Readers know about my obsession with The Great White–flake (lead) white paint. This all-important color is getting harder to find because some manufacturers stopped making it due to misguided health concerns and regulations. I’ve discussed the merits of lead white several times on this blog so I won’t repeat myself here. (Those wondering why I…
I always try to be as efficient as possible with my paintings. But I’m also cheap. The combination of efficiency and cheapness has frequently caused me headaches. Instead of saving time and money, I’ve wasted both in my often wrong-footed efforts to save money. I prefer smooth painting surfaces but instead of buying the ultra-smooth…
I kept studio journals from the outset of my career. At first, I tracked my sales in the journal. Then I started tracking my supplies–the number and size of stretched canvases I had on hand, and other such things. Eventually, I started to use the journals as a daily record of the paintings on which…
No, I haven’t lifted my boycott against Old Holland. But a comment on this related post sent me looking at my dwindling stock of Old Holland supplies–things I bought pre-boycott. This photo shows my bottle of Old Holland Oil Painting medium. The ingredients are nowhere found on the label. Based on smell it contains linseed…
I always want a supply of large canvases available to me. I’ve learned that the only canvases that satisfy my perfectionist side are the canvases I make myself. I’ve tried many commercial canvases and none have ever satisfied me. So I make my own. The six canvases are all in the 40″ x 54″ range,…
After reading some of my disparaging remarks about stand oil, a reader asked me if there was something wrong with stand oil. The short answer is no, there is nothing wrong with stand oil. The longer answer is, well, complicated. An ancient and still common method to improve oil is to heat it. Heating oil…
This corner of my studio shows two paintings that I’m working on. The unfinished painting on the floor is the latest in my Main Street series. The large vertical painting is the newest work in my Amusement Park series. I had my first painting session with it yesterday. I’ll continue to work both of these…
There is a lot of information about painting mediums on my site but if you’re new to painting, an abundance of information is the same as no information. Where to start? The good news is that you can easily have a medium that supports ambitious work and serves as a baseline for exploring other mediums…