Prep Is Underrated

Sea Ranch Triptych

Preparing these birch panels was a pain in the neck.  Sanding, wiping, applying gesso. Sanding wiping, painting more gesso. Then, finally getting to paint! Proper preparation isn't something that too many artists talk about with buyers at openings and shows. Every artist has their view about what works best and some prep very little and others are almost obsessive about getting things right. Erring on the side of overdoing it, is not a really bad thing.  Certainly, not doing enough preparation can come back to haunt years down the road.
Telling students about all of the proper preparation in a classroom situation almost always falls on deaf ears. They just want to get some paint out and start working. I cannot tell you how many times that I have been too hasty in doing my own prep work and then realized what a big mistake I made. So, for what it is worth...
1. Your surface has to be clean, smooth and free of lumps, bumps, blobs and dirt or grease. New canvas isn't going to present this problem, but if you are painting over some work that wasn't good, you have to sand.
2. Once you have sanded and wiped your surface has to hold the paint and the best way is with gesso. I know of no other easy, commercially available product that will prep a painting surface to hold the paint with integrity. When I was in college, they told us to use latex house paint and we passed around a big, gross bucket to paint on our stretched canvas. Yes, it made the surface white and tightened the canvas, but I don't think it is as good as gesso.  House paint today has all kinds of additives that allow for easy wall and surface cleaning and you don't want this stuff under your painting. Stick with gesso.
3. Use at least an additional coat of gesso even on commercially prepared canvas. Student grade materials are just that...for students. But sometimes the gesso is chalky and rubs off. Beware! the cheap stuff can cause problems. So tell your students to coat their surfaces at least once.
4. Pre-wire your large canvas if you are using gallery wrapped canvas without frames. You will be able to move your work around and allow it to dry without worrying about handling it and getting paint everywhere.
5. Mark the back of the canvas with your name and the size of the work. You will be glad later.

So, by the time you have purchased your materials, gotten them home, prepared your surfaces and sanded and wiped and applied gesso, wired the back and marked it, you will probably be too pooped to paint. This is just fine, because now, you are really ready to go! When you start your work the next day, you will also have to do a sketch of some kind, even if it is a thumbnail and then get your image drawn on the canvas. Sounds like work, huh? Work it is, but always a joy!

California Fields Oil

I have finally gotten around to organizing my many pictures from our trip to California. I have many scenes of fields and trees, cows grazing and the sun setting over lush green hills. More than likely, I will never get to paint them all and sadly, I am not there to do it plein aire. All of the rain that spring brought left everything green and lush which will surely change as summer progresses and the grass turns to silver grey.

California here I come...

Getting ready for a 2 week trip to California seems to be like planning the Normandy invasion. Not only do the airlines make it difficult with the new limits on bags, etc., packing art materials to schlep so that you can draw or paint on the other end is crazy.
I have decided not to take my oils as they just seem too darned messy and dealing with a French easel nearly impossible. So, pastels it is and as fragile as they are, deserve careful packing. I have meticulously gone through my hundreds of pastels and picked those that I think that I will use and those that are smaller in order for them to fit in my foam padded container. It is an old box with a foam insert that once held half sticks of Rembrandts. I am prepping with precut Wallis paper and a little Art Spectrum colored paper so that the measuring is all done beforehand. I also have some new pastel board that is small that I am anxious to try.
I have a special box for pastel pencils that I have sharpened. Ha! I must have 8 various sharpeners to fit different pencil sizes and NONE of them do a very good job. So, I have also set aside a pair of scissors and an exacto knife to go into my regular suitcase.
All of the above will go into a backpack along with my wallet and other items I would normally have in a purse as this will be my "carry on" purse to take on the plane with me.
I always get a little nervous when my backpack goes through the xray machine and have been asked at least on two seperate times to open all of my materials for closer inspection. It has always been fine, but if making connections, you have to allow for the extra time.
All this preparation along with the regular packing, I hope, will be worth it. Can't wait to get out of town.
Monterey, San Francisco, Carmel...here we come. I just hope for good weather as pastels are impossible in the rain.