Artist
Notes
Materials
and Methods
As
a firm believer of doing things right the first time…
The artist’s materials and practice of applications of
such are as important as the slow and fast line of a
strong composition. Is the foundation of the old Masters
like the Dutch and without knowing the materials, the
artist will struggle too get the idea on the canvas and it
will show. There lies the principle reason that we are
able to enjoy the works of the Old Masters work today,
they knew their materials and the applications.
I
will not claim I know the materials and method secrets of
the OM, but there are Artists and persons in Archival
Science today that have dedicated their life to not only
uncover these secrets, but improved on them to the point
that we may have succeeded them.
There
are materials and methods that have been past down through
the ages by masters in oil painting that have been guarded
and then reveled, horded and scandalized to a point that
has created a confusion in most and a almost religious
following in some.
Some
members of this oracular following are Robert Doak, James
Groves, Robert Howard and Tad Spurgeon and similar
practitioners to name a few that are living and have a web
presence without cracking a book. Their dedication and
teachings are unparalleled as far as I am concerned. The
knowledge and application of their craft is apparent,
patrons and artisans alike would do well to have a look.
Get Robert Doak on the phone in New York or Rob Howard in
a forum and you will find out all the things you may be
doing wrong.
Though
I am diligent and meticulous in what I do and how I do it,
I have only applied these “OM” materials and methods
to Sixty paintings in the past two years and have
found these methods of the utmost importance in the
artistic form of oil painting. I have been a professional
artist in one form or another for only 25 years, so I may
not know what I am talking about. I do know that it works
very well for me. I struggle not, except with myself to
get the idea on the canvas and always planning for the
next project.
I
continue to enjoy the idea that my paintings not only have
been enjoyed by others, but most important to me is the
paintings have been done right by utilizing the highest
quality materials and methods that I have collected from
literature and other artists like those I have named.
James
Taylor
Jan. 2007
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