In the kitchen
For the most part, I’ve stopped showing the early stages of my paintings. One thing that I’ve learned after running this site for 8 years is that readers assume that…
This and that
I ‘finished’ Trooper Escort several months ago. I often struggle with what ‘finished’ means in practice. These days, I put ‘finished’ paintings aside before signing them. This gives me time…
Turp? OMS?
There is a lot of confusion among artists about turpentine and mineral spirits. Some YouTubers promote Gamasol as an alternative to turpentine. One even recommends Gamsol as a natural substitute…
New series–4th Street
The two series that have preoccupied me over the past several years are still moving along. One of them, Playhouse Square, I started deliberately. After launching the series, I continued…
Oil of Cloves
I’ve been following a reader’s tip for slowing the drying time of oils. Responding to my complaint about how oil paint in jars dries too quickly, reader Clint Atkinson suggested…
Backslide
I know me. When I finish a painting, if I don’t put it away I’ll find something to fix or improve. Paintings never get finished that way. It’s the deepest…
Grounded
I don’t mind being grounded by the pandemic. After all, I already spend most of my time isolated in my studio working. But I’m not alone; I’m in constant contact…
Retouch varnish
When you work on an oil painting over an extended period, colors sometimes become dull. The upper paint layers merge with an earlier layers. This process is called sinking in.…