Beth this truly is magical! It’s as if when you’re at the optometrist, as you’re getting fitted for new lenses, and they say, “clearer here or here”. I love what varnish does to your beautiful paintings, it offers clarity and depth and a vividness that is so delightful! Like putting on a pair of new glasses! What a joy it is to see and celebrate your work!
Awww, thank you, Gerry! I love your optometrist comparison. It's very fitting! This is the final touch before they are ready for reproduction and sale. As I say in my posts, the oil painting process is slow due to longer drying times. But art is a labor of love, so I'll keep on keeping on. Thank you, as always, for your support.
Wow -- it does create magic. The colors get brighter and the brush strokes seem more vivid. I especially like the Owl and and the Boats in Portugal. Do all of your paintings get a varnish when you feel they are complete? Are there some that don't? Is this a function of using oil based paints, or acrylics? And, is the varnish applied with a back and forth stroke from top to bottom, or is there a special method (special brushes)? It's very fun reading about your artistic process, both the esoteric and the practical. Thanks for showing the side by sides. I found this very interesting. Big hugs.
Hi Stephanie, thank you for your thoughtful comment. You are right: even the brush strokes show more with varnish. And thanks for asking these questions; I will answer them to the best of my knowledge.
Yes, when I am finished with a painting, for me, varnish is always the last step. I've heard of artists using varnish and then repainting surfaces and revarnishing, but I personally like to varnish as a last, final step. I varnish all of my paintings. Varnishing does two things: 1) protects the painting from splashes and stains and adds longevity to a painting and 2) improves the look of the painting. I'm not as familiar with acrylics, so I'm not sure about this medium. I can't imagine, however, not applying some sort of protectant to a painting.
Some artists use a brush to apply the varnish (and I'm sure their strokes are as individual as their art). However, I use a spray because I'm afraid of brushing the varnish on unevenly and possibly leaving brush marks.
I must wear a highly effective mask, and I do all the spraying in my three season (outdoor) room, as the fumes don't get into the house. I spray each painting completely and leave it sit for a half hour, then spray again, leave it for a half hour, then do a third and final spray. I do vary the spraying pattern. For example, I might spray back and forth horizontally first, then on the second pass, spray from top to bottom, then the third pass, back to back and forth. I then leave the sprayed paintings there to dry for a few days.
I really appreciate your interest in my artistic process. I am partial to the owl and the boats in Portugal paintings, too.
Spaying the varnish — I never would have guessed that. And now I know that you work in oils. Thank you for answering my questions. I like learning new things.
As a writer, my way of varnishing is that before my manuscript goes out to an agent or editor, I do a table read. Two or three of my friends join me on Zoom and we each read a chapter. At the end of the chapter, everyone gives notes. It’s amazing the things you “hear” that you don’t “see” when you read aloud. We do this for the entire manuscript and then I make a last set of changes according to the notes. It’s a little bit of varnish, to make the colors of the story, pop! Big hugs.
Yes, all my paintings are in oils, as you guessed. I appreciate your curiosity. :)
Your varnishing process of final revision sounds fascinating. I love that you do a table read with your writer friends. Sometimes we are so close to a piece of writing, we don't notice what readers pick up on.
You are such a marvelous writer. Thank you for sharing part of your writing/revision process.
I can see a big difference with the varnish, even on my old iPad screen. I love all three paintings, and I’m glad I watched the evolution of the last two. Of all three, I love the owl the best! That owl is awesome. You should get a good quality digital photo of that one. You never know if you might want to make reproductions of it in the future. Great work, Beth!
Hi Alene, thank you for your support and kind words. I'm fond of the owl, too. I have been working on cropping photos for sales of reproductions and possibly the original artworks of all my paintings. The sales aspect makes me a bit nervous, but I will go there in the near future.
Thanks, Nancy, for your kind comment. Yes, the varnish enhances the paintings for sure. Definitely something I look forward to when I complete a painting.
Beth this truly is magical! It’s as if when you’re at the optometrist, as you’re getting fitted for new lenses, and they say, “clearer here or here”. I love what varnish does to your beautiful paintings, it offers clarity and depth and a vividness that is so delightful! Like putting on a pair of new glasses! What a joy it is to see and celebrate your work!
Awww, thank you, Gerry! I love your optometrist comparison. It's very fitting! This is the final touch before they are ready for reproduction and sale. As I say in my posts, the oil painting process is slow due to longer drying times. But art is a labor of love, so I'll keep on keeping on. Thank you, as always, for your support.
Wow -- it does create magic. The colors get brighter and the brush strokes seem more vivid. I especially like the Owl and and the Boats in Portugal. Do all of your paintings get a varnish when you feel they are complete? Are there some that don't? Is this a function of using oil based paints, or acrylics? And, is the varnish applied with a back and forth stroke from top to bottom, or is there a special method (special brushes)? It's very fun reading about your artistic process, both the esoteric and the practical. Thanks for showing the side by sides. I found this very interesting. Big hugs.
Hi Stephanie, thank you for your thoughtful comment. You are right: even the brush strokes show more with varnish. And thanks for asking these questions; I will answer them to the best of my knowledge.
Yes, when I am finished with a painting, for me, varnish is always the last step. I've heard of artists using varnish and then repainting surfaces and revarnishing, but I personally like to varnish as a last, final step. I varnish all of my paintings. Varnishing does two things: 1) protects the painting from splashes and stains and adds longevity to a painting and 2) improves the look of the painting. I'm not as familiar with acrylics, so I'm not sure about this medium. I can't imagine, however, not applying some sort of protectant to a painting.
Some artists use a brush to apply the varnish (and I'm sure their strokes are as individual as their art). However, I use a spray because I'm afraid of brushing the varnish on unevenly and possibly leaving brush marks.
I must wear a highly effective mask, and I do all the spraying in my three season (outdoor) room, as the fumes don't get into the house. I spray each painting completely and leave it sit for a half hour, then spray again, leave it for a half hour, then do a third and final spray. I do vary the spraying pattern. For example, I might spray back and forth horizontally first, then on the second pass, spray from top to bottom, then the third pass, back to back and forth. I then leave the sprayed paintings there to dry for a few days.
I really appreciate your interest in my artistic process. I am partial to the owl and the boats in Portugal paintings, too.
Spaying the varnish — I never would have guessed that. And now I know that you work in oils. Thank you for answering my questions. I like learning new things.
As a writer, my way of varnishing is that before my manuscript goes out to an agent or editor, I do a table read. Two or three of my friends join me on Zoom and we each read a chapter. At the end of the chapter, everyone gives notes. It’s amazing the things you “hear” that you don’t “see” when you read aloud. We do this for the entire manuscript and then I make a last set of changes according to the notes. It’s a little bit of varnish, to make the colors of the story, pop! Big hugs.
Yes, all my paintings are in oils, as you guessed. I appreciate your curiosity. :)
Your varnishing process of final revision sounds fascinating. I love that you do a table read with your writer friends. Sometimes we are so close to a piece of writing, we don't notice what readers pick up on.
You are such a marvelous writer. Thank you for sharing part of your writing/revision process.
The varnish definitely adds a nice touch! Beautiful paintings!!
Thank you for the high compliment, Pam. I so appreciate the perspective of a fellow artist. Thank goodness for varnish!
I can see a big difference with the varnish, even on my old iPad screen. I love all three paintings, and I’m glad I watched the evolution of the last two. Of all three, I love the owl the best! That owl is awesome. You should get a good quality digital photo of that one. You never know if you might want to make reproductions of it in the future. Great work, Beth!
Hi Alene, thank you for your support and kind words. I'm fond of the owl, too. I have been working on cropping photos for sales of reproductions and possibly the original artworks of all my paintings. The sales aspect makes me a bit nervous, but I will go there in the near future.
Don’t be afraid of the sales aspect. You will get there and there’s always CVP.
So beautiful
Thank you, Jane. I appreciate your stopping by and your comment!
You're welcome!
Yes, the colors truly pop when you add varnish. They look great.
Thanks, Nancy, for your kind comment. Yes, the varnish enhances the paintings for sure. Definitely something I look forward to when I complete a painting.