Process

I was lucky to have a method and materials guru at the Slade who taught me the importance of preparation and high quality materials.

I have followed these principles ever since and enjoy the building of my canvases and the preparation of the surfaces. I consider it to be an important part of my process. It allows me to reflect on what I might like to paint on a particular size and have ideas about colour and composition as I work. I am happy to know that my work should last many generations due to the careful respect I have for these beautiful natural materials.

Method

1. Stretch fine grade linen over the stretchers.

2. Size the canvas with 2 coats of Size glue which I make up from crystals on the ring. Any spare gets stored in the fridge. With labels!

3. Sketch out the artwork using multiple photographs to create the image.

4. I then prime the areas to be painted with an oil primer. If I am going to paint using the entire canvas I will prime the prepared surface and then do 1-2 coats of an oil ground to create the coloured surface that I wish to work on.

5. Paint the primed areas using high quality hand-mixed oil paints - using reference from my photography of the subject.

Green principles:

I still work with Oil colour rather than Acrylic or other plastic based paint as I am keen that the materials that I use are all natural pigments and materials and I am not washing micro-plastic particles into the water system. I am careful about my disposal of used white spirit which is my only toxic component, as I use Sennelier Green oil thinner to thin my paints.