the machine

I went back into the large painting on Saturday, with not unsuccessful results. I'm developing greater control over the flow and getting a better handle on the desired viscosity of the paint. After many studies and two attempts at taking it larger I will likely use acrylic paint as a ground with some raw pigment added to get into deeper blacks. I can then put down a layer of alkyd followed by a thin layer of black in oil. What gets interesting is the response of the white to the wet surface and with the added bleeding effect of more mineral spirits. But the ground, -the surface, needs a cold, flat uniformity.

I bought a large masonry trowel and this was used to good effect. Scale and proportion; it all comes down to being able to make relative marks by utilizing the proper relationship to the scale of the studies. That's when it works. For what I want to do, I may have to make my own monster palette knives. So far I have not seen anything large enough.

It feels like things are going so slowly with constant interruption to studio hours. But soon the spring will come, my wife's show will go up, and time will once again be an ally. Until then...