Varnishing Paintings

Why Varnish a Painting

Historically, when most households were heated by wood burning, then coal burning, stoves, it was imperative to varnish the paintings to keep the soot from staining the paintings. Some people think that since we no longer need to burn fires in our homes for heat, that varnishing is not really necessary. Varnish is protective to the painting in many ways.

The first way is a simple physical protectant to the delicate painting. A good coat of varnish will physically protect the painting from dirt, dust,  and abrasion (scratches or gouges). It is easier to wipe dust from a painting which has been varnished, than an unvarnished painting. Dirt or other contaminants can embed into the painting, thereby making removal next to impossible.

The next way a varnish can protect a painting is through ultraviolet filters. Ultraviolet light damages the pigments and sometimes the binder of the paint film. Not all varnishes have this added, but those that do convey some protection from harmful ultraviolet rays to paintings. All pigments used in paints are rated according to their lightfastness. I use pigments rated I or II (which are generally considered lightfast in all to most conditions). Some artists still use alizarin crimson, which even with ultraviolet filters and museum lighting, will fade in about a century or so. 

Varnish also protects the painting from a chemical process of oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical process where the compound combines with oxygen and becomes transformed. Iron turns to rust through oxidation and linseed and walnut oil 'dries' via oxidation. The oxygen causes the linseed oil to form rigid bonds between molecules and slowly hardens over times. Too much oxidation can be bad as well. In time (decades to centuries) oil paintings left exposed to oxygen will continue past stable bonds and the molecular bonds begin to degrade.

Especially when paintings are on rigid surfaces, varnishes may add a stabilizing external framework to the painting. This helps to prevent cracking. On stretched canvas, it may contribute to cracking of the painting as the varnish ages and becomes more brittle and rigid. 

Some pigments are hygroscopic (the ability of a chemical compound to absorb or adsorb water). Depending on the humidity, these pigments can swell and shrink. These micro-changes to the paint film can, in time, cause cracks. If a painting is on a rigid surface, such as a panel, and a good varnish is applied, this may mitigate all or most of these effects. I have eliminated all umbers from my palette and am making the switch from yellow ochre to synthetic iron oxides for this reason. 

Another important reason to varnish, is pure aesthetics. Varnish brings back to life the colors, especially darker, richer colors, to life. It makes the painting look freshly painting again. After a painting dries, er oxidizes, some passages may look dull. Artists call this "sinking in". Some pigments cause this to happen more often than others, such as umbers. Once of the many reasons, I've removed all umbers from my palette. Even thought I'm no longer using umbers, some of my darker patches still look rather lifeless, until I varnish them. Then they come to life and sing again. I love varnishing my paintings as a result!

Best Time to Varnish

According to conservators and the author of Traditional Oil Painting, Virgil Elliott, the best time to varnish is between six and twelve months. This can be a long time to wait to see a painting come back to life. Since oxygen is necessary for the painting to oxidize or cure and varnishes block oxygen from the paint film, then varnishing early will impede the curing of the paint. When a painting is varnished too early, the varnish adheres to the top parts of the paint film. You may not think this is a problem. Varnish will yellow in time (hundred  to two hundred years or so) and will need to removed and replaced with a fresh coat of varnish. Conservators try to remove only the varnish, but sometimes, inadvertently, top layers of paint are also removed. When varnishing, you need to take this into account. By waiting to varnish, you allow the painting to cure and make it less likely that the varnish will adhere to the paint film. This minimizes the chances that part of the painting will be removed with the old varnish.

Best Varnish to Use

As I've been learning to paint, I've also been learning the technical aspects of painting as well. It has been a steep learning curve and as much as I've learned, I still feel very much the student. I will share a bit of what I've learned and how I've applied it to my paintings. One interesting fact that I didn't know, and doesn't seem to be common knowledge, is that varnishes have a relatively short shelf-life. Once the ingredients are mixed together (resin, solvent (generally odorless mineral spirits), and ultraviolet light stabilizer) the varnish is only at it's peak of stability for about a month. Anything after that and the ultraviolet light stabilizers degrade and are no longer as effective. the UV light stabilizer significantly prolongs the life of the varnish, and thus limits the number of times the varnish will need to be removed in the lifetime of the painting. Because of this, I prefer to mix my varnish when needed, and only use the varnish for about a month after mixing.

The second criteria that I use for choosing a varnish is ease of removal even after a hundred or more years. Some resins become harder, more brittle, and more difficult to remove with time. This requires conservators to use stronger solvents to remove the varnish which will be more likely to also remove part of the paint film. I have decided to use the varnish resin Regalrez 1094 because it does not cross-link with aging and is able to removed with a relatively mild solvent (odorless mineral spirits).

The only company who makes a varnish using the synthetic hydrocarbon resin Regalrez 1094 in a kit that you mix when it is needed is Natural Pigments. The kit comes with resin, odorless mineral spirits (OMS) and a UV stabilizer. The instructions are easy to follow.

Varnishing is Included, I Even Make House Calls

Whether you purchase the painting varnished or unvarnished, varnishing is included. I believe varnish adds aesthetic value to the painting as well as protects it for future generations. If you take a painting home before it is varnished, and if you live close enough, I am happy to come to your house and varnish the painting for you. I want you to have the best value for your investment, and varnishing provides that for you. 

My Paintings are Our Legacy

You may have purchased a painting because it went with your dining room set or with your new living room set. You may have seen it as an investment potential for you or your children. You may have also wanted something unique, handmade, and original in your home. Most likely you chose my piece for your home for some combination of these reasons. Now my painting has become your painting, or has it? We now have a shared legacy through this painting. Now we are partners because we both want to see this painting's value be protected from harm.  

References

Natural Pigments article 

If you enjoyed this article, consider signing up for my monthly newsletter. You will receive one or two emails per month with links to articles like this one. You will also receive a free print of one of my paintings. Oh, and you receive updates on upcoming events, behind-the-scenes look into my paintings, and first look at my newest paintings. I almost forgot...You also receive a 10% discount on any of my original paintings. 

Originally posted at coridyson.com on 10/16/18.

Santa Fe, Trombones, and Afternoon Light

If you've been on my list for any length of time, you probably remember the newsletter about PACE18 in Santa Fe. I included quite a few pictures and shared about my experiences. I brought back a few sketches that I had started on site and I've been slowly finishing them at home. The first one, Ghost Ranch Sonata no. 1, has been finished for quite some time now, and already has a new home. I sold this to a subscriber who loves the Ghost Ranch as well as admires Georgia O'Keefe and her tenacity. This painting is a reminder of being at the Ghost Ranch and symbolizes her many memories of Santa Fe over the years to her. 

I started another painting while at Santa Fe. This one was of downtown Santa Fe. It was beautiful that afternoon with the afternoon light lighting up the adobe buildings casting long shadows. I loved the simple, rounded, bold shapes of light and dark of which I captured only vaguely in the sketch on site back in April. I wanted to complete this painting because of the beauty in the simplicity. 

Afternoon Light, Downtown Santa Fe

Afternoon Light and Shadows

You may have noticed a theme in my paintings, light and shadow. I love light and I really love shadows. Shadows are the key to making your lights sing. Well, one of the keys. You have to have solid shadows to support the highlights. To really explain this, let me discuss this in terms of music.

Trombone Shadows

In high school I played the trombone. While I loved the instrument and the deep, rich sounds I could make with it, I often got bored with playing the same notes and same boring background music only for the silly flute to get to play the melody. Rarely did the trombone play the melody. It was mostly other instruments. For a long time I was frustrated by this and felt cheated by this. At some point, it may have been my senior year, I realized that the entire band sounded good. The entirety of the sound made by the marching or concert band sounded best when everyone played their part well. I realized, almost too late, that my trombone sound was vital to the overall richness and depth of sound. The trombone added a deep richness that other instruments could not. The Tuba just provided the bass sound, but lacked the round, richness of the trombone. The French horn came closest, but it's sound, while being round and rich, was often too high or light. The trombone provided the rich bass notes that rounded out the overall basses and overall supported the sound. It provided part of the structure and support for which the flutist could lightly lay their melody. My focus on playing my part to the fullest and richest potential, provided the best background and support for the flutes, clarinets, trumpets and even saxophones to sing with the melody. When I think of painting shadows now, I think of the rich, round, deep tones of the trombone and try to imagine how I could paint the shadows as a trombone might play them. 

The shadows in Santa Fe looked like a symphony of trombones were playing on the walls of the adobe all afternoon. It was beautiful to see the richness of the shadows play against the lights. The afternoon light in Santa Fe was so bright and clear and, well light. Let me try to explain how light can be light. 

Flute-like Lights

Sometimes, light appears to be heavy. Here in Arkansas on hot summer days, as the sun is setting behind tree tops, the light appears to be heavy. It seems to be more weighted than the light gentle touches of early morning light. It's like the day starts out as a flute playing a light airy solo and ends with a trio of tuba, trombone, and french horn. Or the day starts out as light as a feather and ends as heavy as New Orleans in August. [A side note, Netflix search engine voice recognition program recognizes New Orleans pronounced as Nawlins]. 

Santa Fe Light

Santa Fe provided a colorful and feather-light afternoon light. It was exhilarating and challenging to paint this gorgeous, clear luminosity being reflected off the adobe buildings.  I'm not sure if I caught all the subtleties of New Mexico light in the afternoon, perhaps the next time I'm in Santa Fe I will capture its elusive beauty. 

What I did capture in this piece, "Afternoon Light" was memories of a beautiful city full of rich history and culture; beautiful, simple shapes of dark and light; and a simplistic elegant design. I hope you enjoy this piece. It was one of the paintings featured in my recent art show at Recovery Room in November 2018. This piece is still available. Please message contact me for more information about acquiring this or another piece. 

If you enjoyed this article, consider signing up for my monthly newsletter. You will receive one or two emails per month with links to articles like this one. You will also receive a free print of one of my paintings. Oh, and you receive updates on upcoming events, behind-the-scenes look into my paintings, and first look at my newest paintings. I almost forgot...You also receive a 10% discount on any of my original paintings. 

Originally published on www.coridyson.com 2018.

Daffodils, Nature's Simple Beauties

Courier of Spring and Sunshine

Springtime is heralded by the early blooming daffodils, or as they are also called-Jonquils. These are the first flowers to bloom in spring, often before winter has had it's last hoorah. Like today, March 3rd, it is snowing, but I've already painted several daffodils that bloomed earlier in the week. These are hardy flowers able to withstand winds, light nows, frost, and pounding sunshine. Their time is brief, which reminds us that our time on this earth is also brief, but the joy they bring is long lasting, especially when memorialized in oil.

My Favorite Flower

Have I told you this is my favorite flower? I can still remember clumps of these bright yellow flowers popping up all over my grandparents yard growing up. I have loved these simple, beautiful flowers as long as I can remember. I remember picking just one and giving it to my grandmother, whom we called Mimmie. She would put it in a jelly jar with water on her windowsill above her kitchen sink. She would comment on how beautiful the flower was every time I was in the kitchen and she was at the sink, which was quite often. She made me feel like I had given her a dozen roses. 

Beautiful, yet Challenging to Paint

While they have a simple beauty, they remain a challenge to paint. It is difficult to achieve a three-dimensional likeness of them on a two-dimensional surface such as an aluminum composite panel. Despite the challenge, their beauty calls me like a siren's song. I love how my studio is filled with their delicate scent as I paint them. This is the one time of year that my studio doesn't smell overwhelmingly like oxidizing linseed oil! It is something I look forward to every year. Their time with us is fleeting, but it makes them ever more cherished.

One of the challenges, is that one must almost paint them Alla Prima (in one sitting) because they wilt pretty quickly when placed in water and placed in the gaze of a strong light. I've found that they are their best for only about 12-24 hours. 

In painting them for three years now, I have found that Alla Prima does indeed work best for these fleeting beauties. It is more important to capture the feeling of their beauty than their exactness. In taking the time to capture them exactly, the daffodils life and true beauty is sacrificed. It is better to paint looser and letting your feelings guide your strokes. 

Originally posted here. 

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