Bogland Birches
This was a different painting for me. Dictated by a completely different painting surface. Materials and medium can help or hinder the intention. The painters medium is like a musician’s instrument. Being proficient with the instrument gives you the freedom to create. Taking advantage of the qualities of a particular instrument is what I felt I was doing when I adjusted the painting method for this particular surface. A very rough canvas has to be worked differently. No sweeping saturated brushstrokes, more like massaging the paint into the texture.
Large brushes, from start to finish, was the first adjustment. A lot of medium (Liquin) and suggested detail were other changes from working with a fine weave surface. Another change from my usual method was the mid-grey primer used. Transparent washes of colour with the white shining through was not going to happen with this primer.
The starting colours were Alizaron Crimson and Prussian Blue painted directly onto the canvas without the usual sketch. The tree trunks were painted before the background sky, not at all my usual approach. But this is OK as there would be no distracting white halo, only the mid-grey tinted with the crimson and blue. Viridian Green, a colour I hate, was also used. Overall though, an enjoyable experience. I will see if I have any more of this canvas for, maybe, a still life. All texture and suggestion. I’m getting excited at the thought. If I haven’t any left, I will dig out the raw roll and prepare another batch, rabbit skin glue and all that – a possible post in the future.
This little painting took less than an hour, which is great, no time to fester.
PictureS 
Beautiful. Love to watch you paint.
Thanks Alissa.
re. My making art blog. Thanks. I see U know how to paint, how to see. Keep on doing it!
wow, I recently painted on an ‘unprepared’ canvas (I usually prime it with what we call IMPRIMATURA -have no idea what the translation is- but it’s a milky combination resulting of two different powders, linseed oil, a type of natural glue, etc) and yes it was a very unexpected experience and the outcome, well nothing like what I had been doing! I liked having the option of just letting myself go with inspiration and not worrying about not having a primed canvas at hand…definitely a more rustic, rough surface…down side IT DID TAKE MUCH MORE PAINT to get the effect I was used to getting on a primed (almost pore-less) surface….but I liked it, you can see the painting on my blog, it’s titled MOMENTS OF CLARITY
I find it helpful to know what to expect with regard to materials. A different painting surface, and therefore different absorption behaviour, would cause me to veer off course in trying to accommodate the difference. In other words, get so familiar with your equipment, you don’t even think about it, so all concentration is on the painting.