Smooth is best
Rereading what I wrote about preparing a canvas, I realized that I didn't emphasize the main goal enough. Yes, it's important to protect the canvas, but the real goal is to make a great surface.…
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Whiskey was the cause
Perusing Ancestry.com's records, I came across this Kentucky newspaper article from 1896. During a drunken brawl, a man, Billy Patrick, was stabbed in the head. At the time the article is written, Patrick is expected…
Family mystery
My great-grandfather Ramey had a fierce personality. Even in his 90's, he had no time for nonsense, epically from unruly children such as me. My grandmother ascribed her father's fierceness to his harsh childhood. Orphaned…
Winter might end?
Just when I finally lost all hope, we saw the sun. This winter has been harsh with bitter cold and snowstorms followed quickly by more snowstorms. But Lake Erie has begun to thaw as has…
I bought manganese violet
Like the title says, I bought some manganese violet. Some artists maintain that they can reproduce every color by using a small collection of paints. While it's true that you can create a tremendous variety…
Ragged easel
My Utrecht easel has served me well. True, it's held together with glue and clamps, but it still handles the large-size paintings that I make. One thing the easel lacks is a place to rest…
Who needs culture anyway?
One of the biggest shocks of my life and one of my biggest disappointments occurred when I went to France for the first time in 1993. France! home of great artists--David, Delacroix, the angelic Ingres,…
President Trump, pardon Assange
On President Trumps' last day in office, I've signed the petition that urges the president to pardon Assange. For more background, here's a recent NY Times article. If you want to add you voice to…