Willows-and-Aspen

Plein air oil on panel tinted with red-orange gesso. Done from my car as it was too cold and windy to brave the elements. 9x12"

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Comment by Sharon Lynn Williams on February 12, 2012 at 10:19: I used to pre-prime my gessoed boards with a red-orange acrylic that I made from napthol red light and quinacridone gold. Then I realized that the oil was not adhering as well as I would like -as a matter of fact I could scratch at the dry oil and some would flake off! Not good :( So then I went on a hunt for a better ground. Tried Marc Hanson's recipe of acrylic gesso, light moulding paste and pumice, but found that too absorbant for my tastes. I tried tinting my own acrylic gesso, but that was very time consuming and took an entire tube of acrylic red paint! Then at a Robert Burridge workshop I was introduced to Holbeins' coloured gesso. PERFECT!! I use 2 parts orange gesso and 1 part carmine gesso to get the colour I like (orange was too light, carmine too dark when used on their own IMHO). I buy raw hardboard in 4x8' sheets, rip it with the table saw (hubby does this for me ). Then seal tops and sides with 2 coats of GAC100, then one layer of the coloured gesso and I am off to the races. Make up a whole 4x8' sheet into panels, spend 2 days priming them, and then I have enough for the season. I usually do this 2-3 times a year. Hope this helps!

Comment by Jim Townsend on February 12, 2012 at 4:13: Great use of contrasting planes, using changes in value as well as chroma to create interest. I've never heard of tinted gesso. do you tint it yourself? I generally tint my canvas with a wash before my underpainting.

Comment by Sharon Lynn Williams on February 11, 2012 at 14:10: The red is the gesso tinting of the panel. I let it peek out a bit in my work -kind of my painting 'signature'. Glad you like it!