Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Prepping Panels

This is a miniature painting 4"x4".
I've been working on my painting panels. Today I sealed them with rabbit skin glue. I was going to do them all in the shed but there are too many so some are drying indoors.

Sunday, June 28, 2020

1213 Peonies, 8x10 oil on wood panel

I've been completing paintings that I started and set aside a ways back. This one I painted in a grisaille last year and only just now added color.
There's some that I started many years ago and forgot about completely.

The thing is that I"m getting low on panels so I've been going through old paintings considering painting over them.

Anyway, I just had 151 panels cut from some 1/4inch baltic birch plywood. I spent a few days sanding it smooth (My shoulder is now paining me). As soon as the weather gets nice I'll seal them and put a few layers of traditional gesso on the front. This process takes several days but the finished product results in the most exquisite painting surface. Silky smooth and perfect for applying egg tempera. Here's what 151 baltic birch panels looks like:
I will seal all sides with warm Rabbit Skin Glue and then apply a traditional gesso that i make with rabbit skin glue and calcium carbonate (Marble dust). Then I sand it smooth with wet ultra fine sand paper or I scrape it with a blade. The result is amazing. There is no painting panel I could buy at any price that compares with the quality of the ones I make the traditional way. After I finish the painting and write the date, title, and conservation information on the back I I seal it with shellac to keep atmospheric moisture from causing warping over the years.

151 panels should last me about a year.  Plus I do the odd large painting on stretched canvas. 

Monday, June 22, 2020

1210, Gaspe Coast, 8x10, oil

Sold-Iqaluit NU
Here's another painting that was left un finished on a shelf in my studio a few years. It was like pulling teeth to bring them down and work on them. I'm so glad I did. 

1209 Poppy Garden, 8x10, oil

Sold-Toronto

I started this last year, en plenaire in my garden. I got distracted and left it unfinished until yesterday. 

Monday, June 15, 2020

1206 Chez Schwartz, 4x4, egg tempera

SOLD-Bainbridge Island, WA

I made a few changes to the painting below. This is the result. I worked on it for over an hour but I wonder if it was worth it. What do you think?
Here's another Schwartz Deli painting. I am selling it as a set with the previous one.

Friday, June 5, 2020

1203 Montreal Skyscape (Hochelaga) Work in progress

I've been working on this egg tempera piece the past two days. It's coming around. I will work on it more tomorrow. I might finish it with oil glazes. Will see. Although oil glazes can really bring up a piece and give it amazing depth the shellac coat on egg tempera gives it a smooth enamel like finish.

1538 lacing Up