This gallery is a selection of paintings from the garden calendar art from 2008 to 2015 before my commercial illustration work went digital. During that time, I worked in oils on treated paper because it was the fastest method to go from a drawing to the painting. Paper is also lighter than canvas or board, easy to ship when stacked, and flexible so it could put it on a scanner to create high resolution digital files for publication. Once the art director gave me the go-ahead on the drawings, I would apply two thin coats of gesso to the actual drawing so I could still see it underneath. Then I could airbrush in a thin background color to tone down the white ground, or brush a thin color in alkyd resin onto the white surface. From there, I’d block in the main colors of the composition. Most paintings have at least 5 layers… some have more.
A note about alkyd resin: I note that some of the paintings here have been painted on paper treated with alkyd. This means that I put down a layer of alkyd resin on tthe paper on top of a drawing. The substance is indeed derived from petroleates. But when it dries, it’s no longer oil. It dries quickly to form a tough, translucent, plastic-like and stable surface which bonds to paper and oil paint. It doesn’t bleed like regular oil. Paintings on paper which I made 30 years ago have not deteriorated, cracked, or faded in any way. The delight of the alkyd resin is that it allows some of the beautiful pencil marks to be seen through and around the oil paint. It’s a marvelous way to work.
These paintings are all approximately 11-12” x 14”. All are done on treated 140 lb D’Arches Hotpress paper.
Having done this project for a number of years means that I’ve got many more oil paintings available. If you’re looking for a special flower or one with a specific color palette, chances are good that I might have something in my archive. Feel free to ask and I’ll be sure to reply.
The April spread for The Old Farmer's Almanac garden calendar in 2015. 8” x 12”, oil on gessoed paper. Not framed.
Shipping: Painting will be covered in acid-free paper and sandwiched between fome core and layers of shipping cardboard. USPS Priority 2-Day, insured.
