Small brush exercises with WM oils on MDF board

Returning to Kennels - 8x10 oil on MDF

This past week I decided to spend a bit more time with the WM oils using small watercolour brushes on a smooth gessoed surface on MDF board. I am really liking the greater control I have with the combination. I no longer seem to be getting my self deep in oil muck  and am more easily able to make corrections as required.

The hunt scene was part of our old life. The shapes and colours of horses, the coats ( men wear pinks and ladies black with blue collar) and the fall colours create opportunity for abstracting and I plan to do more and larger.

Heading back to Ontario for an early Christmas with family tomorrow - so I needed to work on a few Christmas presents.

Our nephew is playing in the Toronto production of Les Mis -5x7

Our grandson Jayden 5x7

Our grand daughter Maeve 5x7

Photos are off as I had already plus a finish on ( using Liquin as recommended by Doug Braithwaite and really liking it).

Good small brush exercises.

Terra Skin ( Mitz Art ) selects one of my paintings

I was very pleased to learn that Art Mitz www.mitzart.com, the manufacturer  and distributor of Terra Skin has selected one of my acrylic sketches for the cover of their new sketch pad (thanks Lea Stillinger) .

The piece was an 8x10 done on TerraSkin "neat" - no gesso. Its a sketch completed near Collingwood Ontario.

Its one of those quick pieces that I did not take seriously and thought it was too loose and too silly to consider keeping. But I kept it and showed it ( because my wife liked it) and got a very positive reaction to it and it sold quickly. Now chosen for this. Go figure!   Its a part of my continuous struggle with "who I am" as an artist. Do I want to be loose and playful or be tighter and demonstrate technical competence. Its become almost a daily fight for me. 

I have posted on the use of TerraSkin earlier. Its a great product and can be used for any medium. I more often add gesso, often black, to give it a bit of "grip". 

Recently  I have been using oils with soft watercolour brushes (thanks Doug Braithwaite) and  I find they work very well on this smooth surface. 

More small examples:

I found it a great product for quick figure drawing/painting sessions - acrylic 6x8

Also like it for "spots of colour " exercises WM Oil 6x8 

Simple and clean for simplifying plein air sketches  WN oil 6x8 

Take a look at their product line:  www.mitzart.com