead-based whites but their tubes are cheap and prone to break
Finished painting: The Explainer
I finished The Explainer this morning. This woman was explaining a painting to her companions who listened to her with rapt attention. I didn’t pay attention to what she said but she was in earnest. The Explainer is 30″ x 48.” According to my studio journal, this morning’s session was the twelfth, not counting the drawing
In the studio 8/31/14
I’ve had two more session with this painting since I last posted an update. That makes seven sessions, not counting the drawing sessions. The sky is done.
August 2014 update to oil paint reviews upcoming
My studio journal is filled with hundreds of recipes and formulas for painting mediums. I’ve tried nearly all of them and recorded the results. My shelves are chockablock with oils, varnishes, and other ingredients. . As a teenage apprentice, I spent a lot of time grinding oil paint for my teacher. I like everything about the craft
New shed
My new shed arrived two days ago. The Amish builders erected the 10′ x 12′ building in 2.5 hours. They arrived at 6:30 AM (after driving 2 hours!). The shed enables me to convert the garage into a studio annex. Its high ceiling will allow me to work on large paintings without accident. When a large