Priming Part Two

A second day of priming and some good results. I decided to use gesso, first spraying with water to retard drying. I slapped on a lot and used a spreader at first, then when the layer was reasonably even used a sponge roller.

This was slow work. The paint was so thick and wet that the bubbles when rolled were quite large. This, I've discovered, can be fixed by rolling when slightly more dry. I continued to roll until smooth, then dried with a hairdryer. Then I sanded the surface. Winsor and Newton Gesso has a jelly-like consistency and it can be sanded quite well, a good balance between a plastic and hard feel I think, for an acrylic gesso.

After sanding I sprayed again and applied a second coat, this time spreading with the sponge roller. Less paint needed. Then dry, then sand. The result was even although the texture of the canvas remains very visible and there are lots of tiny holes. That can't be helped. This is as good a job as I've done, and from the back when held up to the light there are no blotches or signs of lack of homogeneity.

Good! After that I rechecked the corners with a huge steel L, then traced the underdrawing using a fine embossing scribe. The painting is now ready for paint!

Key lessons:
1. Good light! Checking every bit for evenness while applying each layer.
2. Retarding drying with water spray, then drying with a hairdryer when even.
3. Practise. The lesson that every student hates to hear and loves to ignore.

This is "Now I've Tasted Love There Is No Going Back To A Loveless Life", the second in a series of three big square paintings. It's not a triptych, just three same sized paintings on a theme. I probably won't start painting until next year and should finish by this time next year.

Priming

Priming today. My last canvas failed, so I needed to prepare a new one. This is always tricky. I use acrylic canvas from a company called Point North. It's very tough stuff, water resistant and very lightfast, cheaper than linen and better in every way. They make a good acrylic coated polyester I aim to try too.

I've stretched and prepared four or five large ones so far, and my "procedure list" is evolving. The surface is slightly "furry" like felt and takes acrylic very well, making a soft looking downy texture that is a dream to paint on, but it can be difficult getting it flat and it does use a lot of primer.

First I stretch. My friend Sue did the stapling today, and two people are better than one. Then a layer of Golden GAC400 applied with a spreader. This is a fabric stiffener, but it doesn't stiffen that much really. Being an acrylic canvas I could paint straight on if needed but it's whiteness is not totally white and it's furry absorbency will probably be at odds with the way I paint. One reason for the GAC is that it's very liquid, and dries slowly. Those things make it easy to pour on lots and even it out, filling in the gaps on the weave and creating a smoother surface.

Up until now I've dried with a hairdryer then primed but this time I'll wait 24 hours. Last time I applied a second coat of GAC400 but that canvas was blotchy, and I suspect it was due to water spray and inadequate drying time between layers. The first square one, over a week ago, went from GAC400 to three coats of Winsor and Newton Acrylic Gesso Primer. That one was excellent, but did use lots of "gesso".

I'm undecided about the next stage. Generally speaking I like to try something that I haven't tried before, even if what I've done before seems to work adequately.

What I'll do with my 82x82 square "reject" canvas is another problem!

The Apocalypse of Finance

The Apocalypse of Finance, oil on panel. This is my largest painting of 2009 and is about chaos and stability. The colour relationships and the interesting here, using my simple "chromo-surrealist" rules to create contrast in the areas that require dramatic effect.

Art Liberating Lives

I've just heard that my painting has made it into the exhibition for Art Liberating Lives, the event organised by the Sue Ryder charity. The picture is called The Death By Explosion Of Moons and Keyholes.

The event is quite short, running from December the 16th to the 20th (Wed to Sun) and is held in the Mall Galleries, close to Trafalgar Square London. I'm especially pleased with my painting and I'm sure it will sell. I already think I should have set a higher price.

Today I've been working on something similar because like 'Moons' it includes moons, and possibly plaster and gemstones too. Even as a plain painting this picture will be a great masterpiece. I can clearly visualise the frame which needs to be polished black stone of the sort that black gravestones are made. However I must be careful not to leap ahead. There are many technical challenges ahead and it's one of many paintings I'm planning at the moment.

Speaking of black gravestones however I can announce the death of Rene Descartes, or rather his painting. I had struggled with an idea about a painting that was about his philosophy, and although there were some new visual ideas, and some beauty and technical complexity worthy of showing off, it felt empty.

Let us go onward!

Tuesday

After a stressful weekend of travelling it took all of yesterday to settle back down. Last night I had many fantastic dreams including one where I was tiger hunting. The monster was frightening and my rifle seemed puny. I shot it in the head but it continued to come towards me. In the end it put it's head right into the barrel before I let off the seventh and final shot to kill it.

I started to write up my surreal novel on Sunday night but will need encouragement from friends to get it written I think. I'm re-obsessed with paintings and have lots of new ideas, some of great size and ambition. The latest to be drawn out today included six moons of varying size. Drawing the same craters again and again was a good exercise in itself!

I made clay models of the principle protagonist yesterday and thought about the sculptures seen in the all media exhibition in Birmingham. I make lots of models like this. Perhaps it's time to enter some into exhibitions along with my paintings.

On the Road to Birmingham

I was in London yesterday dropping off my painting for the Sue Ryder charity's Art Liberating Lives exhibition. Fingers are now crossed. Today it's Birmingham and a collection of work from the R.B.S.A. Gallery with Jean Briers. Here are the words to a song that was in my head this morning when I awoke. The music is, magically, rather like Bicycle Race by Queen, partly because I fell asleep thinking of the concept of a song that crossed Mama Mia with Bicycle Race. Lo and behold, the tune and words were in my head when I awoke. Mama Mia by Abba is psychologically connected to Birmingham for convoluted reasons!

On The Road To Birmingham

Look at the road and look at the street.
look at the people from the seat
of our amazing day.
See all the fountains, factories.
See all the stray cats and the bees
going about their way.

We're on the road to Birmingham
excitement on the way.
We're on the road to Birmingham today.
We're on the road to Birmingham
the cars are rushing by.
We're on the road to Birmingham the sky
is full of joy.
Joy.
Joy!

Going to see my auntie Jean
and uncle Tom and cousin Bean
in their amazing shed.
Going to wear their ginger wigs
and dance a few perverted jigs
or have a drink instead.

We're on the road to Birmingham
excitement on the way.
We're on the road to Birmingham today.
We're on the road to Birmingham
the cars are rushing by.
We're on the road to Birmingham the sky
is full of joy.
Joy.
Joy!

Going to stand in tartan shoes
see all the sights and feel the blues
painting the buildings grey.
And in the evening we'll go out
tweak any nose and run about.
What a fantastic day!

We're on the road to Birmingham
excitement on the way.
We're on the road to Birmingham today.
We're on the road to Birmingham
the cars are rushing by.
We're on the road to Birmingham the sky
is full of joy.
Joy.
Joy!

Drawing a Mess

Today I reaffirmed that I can draw! This afternoon I completely realised a new idea, assembled the objects to copy and drew them in a short three or four hours. The picture is called Happy Butterflies, and so includes many of the flying creatures. I seem to be rather butterflyish of late. I'm not sure why.

Drawing is easy. Very easy. But it's amazing how many artists don't think they can draw. So, if you are such an artist here is why drawing is easy.

1. Drawing accurately is simply a matter of "spot the difference" between what you've drawn and the thing you are copying.
2. It doesn't have to be perfect. Accept that and a drawing will come out better than a strained attempt to make it perfect.
3. Finally the ultimate clause; every line you make is an expression of your personality. To draw 100% accurately is to kill that self-expression and so is not desirable. This rule makes it impossible to draw "badly". This rule is not an excuse to not learn how to draw, though. This skill of all skills, is valuable for creative reasons.

Most drawing (and painting!) is having the confidence to try. It seems that many amateur painters are too afraid to even sign their name for fear of making a mess! If you are one such artist then read and accept rule three and sign. No matter what happens it will be your mess. What is a signature but that?

Proceduralism

When an artist asks "how do you paint reflections?" or "how do you paint water?" or "how do you paint cloth?" they are thinking like proceduralists. They are asking for a trick or procedure that can be used to paint things like those objects.

Procedures like that can be useful for invented objects, and certain media too, with tricks like this being part and parcel of watercolour painting, but when oil painting something it's easiest to never be a proceduralist. Artists paint images, not things. A picture of a pipe is not a pipe!

A tree, a face, a sky, an apple, a pile of cornflakes, a pearl necklace. No matter what is to be painted everything can be done simply and carefully from top to bottom in one layer, using a tiny brush and tunnel vision.

Invented objects can be painted in this way too. For those it's best then not to move slowly but "deeply", forming an amorphous blob into the object. For this, a good visual knowledge bank is needed established by lots of observation.

Those are the only two tricks needed to paint anything.