Chasing the Desert Sky

Solo Show at Collins Gallery, with an exhibition essay by Peter Trippi

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 16:48:00 +0000

Stillness. In our busy-busy world, most of us crave it, yet rarely find it. (The proliferating of meditation apps is just one expression of our yearning.) Fortunately, the painter Sarah Siltala captures stillness on a regular basis, and now we get to discover how she has explored this theme over the past year or so. As this exhibition suggests, most of her attention has been paid to still life paintings that depict an array of birds, fruits, fabrics, flowers, and other foliage, and also to serene landscapes under placid skies. Somehow all of her creations resonate as both traditional and very much of our time.

Our eyes turn first to the “props” in Siltala’s set-ups because we humans instinctively seek out clues and cues. This artist was raised by artist-parents, and her father painted birds, fish, flowers, and other wildlife onto his own ceramics, drawing particular inspiration from the intricate patterning of Persian pottery. In his daughter’s scenes, we more often see East Asian bowls—also densely patterned—and surely it won’t surprise us that she now collects ceramics for herself. In the 17^th century, Dutch still life painters included (expensive, imported) ceramics as markers of wealth and aesthetic sophistication. Today we see them not only as gorgeous, but also as signifiers of fragility; no matter how well made, a porcelain bowl can easily be broken, and so it must be protected.

The same can be said of the birds Siltala depicts. Avian populations are in steep decline everywhere due to climate change and human encroachment, so we must do everything possible to keep them alive. Siltala loves watching and photographing their beautiful vitality outdoors, and in the paintings, we can immediately discern her understanding of their anatomy and plumage. At first, the juxtaposition of bird and bowl makes little sense and might seem a bit surreal (“Why is a bird in your dining room?”), but soon we slow down to ponder the vulnerability that an innocent creature would feel outside its natural environment, in a setting so clearly man-made and potentially hostile. The connections between our fragility and theirs are closer than we might imagine; Siltala’s arrangement conveys this unifying idea without preachiness.

It is our minds—more than our eyes, actually—that ascertain the still, meditative aspect of Siltala’s compositions. The artist seeks “to capture the most feeling with the least amount of busy mark making,” and indeed her paintings are, to a degree, studies in empty space charged with a subtle yet powerful tension: we are witnessing that brief moment when a bird—or a butterfly, in one picture—alights in a non-natural setting. We know it will lift off imminently, so we intuitively appreciate—relish even—the preciousness of this instant. Were there no creature at all, the scene would be lovely, yet we might not savor it as thoroughly. Now, in this fleeting moment, every detail matters a bit more.

Viewers may be surprised to learn that Siltala is self-taught, but surely not that she is always teaching herself more about the intricacies of oil painting. Inspired by Old Master traditions, she has even made her own oil paints from pigment and hand-washed linseed oil. With every picture, she sustains the longstanding practice of building thin layers of paint one upon the other; it demands patience because each layer must dry completely before the next can be applied. Pushing further with glazes and scumbles, Siltala achieves a luminosity and a depth that maximizes the play of light and shadow, pleasing our eyes with gem-like colors but not distracting us from the overall sense of unity and stillness.

Getting all of this right is not easy, and it’s a pleasure to watch how Siltala—like a composer of music—explores her variations on a theme, never losing sight of the tranquility she seeks.

Peter Trippi
Editor, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine
July 2022

A Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 15:14:00 +0000

The Swan by Mary Oliver

Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river?
Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air -
An armful of white blossoms,
A perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned
into the bondage of its wings; a snowbank, a bank of lilies,
Biting the air with its black beak?
Did you hear it, fluting and whistling
A shrill dark music - like the rain pelting the trees - like a waterfall
Knifing down the black ledges?
And did you see it, finally, just under the clouds -
A white cross Streaming across the sky, its feet
Like black leaves, its wings Like the stretching light of the river?
And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?
And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?
And have you changed your life?

Saying Goodbye to 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Sat, 26 Jan 2019 20:35:00 +0000

Summer Sweet 11x14 oil/panel

I spent some time over the past month recovering from quite a busy year, 2018 was exciting and downright exhausting at times too. I have often shared on this blog my love of the winter months. I appreciate the time after the holidays to rest and contemplate new beginnings in Spring. Being in sync with nature's cycles helps me gather energy for the coming year, and 2019 promises to be another busy one! While I made plans for upcoming events this Spring and Summer (which I will continue to share on my blog), I also revisited some favorite paintings from my work last year. I thought I'd share them with you.

Water Pitcher and Magpie 16"x20"

Still Life with Bluebird 18"x14"

The Gift 14"x11"

Making Salt Refined Organic Linseed Oil

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Wed, 16 May 2018 15:49:00 +0000

A fresh batch of raw linseed oil made from organic flax seed oil, resting in the light

I recently completed another batch of SRO oil, or salt refined organic linseed oil, for painting. It's such an interesting process and the results are truly worth the effort. I like to make my own linseed oil because I am interested in the materials of the past, used by the old masters before modern oil painting materials were available.

The image above shows the first stage of cleansing the organic flax oil to remove impurities. The flax oil is mixed with water, sand and salt, and given a good shake. The cleansed oil rises to the top and is siphoned off and the entire process is repeated again.

Here is the cloudy oil after the first cleansing. I discard the dirty water, clean the jar, add fresh water, clean sand and salt. I add the oil back in and shake, shake, shake.

The impurities and mucilage (stuff you don't want in your paintings!) have a molecular attraction to the other ingredients and separate from the oil, sinking to the bottom of the jar.

mucilage, yuck

This oil is fully cleansed and will clear as it sits in a sunny window in the light.

I currently depend on my SRO oil for making oil paint. I use half of the raw SRO oil for mulling pigments. I tube the hand made paint in 50 ml tubes that last a long time. I take the other half of SRO oil and pour it in a shallow glass dish and place it in the sun to thicken. After a month I have a beautiful, clear and thick oil that is perfect for mediums.

The completed jar of raw oil, ready to make paint!

At the moment I make about half of the colors on my palette from my own oil and pigment. I have adjusted the ingredients for each pigment to suit my particular needs. I am slowly making my way through each color and experimenting with the pigments to find the best balance of oils, pigment and fillers like calcite or fumed silica, to create a beautiful tube of oil paint perfectly suited for my indirect layering process.

~my favorite white~

~my dependable 'warm light mix' that sits right next to white on my palette~

It will take a long time to get through all my colors to have a full palette of handmade oil paint, but in the meantime I'm really enjoying the process!

Workshop with Teresa Oaxaca & Demo

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Sun, 08 Oct 2017 18:46:00 +0000

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to study the portrait in charcoal with Teresa Oaxaca. I have been spending a lot of energy this year studying figure drawing and when I heard Teresa was coming to Albuquerque I signed up immediately. In my self-study I had been experimenting with different materials and papers and started to feel frustrated with the time limit in my usual figure drawing group. During the workshop we were only using charcoal and Canson mi-teintes papers and spending a full day on one composition. It was such a luxury to have a so much time to concentrate on each portrait. It was a two day workshop, so the class worked on a new portrait each day.

Here is the model Malia on the first day of the workshop. Teresa started the day with the following demo:

my first day portrait

portrait by Shana Levensen

David Jon Kassan's work for the day. It was such a pleasure to meet so many fantastic artists participating in the drawing session on that first day!

Here is Teresa's work on the second day. Teresa was a wonderful instructor and such a lovely person to meet. She spent the majority of the time circulating the room and offering personal guidance and instruction. She spent as much time with you as you wanted and answered every question with the utmost patience and respect no matter what level an artist you were. Even though I've been painting for fifteen years I felt like a newbie, but by the second day something clicked for me and I felt really focused. I was pleased with the work and happy because I felt like my self-instruction and practice over the year had finally come together. Drawing on weekends and finding time in the evenings was worth it and I will continue to hone my skills during these stolen moments between painting and family.

Reflections on Teaching in 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 17:13:00 +0000

student working on the underpainting

This year has been an exciting journey in teaching. It has been such a wonderful experience! As an artist I feel I've grown so much by sharing my classical method of painting with students and the feedback has been amazing. It began last April when I traveled all the way to Virginia to Deb K Art Home Studios and taught an intensive five day workshop to a full class. At the same time I also became a member of the faculty at the New Mexico Art League and started teaching Classical Still Life. It has been a joy to work with students and introduce many to a way of painting that is completely new to them. The classical indirect method of painting is growing in popularity and I'm glad to be part of a new generation of painters interested in techniques of the past. Many are amazed at the paint quality that results from layering paint and glazes in oil and continue to study this method by signing up for more classes.

finished and signed!

Here are a few examples of students' work:

My next class at the New Mexico Art League begins January 9th, Mondays from 9-12 for eight weeks. click below for information (space is limited!):

3409 Juan Tabo NE, Albuquerque

P.O. Box 16554, Albuquerque NM 87191 505-293-5034

I have developed a curriculum that begins with drawing and composition. I teach how to use a basic armature and thumbnails to begin playing with design ideas. I want students to think of objects as simple shapes, the simpler the better. We study classical still life with the armature as examples. We also study the importance of value by changing classical paintings to black/white:

Emil Carlsen 1853-1932

Chardin 1699-1779

Next we move on to monochromatic underpaintings that concentrate on compressed values, we don't want the shadows too dark:

Once the underpainting dries we begin to study the local color and make individual plans for future glazes and scumbles based on the subject matter.

I introduce a glazing chart, illustrating how brilliant color can be created with a limited palette and knowledge of transparent vs opaque oil paint.

Dennis Crayon's completed artwork

By the end of the class it is my goal to have students experiment with new ways of approaching oil painting. Each day in class a new concept is introduced and practiced, from drawing and composition, value and color, to final details and color harmony. I share different ways of applying and handling oil paint. It's been quite a year, and I'm so thankful to have these opportunities. Meeting other artists and talking about art has added a new dimension to my personal art life and I love it a lot! I want to thank my students for allowing me to share their work here and hopefully inspire other artists to try new ways of painting. Here are what a few of my students students are saying:

"I have learned more in this class than at the university."

"Great, the best art class I've had. Would love to have and even longer study/class time to share with Sarah. Her knowledge of materials and techniques and help with problem solving is truly helpful and valuable."

"Excellent-I learned a lot about composition, underpainting and glazing, as well as problem solving that will help me in whatever style I paint in."

"Excellent, well organized with a generous instructor."

"Thank you again for a fabulous 5 days. Sarah is an excellent teacher. Her calm supportive demeanor allowed for a stress free experience. I just want to keep painting in this style."

Mulling Smalt PIgment and Crystal Glass Medium

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 18:02:00 +0000

Blue Morpho 10"x8" oil/panel by Sarah Siltala

I was reminded recently of a couple failed attempts in the studio, one: to make a medium with powdered crystal glass and two: make Smalt into paint. In my previous experiments I had used linseed oil alone without any other additions to the mixtures. This was a mistake, both Smalt and crystal glass are heavy particles that do not mix easily with oil. They need an additional stabilizer to create a smooth consistency that will not separate. I thought about my experience with both and suddenly a light bulb went off, I immediately pulled out my unusable tube of glass medium and ordered another batch of powered smalt pigment.

While I waited for the smalt to arrive in the mail I went to work on my tube of hardened glass medium. It had separated in the tube and I had to cut it open to scrape out the hardened mass of glass and re-mull it. Below you can see the hardened chunk of medium and the oily residue. It needed some sort of stabilizer but I did not want to use wax, and I did not want to use alumina stearate-a paint stabilizer and cheap filler found in modern manufactured paints.

I re-mulled the leftover glass chunk with my handmade linseed oil, below you can see the result, a nice smooth mixture.

I divided the linseed/glass mix into two jars afterward. To one of the jars I added fumed silica. I've experimented with making my own medium with fumed silica before and thought if I added this as a stabilizer maybe my mixture would not separate like it did before. Below on the left is the glass/linseed oil mix and on the right I am adding powdered fumed silica. I have a post about my previous mixture with linseed oil and fumed silica HERE. When fumed silica is mixed with linseed oil to make a medium it creates a lovely clear gel and is fantastic to add to oil paint. It thickens up quite a bit and I'm hoping to have the same effect with my crystal glass mixture.

I also fill a third jar with linseed oil and fumed silica, to prepare for my later experiment...

Here are my three mixes:

And, 24 hours later: The linseed/glass mix is already settling and the oil rising to the top, the mixture with linseed and fumed silica is consistent and has not separated. The fumed silica addition created a stable mixture. I go ahead and tube it and label it.

You have probably guessed by now that I intend to mix Smalt pigment with linseed and fumed silica. Smalt is incredibly difficult pigment to make into usable oil paint. I've read that adding wax can help as a stabilizer, but when I asked the director of Natural Pigments about using the pigment in oil he recommended mulling and using it the same day. In my first attempt to make paint with just oil and powdered pigment I found it to by totally unpredictable and when I let it sit for 24 hours to 'sweat' it had solidified completely and had to be re-mulled. It never really became a stable consistency I could use for paint.

Smalt is a historical pigment and a beautiful, delicate shade of blue. Very unusual. It's incredibly transparent and has been known to fade or turn green over time. Luckily potassium has been found to combat the discoloration and fading and Natural Pigments brand of Smalt contains plenty of potassium so no worries there. Mixing with lead white will also help against future fading, but Smalt has such a low tinting strength I prefer to use it as a glaze.

I add the smallest amount of oil I can to create a thick chalky paste, this will thin out to an ink like consistency immediately. I don't have to work hard at all to mull it and it's best not to over-mull this pigment anyway.

I'm surprised at how thin the oil becomes, but now I add my previously prepared mixture of oil and fumed silica which has become a thick gel. After a quick mix together with the ink like Smalt I have an actual paint like consistency!

The paint has become buttery and smooth:

Here are my tubed up experiments, both with the addition of fumed silica as a stabilizer:

Below you can see them again, almost two weeks later. I wanted to wait before posting to make sure the tubes wouldn't seize up and pigment and oil separate again over time. So far both the Smalt and the crystal glass medium have remained consistent in the tube and I'm really enjoying using them in my current painting. So far so good!

Book of the Bird, Birds in Art

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 01:10:00 +0000

I'm happy to announce that I have several images in the new book:

BOOK OF THE BIRD

The Book of the Bird celebrates the bird in art with an elegant, international collection of paintings, illustrations, and photographs, featuring all kinds of birds from the smallest tits and wrens to colourful exotics.

Interspersed though the illustrations are short texts giving background to the pictures and information on bird species. This is the perfect gift for all bird lovers.

Click on the link above to order your copy!

National Gallery of Art

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 01:01:00 +0000

I wanted to share a few of the pics I took when I got to visit the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. I was overwhelmed at the vast halls filled with art, from every great artist that I ever wanted to see. I didn't have time to visit every room, the day went by in a blur. I am really sad that I missed a few rooms with my favorite artists, but I'm looking forward to planning another trip in the near future. One day is just not enough when there's so much to see!

glazing study

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 23:16:00 +0000

I created the example above to illustrate the effect of layering color in indirect painting. I began with horizontal strips of opaque paint, colors mixed with white to demonstrate the first color phase of the painting process. This comes after the underpainting and consists of lighter colors and values than the final painting will contain and allows for later glazes. After I let the horizontal color dry I began vertical strips of transparent color on top. I let each layer dry before adding another transparent color. As you can see there are three layers of transparent paint resulting in the darkest colors. In between there are a myriad of other subtle colors varying in chroma, value and temperature. It is possible to create the richest of colors when layering paint, and a luminous paint quality that is hard to capture in a photo. The reds really glow, and the blues are deep, while the greens have sparkle and feel lively.

The horizontal strips are labelled and I used the following transparent colors on top vertically in different sequences: Ultramarine blue, viridian, alizarin crimson permanent, indian yellow and burnt umber.

Fumed Silica in Linseed Oil Painting Medium

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 22:56:00 +0000

Still Life with Red Faced Warbler 9"x12" oil/panel

It's been a very interesting start to 2016, and I find myself rarely having a moment to sit or have a peaceful moment. Life is always upside down in the Siltala household, but always moving onward and upward! 2016 is looking like a very interesting year, big changes in store. Much needed fresh starts, letting go and leaving behind distractions and clutter--both mentally and physically. Pursuing less is more in a very active way, and getting back to what's real. More news in future months.

As for what's on the easel, lately I've been playing around with a new medium: fumed silica and my own hand refined sun thickened linseed oil. You can see the process for creating your own linseed oil HERE, it is unlike any oil you can buy at the art store.

When fumed silica is combined with oil it forms a gel. Fumed Silica is used in modern industry as a thickening agent in paint, as an abrasive in toothpaste, in make-up for it's light-diffusing properties--and is found many other things around the house. Fumed Silica is extremely light, powdery and becomes airborn very easily. It's VERY important to wear a mask when working with it.

As I mix the oil into the silica it is very thick, but within a very short amount of time the gel begins to literally 'melt' into a clear puddle. I add more silica until I have the consistency I'm looking for. It will gel up again after it sits in my jar due to it's thixotropic tendencies. It is quite easy to mix with a palette knife and adjust the consistency w/out too much work.

Above you can see the pool of medium with fumed silica added after it sits and puddles. I add more silica to this and wait, until I have the right thickness. It makes a great glazing medium, I especially like to mix a little liquin into the fumed silica medium and add a resinous quality too it. It's my new favorite glazing medium.

Book of the Bird, Birds in Art

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 19:56:00 +0000

Perch on a golden Apple 10"x10"

I'm excited to share that my artwork will be included in new book called The Book of the Bird, Birds in Art, by Angus Hyland and Kendra Wilson. Soon to be published in London by Laurence King, it looks to be a fabulous book featuring my favorite subject, birds of course! The painting above, is one of the images chosen to be included in the book. The book will be available in May later this year.

click on image below for a preview!

WORKSHOP

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 20:19:00 +0000

Classical Glazing in Oil and a

Contemporary Approach to Still Life

Sarah Siltala

April 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, 2016

~Sign up now, space is limited~

I have been invited to teach in Virginia this April and I hope you can join me! I'm really looking forward to it. It will be hosted by Debra Keirce Studios.

$485 Tuition

Location: Ashburn, Virginia

Synopsis:

Five day intensive indirect painting workshop, curriculum targeted to improve your realist painting skills and gain confidence.

First day- discussion on technique and materials. composition and drawing.

Second day- imprimatura underpainting.

Third day- local color.

Fourth day- glazing, scumbling and velaturas. Discussion on appropriate layering technique for realistic effects.

Fifth day- additional layering, complete final details.

Indirect painting makes it possible to create realistic paintings by separating all the different elements into manageable steps. Drawing and composition make up the first step, capturing correct value in the underpainting is next, and layering color is the final step, where all the detailed work that came before is used as the framework for the final painting. Learning about color, and the properties of different oil paints, whether transparent or opaque, also aids the artist in achieving realistic affects and a depth that cannot be attained in direct painting. In my workshop and teaching I share the modern materials and 21st century approach I use to create paintings using the time tested indirect method that has been in practice for centuries and followed by the greatest artists in history.

For information about the workshop please contact:

Debra Keirce

Deb@DebKArt.com

571-236-0047

Winter Greetings

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 20:01:00 +0000

~Happy 2016!!~

I am always excited when one year ends and another begins. I love fresh starts and thinking of resolutions. I came across this little 'recipe' for a new year that I thought I'd share:

"Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite, pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness, in short, see that these months are freed from all the past---have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time. Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing---don't do it), prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution. Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor." ~anonymous

Happy New Year!

Norther Flicker

"Painting Best Practices" Art Materials Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 22:41:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to attend Natural Pigment's "Painting Best Practices" workshop held at Anthony Ryder's studio in Santa Fe, NM. It was an experience I won't soon forget! I am still contemplating all the wonderful information that was shared in the three day class. Everything concerning artist's materials was explained and broken down to it's smallest parts, and by that I mean down to the molecular level. It was fascinating to learn how every part of the art making process has a direct affect on all the other parts. From framing, supports, grounds, oil paint, mediums, varnishes, solvents, etc; every individual part's pros and cons were discussed based on the scientific research being done by George O'Hanlon and art conservationists in major museums. George (founder and president of Natural Pigments) shared his vast experience and research in hopes to lead our blind ways into the light of KNOWLEDGE. Many artists today are working in the dark when it comes to understanding their materials.

I have been on a journey recently in my own art practice, making my own oil paint, mediums, and even creating handmade linseed oil in the tradition of the old masters. What I've learned in the process has been fascinating. Today many artist materials are mass produced with little or no information for professional artists. In the 20th century we've seen the decline of many modern works of art, George O'Hanlon and art conservationists are madly working to educate artists on materials in hopes that future artworks may last through many generations without falling apart.

One of my favorite parts of the workshop was learning about how physical light plays a role in an artwork and the optics of paint films. Light rays are either reflected, or upon entering the paint film are refracted, bent and scattered, then reflected or absorbed through the substrate--or a combination of all three. This has an impact on how we view the paint itself, it's relative transparency and how glossy/matte the finish is. The refractive index of a paint pigment plays a role in how opaque or transparent it is. Low refractive pigments, such as Ultramarine blue and lead white, are more transparent. Titanium white has a high refractive index, light entering the titanium paint film bounces around more, is scattered, and the result is a paint that looks opaque. Pigment particle size plays a large role in the paint film and how light plays upon the surface as well.

Transparent and translucent passages in painting are what give the old masters works such a variety of textures and created a beautiful quality of paint. It also made it possible for them to optically extend the range of values in their painting. A transparent shadow is much, much darker than the same color painted opaquely. They were aware of the optics of paint films and were able to push the boundaries and limits of the value scale dramatically by incorporating low refractive paints in their oil paintings as well as bulking up their opaque passages.

Another way of creating transparent and translucent passages in a painting is by adding extenders that have a low refractive index, such as chalk or barite. Also, choosing pigments with a larger particle size will increase transparency, as the physical light has less to bounce off of in the paint film. The extremely fine particle size in modern tubed oil paints creates a more opaque quality and they are also extremely concentrated. This is the opposite of the paint used before modern manufacturing made tubed paints possible. Some paints of the past contained larger particles and were also mixed with extenders like calcite and different oils for different effects. The painters of the past were much more knowledgeable about materials and were able to bend them to achieve amazing effects and also last hundreds of years.

Here is a great article about impasto technique of Rembrandt and his choice of paint, oils and extenders: Rembrandt

Listen to an interview with George O'Hanlon and learn his ten best painting practice tips HERE

Titanium vs Lead White

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 14:29:00 +0000

I spent some time recently experimenting with handmade white oil paint. I thought I'd share a little comparison I made after mixing Chromium Oxide Green into three different whites, my handmade white, lead white, and titanium white. Chromium Oxide Green is so easy to bend warm or cool so I thought it would be great to show just how warm lead is compared to the opaque cool of titanium.

Lead white is very warm and somewhat translucent, it also dries very quickly. Titanium white is ten times more opaque than lead, is cooling to color and slower to dry. Titanium results in a chalky quality in painting that is not always desirable, compared to lead white.

I've learned that combining calcite with lead white creates Ceruse or "lootwit" and was used by Rembrandt and Velazquez for translucent passages. i also purchased some barite, after learning it is even more transparent than calcite and was used by the Old Masters with lead white as well, it was called Venice Ceruse, or Venetian white.

I decided I wanted to see what would happen if I tried to recreate the transparent quality of lead by mixing barite with titanium, resulting in a non toxic white that isn't cool and chalky.

The barite, titanium and my handmade SRO linseed oil created another ropey long paint. To bulk it up I ended up adding a little bit of calcite as well, maybe 10% calcite. The mixture was lovely! So, would it be somewhat similar to lead? I know my mixture will dry faster than commercially tubed titanium because of my handmade linseed oil. Next was to mix with green and compare. I was very pleased to see that my handmade white, while still not as warm as the lead, was still closer in color/value. I took several pics in different lighting to share.

one brown egg

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 16:33:00 +0000

One Brown Egg 6"x6"

Hand Refined Linseed Oil from Flax oil

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 16:08:00 +0000

American Goldfinch 11"x14"

I just completed my first successful batch of hand refined linseed oil out of organic, cold-pressed Flaxseed oil. It is beautiful and I'm over the moon excited to make some paint and test it out to learn it's unique properties.

I also have half of my new oil thickening in the sun, I plan to use that bodied oil for my hand made calcite putty medium. I've learned that combining calcite with lead white creates Ceruse or 'lootwit' and was used by Rembrandt and Velazquez for translucent passages. I also purchased some barite, after learning it is even more transparent than calcite and was used by the Old Masters with lead white as well, it was called Venice Ceruse, or Venetian white.

here is the good quality oil I purchased to cleanse and make into linseed oil:

I've combined the oil with water, salt and sand. A chemical reaction takes place and the mucilage and impurities are separated from the flax oil, they settle into the sand on the bottom, the cleansed oil floats above the salt water layer: ingenious!

After several mixes and changes in water/sand/salt I have the resulting oil, a bit cloudy from water particles still in the oil but cleansed of the mucilage, fatty acids (Omega 3s) and impurities that slow drying and yellow over time:

After setting in a glass tray in the sun for a few days to clear, we have the finished oil! My own batch of hand refined SRO (salt refined organic) linseed oil will now have its own unique personality compared to the commercial hot pressed, alkali-refined linseed oils. Commercial linseed is stripped of all the properties that create unique painterly effects. This is due to the fact that they are refined in the same manner as vegetable oils are refined for consumption. The qualities that are desirable in oil painting are stripped from the oil in the commercial process to create a long shelf life. Hand refined SRO oil keeps all the good stuff and eliminates the impurites and mucilage, resulting in an oil that the older painters prized in their hand made materials.

My oil will create long, adhesive paint as opposed to 'short and bouncy', it will not yellow and will dry much more quickly now and to a strong, hard film. These are exactly the characteristics I'm looking for in my painting practice. If I were to heat this fresh oil to 100C on my stove for an hour, the resulting oil would create paint that is short, bouncy and dense. My other half (that is thickening in the sun at the moment) will also have unique tendencies and rheology in my paints and mediums. I love learning all the different painting qualities I can create, and am in complete control over, by processing my own materials.

ta da!

Grinding Paint

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 23:07:00 +0000

Recently I've become very interested in making some of my own paints and trying out different materials. Earlier this year I began by experimenting with Rublev's Velasquez medium, calcite in linseed oil, and adding it to dry pigment and making my own oil paint. see Here

I also add the medium, which is a painting putty, to my purchased tubed paint to create a more luminous paint quality, calcite adds a nice translucency to opaque paint. I was attracted to using an extender like Calcite after reading about it being a 'colorless' pigment and how it was used by the Old Masters before commercial paints and mediums were processed the way we find them today. I really like working with just pigment in oil with a little added extender and that's it, it is nothing like working with commercial paints. Calcite also creates a thixotropic affect and the paint is just luscious.

Commercial paints contain:

1. pigment

2. brightener

3. filler

4. vehicle (oil)

5. thickener/pigment dispenser

6. driers

That's a lot of stuff!

I've also started researching oils, and how they are processed before becoming the bottled oils available for artists at the local art store. Linseed oil is heavily processed and loses much of the properties that made it attractive to painters prior to the 20th century. That is when commercial processing changed the oil into the yellowing, slow drying medium that it is today. Refining oils reduces the impurities and fatty acids, but overly processed oil loses all the behaviors that contributed to the painterly effects of the masters. By hand processing the oil, using methods of the past to wash the oils of impurities, you create a product that is non yellowing and faster drying, and also dries to a harder paint film. There are methods for taking organic, cold pressed flax oil and hand washing it yourself, but I chose to buy this Linseed oil from The Art Treehouse, it begins as a cold pressed, unrefined Flax oil and is water washed using traditional methods.

In the photo above you can see the start of my own putty medium using the water washed linseed oil and calcite. It is amazing! It is gelatinous, viscous, and smooths out completely after being agitated. Watch my video to see the thixotropic behavior as it settles out after being mixed, it's completely solid when you let it sit for a bit, yet will pool and ribbon when stirred. This also affects the paints rheology, which is the way a liquid flows.

putty medium

Grinding pigment

a full day's work

I really loved the quality of my last batch of homemade oil paints, I'm excited to try out this new batch with the water washed oil and also using my own putty medium.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying this reading, this little book contains writings by well known artists and reflections on painting from Fra Angelico, Da Vinci, Velasquez, to van Gogh, Robert Henri, Andrew Wyeth and beyond... it is a great look into painting through the artist's eyes throughout history, very insightful.

My studio, Happy painting!

Memento

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 22:03:00 +0000

"Memento" 12x16 o/p

Grinding pigment and handmade oil paint

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 23:29:00 +0000

"Perch on a Golden Pear" 14"14" oil/panel

It's been quite a while since I last checked in, I'm sorry to neglect my blog. Usually when things get quiet over here I am actually working harder than ever and need time to organize my thoughts before sharing my latest efforts in painting. It's been a very busy time and all the while I've been researching new materials and testing different methods in oil painting. I have also been working on many new paintings, I will share more and have news about my future solo show very soon!

As for trying new art materials, I recently decided to make my own oil paint. In my never ending quest to learn about oil painting, I began to learn more about mediums, oils, fillers and extenders and how each work in conjunction with one another to produce certain qualities in oil paint that would not be present otherwise. There are so many combinations for so many different techniques, it can get a little overwhelming to figure it all out. I kept running across information about adding calcite as an extender to oil paint, it creates a beautiful thixotropic paint that is long and levels out nicely after the brushstroke. It is also like a colorless pigment in that you can add it to your oil paint w/out harming the ratio of pigment to oil.

I already had a plethora of dry pigments in my studio, from working with egg tempera. I decided to grind my pigment with linseed and Velazquez medium from Natural Pigments. The medium is calcite finely ground in a bodied linseed oil and it can be mixed directly with paint from the tube or used when grinding your own pigment as an extender.

my warm light mixture

Grinding the pigments took a couple days to do, each tube took a while to mix to a creamy smooth consistency. It was completely worth the time and effort! The paint is unlike any tube paint I've ever used before, thick but luscious and smooths out to a lovely finish under a soft brush. This is exactly what I was hoping for in my painting. Plus I can thin the paint with medium to use in glazing. The calcite adds a bit of texture and transparency to the paint, which I also really like. The added transparency is an added bonus in my layering technique for luminous color. It's been fun getting to know the properties of the oil paint and applying it in my painting.

Demo in Indirect Painting II

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 19:26:00 +0000

I recently took part in a group paint-out where over one hundred artists painted live and gave demonstrations on painting in every style, media and subject matter you can imagine. Because I am an indirect painter I have to plan ahead for demonstrations and prepare several different panels showing the different stages of layering in oil.

For a more detailed demonstration in glazing see HERE

I began my demo on a panel with my drawing already transferred and ready to be painted. I started by preparing a glaze of yellow ochre over the entire panel and drawing. Next I painted into the lights with opaque white, and added darks and shadows with burnt umber, keeping the shadows thin and transparent.

My second panel for the demonstration had the completed underpainting (above) dry and ready for the next layer of paint. I began again by glazing the panel in transparent color and painting my opaque color into the glaze on the subject matter. Now that I have switched to the first color glaze I still keep my lights opaque and shadows thin and transparent. My values are close together so I can build up more light and shadow after this layer dries with more transparent glazes and opaque scumbles.

After several more passes of transparent glazes and opaque scumbles the painting is complete.

"Oriole and Pear" 11x14

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks Nat'l Monument, NM

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 23:12:00 +0000

This summer the family returned to Tent Rocks National Monument for a picnic. I thought I'd share some more photos I took while hiking there. You can see other pics of the fantastic rock formations and read about the area in my post from June 2013 here:

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks Nat'l Monument, NM

Southwest Art Feature, plus Win This Painting!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Sat, 17 May 2014 18:04:00 +0000

"Summer Song" 14"x14" oil/board

The painting "Summer Song" is featured in Southwest Art Magazine next month along with an article about my work. The article is located in the Emerging Artist section and is titled "Beauty and Balance". It's very exciting to be included in such a great art publication and have my work recognized. Here's a link to the article or click:

You can also win the butterfly painting below. I used Reblev's Venetian medium which contains ground crystal glass. It creates a beautiful texture and brilliant luminosity. This painting seem to glow from within. You have to enter before June 15th, the day the winner will be drawn. Click the painting to enter now!

~Win this painting~

Still Life show and Passport to the Arts

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Fri, 09 May 2014 14:05:00 +0000

"Ruby Crowned Kinglet and Cherries" 10"x10" oil/panel

Tonight is the opening for a group still life show I am participating in at Sage Creek Gallery in Santa Fe. I, along with other gallery artists, have several new works available including my "Duet" and "Nest". I particularly love Kevin Gorges still lifes for the show. Check out the link to see all the works available:

Sage Creek Gallery

Still life Show

Opening May 9th

The opening coincides with Passport to the Arts, the weekend event that takes place on Canyon Road every year in May. Happenings include special openings and exhibitions, art auctions, demonstrations and live music. More than 100 artists participate in the events, many of them produce work in the Quick Draw which is later offered in a live auction on the Santa Fe plaza. Various tents are set up where patrons can visit and watch artists create works of art, it's so exciting! The list of artists creating work live is amazing, click on the link to see a full list and get more info on this great weekend of art in Santa Fe:

Passport to the Arts

"Nest" 10"x10"