Oil of spike lavender
Someone recently asked about “oil of lavender.” Oil of spike is an essential oil distilled from lavender flowers. It has been used in oil painting for hundreds of years. Of the three most commonly used solvents, oil of spike (spike lavender) is the most powerful, followed by turpentine. Mineral spirits is the mildest. Oil of spike lavender
Playhouse Square I
I am working on the drawings for my new series–Playhouse Square–which I wrote about earlier. The series is based on photographs I’ve taken of Cleveland’s Playhouse Square. I wrote before about how I planned to use figures from different days in the same locations, about how I plan to use the entire Square and its
In the studio 4/12/15
I had another painting session with Graduation Day this morning, primarily on the pig-tailed girl. I spent a lot of time on her hands and the key chain she’s holding. I’m starting to like the pig tail. Most of the background is done in this painting–the sky, cars, buildings, and ground, although the right-hand mass
Applying an oil ground
I am preparing a bunch of canvases just now–six size 40″ x 50″, and six size 36″ x 48.” Typically, I apply 2-3 coats of acrylic gesso over 2 coats of GAC 100. I might drop the GAC. Although it’s easy enough to screw up a canvas early on (canvas quality can be poor and tear, stretchers can
In the studio 4/5/15
I got some painting time this Easter morning with Washington Square. The under-painting is finished except for the figures behind and to the right of the white-shirted foreground figure. I finally(!) like the background beyond the pool. Washington Square is 44″ x 60.” The composition is based on several photos I took last summer in Greenwich
In the studio 3/29/15
The under-painting for Woman in Purple Boots is finished. This means that everything has a layer of paint–darks, lights, and local colors. The last time I showed this in a ‘Studio Corner’ post it was still pretty raw. Woman in Purple Boots is an example of how I prefer to prepare painting surfaces. There is a
In the studio 3/22/15
I don’t think I’ve shown this painting–Sunday Parade–before. According to my studio journal, today’s painting session is the fifth. It was too raw. Still is, really. The underpainting isn’t finished; but it’s far enough along that you can get a sense of where it’s going. This design is put together from several photos of Manhattan.
RGH review updated
After several orders from RGH, I downgraded my rating to Quality: B (from A-). I modified my initial rating on my Oil Brand Reference but neglected to update the review. The reason for the downgrade is the cheap jars RGH uses for some of their colors. Their jars render the fast-drying colors, like the all-important lead white, useless