Mediums Workshop - Weds. 1/18/12

Ok, all day weds and most of thurs three of us (Annie Compton, Linda Wharton, me) met in my studio to experiment with different mediums

So here is a list of the above :

1: 1/1black oil/double mastic (maroger)

2: 1/1/1canada balsam/stand/spike Probably more useful1/1/2

3: 1/1/1 venice turp/stand/spike -

4: NP's Velazquez -

5: Amber -

6:NP's Italian Varnish -

7a: Wax already w turp 7 b: 7a with oms & linseed added -

8: a roberson's (mastic, copal, spike, drying oil) -

9: 1/1/2canada balsam/linseed oil/ turps

The photo above is a line up with each medium mixed into flake and titanium. Before painting with the mediums we all painted the two whites with mediums onto test boards; planning to see how each looks over the coming months, even years.

To try these mediums we set up a simple still-life: white egg on whitish napkin. Each of us divided a board into sections and painted the egg using a different medium for each section. This was not about making pretty egg paintings (although some are nice) but about the medium; how it feels to work with, how it lays down paint, can it be worked back into, do the brush strokes fuse, what sort of finish [shine] does it leave and how did it dry over night.

We spent the better part of a day painting these simple egg still lifes and also talking about them. We all still like the canada balsam/stand/spike and small variations (venice, linseed or turps); found both of the Natural Pigments, Velazquez & Italian mediums, useful.

Wax was not a fav but mixed with more oil and solvent (LindaW's idea) was useful if you want a matte finish. The black oil/dble mastic (maroger) made a yummy gel, fun to work with. Most were dry to tacky the next morning. One of our criteria was ease of use, which the wax didn't fill, nor did the maroger because if you can't find the ingredients ready made it requires cooking oil with lead. Which we decided is down below even grinding one's own paint.

Weds evening we donned our plein-air pants (flannel-lined jeans) for a speedy paint out in a duck blind at sunset. One of the things we were interested in was painting wet on wet so we took our boxes and the Velazquez and Italian varnish mediums out for the one hour blitz. The mediums preformed well as we froze.

I wish I had gotten a picture of the three us lined up on duck blind seat among the decoys trying to paint between marsh rushes as the sun set.

Hot chocolate on return then a late dinner and wine and talking by the fireplace kept us until midnight. Annie and Linda W make great fires, which the three dogs also enjoyed.