About Me

Color is one of the ways I use composition to communicate my message, my story. I’ll give you an example (the result of this process is shown in my photo above and in the video below). I was visiting Naples, FL Botanical Gardens on a gray, overcast day. I was hoping for the brilliant sunny weather known to southwest Florida in order to observe and photograph the gorgeous lillypond surrounded by Japanese bridges and fauna. What I was able to take away on this trip was the contrasts – even though it was cloudy there was still atmospheric light that provided glow and contrasts between the sky and the water and ground that were important to see – the surface was almost white; the gray of the sky against the brilliant pigmented hues of the wet lily pads in the pond and leaves on the ground were more stark than if I had gone on a day with brilliant light. When I got home, I wanted to capture this story in a painting. I chose my colors based on what I was trying to communicate: how white the surface was, how atmospheric the sky was, and how colorful the lily pads and flowers were by contrast.

Painting over the abstract: At Last

When I was recovering from Lyme I painted non-representationally with my left hand due to right-side neck/shoulder pain. It was fun to play around with colors and not be attached to any set outcome. I’ve been looking forward to giving this one a new look. Going to let it dry and add some finishing touches. I like it much better, you likey? 25×36” Oil.

7 Tips for Painting Vibrant Color

• Call your painting a study. When you think of what you’re working on as a study instead of a painting, it can encourage a sense of freedom. You’re not trying to create a masterpiece; you’re just trying to learn.
• Use a brightly toned canvas. This can be the easiest way to make your paintings sparkle, because it doesn’t necessarily require a change in the way you work. Simply let some of the underpainting shine through.
• Exaggerate the subtleties. Look closely at the scene. Is there a blue violet from the sky reflected in the ground shadows? Is there a colorful tree, house, or boat? Find the colors that are already there and exaggerate them a little.
• Keep the value; change the hue. In my opinion, a color’s inherent value is its most important attribute. This means you can experiment and change the hue and saturation of colors quite a bit as long as you keep the values correct.
• Add variety to each color. A painting that only has fully saturated colors can be overwhelming. Placing dull, grayed-down colors next to the cleaner, more saturated colors also creates variety and makes the saturated areas appear more colorful.
• Use gray to give the eye a place to rest. Making a portion of the painting (the sky, for instance) a simple neutral grayish color provides a resting place for the viewer’s eye and can help bring a sense of peace to the scene.
• Let color have its voice. Georgia O’Keeffe said, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way — things I had no words for.” What do you feel when you see a scene you love? What do you want to say about it? How can you use color to say what words can’t?

I grew up in the Washington, DC area and am the youngest of five children born to a Dentist Dad and Mom. My father’s great uncle was a painter, my middle name was after his first name; I looked him up on Google and one of his paintings is in a museum in Schenectady, NY, where my parents are from. My mother’s Aunt had a gallery in Schenectady and was also a water colorist. Upon retiring, my father took up water color and was a natural. I began painting in 2020, starting two months before he passed on. I am grateful for this creative venue that allows us all to explore our inner selves through learned skills and techniques. Art truly exists for us all – it is there for all of us to learn. There are no perfect painters. There is no end point. Only getting better and better at it, learning every single time. Your paintings will always be as unique as your fingerprint. Find your style and enjoy the journey.

**Muse/Soul Exercise:

[If you are interested, please read on and think about the exercise for yourself…] It might be a tree, bird or a butterfly or an animal. Or a jewel or some other precious object. What would be a metaphor for your Soul, your innermost being? See it. Experience it. Mine is often a leopard, inspired by a recent safari – and some days it is the honey badger – I like those days!

Now begin the dialogue. Visualize looking at your Soul in whatever form it has chosen. Then ask it, your Soul, this simple question: What do you want? This will not be a final answer for all time, simply the one Soul-answer-du-jour. Tomorrow’s answer awaits…!.

Close your eyes. Trust the space made sacred by our intention. Now take three deep breaths. Inhale and exhale. I also like to breathe with the intention of inhaling confidence and exhaling stress. As you exhale, say to yourself, ‘t I release all fear of this inner journey.’ Repeat this thought on the next two exhalations. Breathe in, breathe out. I release all fear, all insecurities of this inner journey.’ And so, the journey begins.

I’d like you to visualize a long path which stretches before you. It may be a place known to you or it may be a new terrain. It may pass through a dark wood or across high mountains. At some point, you see before you an ancient iron gate. The gate is locked and vines cover it. You reach deep into your pocket and find a key. The key is large and rather heavy. Place the key into the lock, turning it in a complete circle so that the gate swings open. Now take another deep breath releasing any residue of fear, and walk through the open gate.

You find yourself now in a garden. It might be an English garden or perhaps a Japanese Zen garden with stone lanterns and tranquil pools of water with white lotus and gentle Koi fish. Or any garden of your choice. See it. The flowers are in bloom. The smells intoxicate, causing you to smile. Just ahead lies a house which you recognize as the house of your dreams. You know this house for it is your very Self. Enter now and stand for a moment, taking in the profound feeling that you have come Home.

For the next five minutes without undue thinking open your eyes and begin the exercise, the Soul dialogue. Simply write the question, What do you want? Then taking all the time you need, listen for Souls’ reply and start your composition, or your palette choices. Begin mixing your paints with confidence and vigor. There is no right way to start, only your way. There is only your answer. (Exercise modified from Catherine Ann Jones, a novelist).

Oil Painting Tips & Techniques:

If I had to start over I would buy a basic set from Williamsburg or Michael Harding or Old Holland and possibly a larger tube of titanium white in a cheaper brand.

If you buy quality paints you get so much more pigment and less fillers. You can avoid buying “hues” which mimic real colors but don’t blend or have the same transparency. Sets are often discounted and some stores offer student discounts.

Every time you want to look at social media, draw or paint instead…

Outdoor sunlight: orange for the light, and blue for the shadow bc the light in the shadows is reflected off the blue sky. (Paul Foxton, Cotswolds)

Using Grounds:

Oil- and Alkyd-Based Grounds

Oil- and alkyd-bound grounds generally consist of white pigments (e.g. lead white, titanium white, zinc white, etc.) with various additions of inert fillers (e.g. chalk, calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, silica, etc.). There is little data concerning the qualitative differences in the aging properties of oil vs. alkyd grounds in terms of preservation (see the “Mediums” document for more information on oil vs. alkyd mediums) although some alkyd grounds appear to retain a certain degree of flexibility while oil grounds tend to become slightly more brittle over time. The choice of pigmentation and fillers has a major influence on this, making comparisons difficult. The presence of metal driers present in the alkyd medium can allow an alkyd grounds to dry faster than oil grounds, particularly oil grounds that do not contain lead white (zinc and titanium white are slower driers in oil). Both types of grounds can be applied onto sized canvas supports and to most rigid supports, using a wide brush or spatula. Pre-primed grounds are also available; however, artists should take note when purchasing oil/alkyd grounds that contain zinc white and/or significant amounts of aluminum stearates as both materials have been found to cause potential cracking, delamination, wrinkling, and the formation of unsightly agglomerates known as “metal soaps.” In general, oil/alkyd grounds are far less absorbent than traditional glue grounds (and therefore are less likely to lead to problems with “sinking in”). They can be more or less absorbent than acrylic dispersion grounds. A more definitive comparison cannot be made as acrylic dispersion grounds, vary greatly in their composition and performance.

If oil- or alkyd-based grounds are to be used, artists should consider the following:

• Both types of grounds can become brittle over time and are therefore susceptible to cracking. This can be potentially avoided if a rigid support is used or if canvas is applied over a rigid support.
• These grounds are not compatible with most water-based mediums such as watercolors, gouache, or acrylic dispersion paints.
• When applying either type of ground to a canvas support it is essential that the canvas support is adequately sized (see “Adhesives and Sizes” for more information on sizing) to prevent the oil/alkyd from coming into direct contact with the fabric. Over time the acidic nature of the oil/alkyd medium can accelerate the deterioration of the canvas. Glue sizes, PVA sizes (pH neutral), and certain acrylic dispersion sizes can be used.
• In general, two or more thin coats of an oil and/or alkyd ground are applied to the support. Too many coats can lead to an overly thick and brittle ground and too few coats can lead to an overly absorbent ground.
• Oil/alkyd grounds need to be thoroughly dry before painting can begin. To assess whether your ground is sufficiently dry, the “fingernail test” can be used: If you can press your fingernail onto the oil ground without making a dent in it, it’s ready to paint on. It is preferable to allow an oil ground to dry as long as possible before beginning to paint.
• When purchasing pre-primed supports, artists should check with the manufacturer to see if zinc-containing pigments and/or aluminum stearates (and other possible additives) are part of the formulation as these materials when present in significant amounts may cause issues later on. If artists choose to use oil/alkyd grounds containing these materials, simply record what materials are present in the ground on the back of your artwork.
• It can be more difficult to wipe away thin applications of paint during the initial painting stages when working on absorbent grounds and those that have a lot of tooth due to the addition of coarser particles (some acrylic dispersion grounds will exhibit this characteristic).
• If your ground is too absorbent this could lead to problems associated with “sinking in” (see “Varnishes” document for more information on sinking in). Artists can modify/adjust their ground formulation, using less solvent/water, or applying a very thin layer of oil and/or alkyd medium on top of the ground to cut the absorbency. This layer should not be slick or overly thick in order to avoid potential adhesion issues and possible delamination of subsequent paint layers. Painting can begin once this layer has sufficiently dried although some artists prefer to paint into this layer while it is still wet.
• Oil/alkyd grounds are not recommended for use on paper supports (or most absorbent supports unless they are specifically formulated to do so) as these mediums can cause irreversible staining. Acrylic dispersion grounds are better suited for this purpose.
• It is possible to gently sand the surface of oil/alkyd grounds. Remember that inhalation of any type of fine, particulate material (particularly if hazardous pigments are present) is not recommended and that a dust mask should be worn during sanding. It is best to avoid and sanding or scraping of grounds containing lead or other toxic pigments. Once you are finished sanding the ground, wipe down the ground using a cloth dampened with odorless mineral spirits to absorb any remaining loose pigments/particles (be sure to properly and properly dispose of the cloth).

Cleaning brushes: (notes from other painters that I have used)

Mine are kept in a small brush roller tray. I elevate the high end legs and pour my walnut oil in the low end tray, just enough to cover my bristles. Before putting the brushes in, I wipe off as much paint as possible. They can stay in this oil for days and days, if not weeks. I only clean them when a painting is finished. I never use solvents. They are washed in Murphy’s Oil Soap or a good brush cleaner. Solvents are actually
damaging to your bristles. Mine stay soft and supple, and never fray.

I use warm coconut oil, and dawn dish soap, then I shape them when wet. No need to wrap them. I don’t use terps at all.

Grabbing a bundle of brushes through a session is a bad habit. (Pick me !). Train yourself to be more conservative. Use an appropriate brush size, one for cool colors, one for warm colors. Squeeze out and wipe them with a rag periodically rather than grabbing another brush, only change brushes when “size (or shape) matters.”

Why do we clean brushes ?? To maintain their response in handling. Poorly cleaned, paint and residues build up at the root near the ferrule and ultimately take the “life” out of the brush.

Sorry to say, the only way to clean a brush thoroughly is with an equally thorough rinse in a solvent. OMS, turps, mineral spirits, kerosene, it matters not. Next, wash with an appropriate soap and warm water. Grab the bristles at the tip, and “wiggle” the handle against them to work soap into the ferrule.

After cleaning a gazillion brushes this way through the past 64 years, I recently “discovered” that Go-Jo, the hand cleaner auto mechanics use, does a superior job of washing brushes. Follow with soap if you wish, it’s probably unnecessary. Lastly, kerosene, having the highest “wicking rate” of any commonly used solvent is probably the most effective as it penetrates best.

Being OCD over cleaning one’s brushes is lost on folks who don’t appreciate the nuance and precision of their tools.

Scores of painters these days will run screaming from the room at the suggestion to use a solvent. Living in fearful horror of the “toxic” nature of the materials and methods of traditional oil painting tends to result in approaches that are similar to attempting to make chicken soup without first plucking the chicken.

I very seldom clean my brushes, I was shown how the old masters did their brushes by a couple of professional Artists and what they do with theirs.

I wipe out any excess paint at the end of a session, clean out in Zest it or Turps if that’s what your’e using wipe off in a paper towel and then just put them into a tray of any cheap supermarket oil, and leave them until I use them the next day, then lift out and wipe off and start painting, also irrespective of what colour you use, the paint never bleeds through.

This literally takes me minutes.

If I ever need to clean a damaged brush that I have forgotten or whatever about then I use Murphy’s Oil Soap which cleans anything including clothes.

Happy painting folks.

Paula Jane Bogert if I’m painting every day, I just wipe my brushes and do a quick swish in linseed oil, wipe and stick the bristle ends in a small plastic bag. Ready to go the next day. Actually, they can wait like that for a few days.

Good info! I was in the habit of using the palm of my hand but it irritated the tendons in that hand and led to my fingers locking up! It healed After a cortisone shot. So needless to say I use a small bowl instead. I use safflower oil from the grocery store and turp beforehand if necessary. Then dawn dish soap. Richeson brand cleaner is similar to Murphys and works well also. It can be used to dissolve dried paint. After rinsing a thin coat can be applied to condition the bristles of those that are looking dry.

Happy painting!

Use rag to remove paint then rinse in mineral spirits remove excess with a towel then rinse in a jar of baby oil to remove any remaining pigment leave oil in brush it will not harden it will stay wet and keep the shape of the brush before you paint next squeeze out excess baby oil. No water no soap no messed up brushes.

VARNISH (Don’t use solvents)

To begin the process, we need criteria to help us select the varnish. The ideal varnish should be one that:

• Remains transparent and colorless,
• Possesses and retains adequate elasticity,
• Provides mechanical protection for the paint layer, and
• Is removable using a “gentle” and preferably non-polar solvent.
• While no varnish today meets all of these criteria completely, there are a number of synthetic varnishes available that provide adequate protection and a variety of surface appearances.

Before we get to the new synthetic varnishes, it is important to understand where it all started.

Natural resins, dammar and mastic, have been widely used as varnishes on paintings for many centuries. Unfortunately, these varnishes are not stable, and oxidize and yellow with time. Yellowing obscures a painting and can considerably change its appearance. As a consequence, varnishes have to be removed and replaced rather often, a harsh treatment that can damage the painting. It is therefore desirable to find ways to improve the performance of varnishes with respect to oxidation and, especially, yellowing. This would reduce the number of times varnish must be replaced, and protect art works from damage resulting from varnishing.

Varnishes are usually removed by the mechanical and chemical action of a cloth or cotton swab soaked in solvent. Quite polar solvents (e.g., acetone and alcohol are very polar solvents) are needed to remove an old and oxidized varnish, such as those of dammar. This treatment may damage a painting by swelling the paint layers underneath leading to mechanical stress, and leaching components out of the paint layer, leaving an embrittled paint film. These effects are even more pronounced when a new varnish is applied, which is not surprising since the amount of solvent and the time it is in contact with the paint is even greater than during removal. Consequently, the solvent of a new varnish should be as apolar as possible to minimize these effects.