The process both with canvas or my small blog paintings is great care is given to the surface.
I want the paintings to last for a very long time. Whether wood, archival board or canvas, the surface is prepared with two or three coats of gesso with sanding between each, then an oil base primer is applied and left to dry. All is treated with respect and love. I like doing all this , a bit of overkill, Yes! but it is part of my madness for painting. In reality it is meditative and gives me time to think of what and how my approach to the subject will be painted. After that, the fun really begins. The sheer act of painting is a magical experience. I'm talking about mixing the paint and seeing what a color can do next to another, seeing what happens when you mix in a medium to the colors and see how far can a color be pushed and still keep its integrity. It is truly just plain fun, that’s the only way I can put it. Mixing in ones own medium to control the viscosity or drying time of the oils is a whole other layer to the process. Yes, I'm very passionate and partial to this medium. First of all, for me painting with oils is like a game, you can play with a color until your eyes come out of your head. I've gotten so involved in mixing that I have forgotten what I was supposed to paint. Color and what color it is next to sets up a vibration and emotions so one can view and express verbally, "I like it”, “I love it”, and hopefully, "I can’t live without it”. That happens when everything comes together. Powerful stuff in this mixing that goes on.
So for me, here it is in a nutshell.
The subject is the vehicle to express my passion and the opportunity to play in an endless rainbow of colors.
I want the paintings to last for a very long time. Whether wood, archival board or canvas, the surface is prepared with two or three coats of gesso with sanding between each, then an oil base primer is applied and left to dry. All is treated with respect and love. I like doing all this , a bit of overkill, Yes! but it is part of my madness for painting. In reality it is meditative and gives me time to think of what and how my approach to the subject will be painted. After that, the fun really begins. The sheer act of painting is a magical experience. I'm talking about mixing the paint and seeing what a color can do next to another, seeing what happens when you mix in a medium to the colors and see how far can a color be pushed and still keep its integrity. It is truly just plain fun, that’s the only way I can put it. Mixing in ones own medium to control the viscosity or drying time of the oils is a whole other layer to the process. Yes, I'm very passionate and partial to this medium. First of all, for me painting with oils is like a game, you can play with a color until your eyes come out of your head. I've gotten so involved in mixing that I have forgotten what I was supposed to paint. Color and what color it is next to sets up a vibration and emotions so one can view and express verbally, "I like it”, “I love it”, and hopefully, "I can’t live without it”. That happens when everything comes together. Powerful stuff in this mixing that goes on.
So for me, here it is in a nutshell.
The subject is the vehicle to express my passion and the opportunity to play in an endless rainbow of colors.
