A drive further south 2: Gravatai; scale; priming

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Gravatai

 

Gravatai is a satellite town serving Porto Alegre, and not especially charming. It's untidy  and seems almost  completely over-run by the needs of cars. I sensed that it was quite polluted. There are few buildings of architectural interest, and it would be hard to find anything distinctive about it.

There was a cyclone here which shut down electricty and water in the neighborhood where I was staying for several days.

 

 

 

 

Gravatai, from a roof terrace, oil on card, 28 x 25.7 cm unavailable

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Gravatai, view up a little street, oil on card, 23.5 x 29 cm unavailable

 

 

Gravatai, view up a little street -  detail

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Where I stayed are runs of smallish suburban houses- in Brazil these are rather individualistic. Their excentric shapes make them difficult to paint.

 

Gravatai, a house, oil on card,34.5 x  27.5 cm-  -unavailable

 

 

 

 

Gravatai, a house- detail

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A bit bigger

 

  I think I'm now at the largest size (34 x 27 cm) that is comfortable for a number of reasons- the length of time I like to work in a session (up to two hours) - the issue of carrying wet paintings. 

With the former, I am limited by both my energy and the likelihood that the scene changes. 

With the latter, the issue is that the boards are not stiff enough not to bend a little and touch the sides of whatever they are being carried inside.

 

 

Acrylic priming

 

The texture of the acrylic primed surface was very dry, which makes it hard to manipulate the paint.

So, I will add another oil based priming to move the brush with speed leaving paint on the surface.

These experiments take a few months to be realised because of the time it takes for primers to dray and the time needed for the oil painted surfaces to dry.

 

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A drive further south 1: Torres

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My trip 

I drove south but I didn't stop in Imbituba on the way back up as originally planned. I drove to Gravatai via Torres and stopped on the way back in Ferrugen.

 The trip was a delight. I had the chance to work on a larger format and discover some new places.

Torres

 

 

 

Torres, sea through rocks, oil on card 29.5 x 27.5 cm -  discaded

 

 

 

 

 

Torres, sea through rocks - detail

 

Torres is a small, orderly and beautifully situated town with some wonderful rocks and splendid, if windy, beaches

On the first day the weather was rather wonderful. The second was overcast.

 

 

 Torres, sea and clouds, oil on card, 28 x 26 cm - available

 

 

 

 

 

 

Torres, sea and clouds- detail

 

 

 

 

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A bigger picture, a bigger palette

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Carrier and two supports

 

A bigger palette

B i g g e r !

I'm moving up again. I've primed these two cards with acrylic gesso. They are 34 x 32 cm: I hope to use these on my upcoming trip. Usually I paint my carriers, and perhaps I'll do that when I get back.

 

I've been gradually moving up for a couple of years: a bigger size allows more brush stroke variety and a fuller engagement with colour. it's nice to feel able to move around, to breathe.

 

 There are storage issues with unsold paintings, however, and of course transporting big pictures is much harder.

I'm using a bigger palette too.

 

A common mistake among beginners is to use those traditional wooden kidney shaped palettes: these are elegant but they don't allow much space to spread the paints out and mix colours. Additionally there is the constant problem of one colour polluting the rest. And, they are surprisingly heavy.

 

 Instead, I use these pieces of old cards from grocery boxes which I clip to a larger piece of cardboard. The printed sides  don't absorb too much oil- though I can use the unprinted reverses if I want a less liquid paint. I can unclip a card and put a fresh one down if I need a clean area for mixing fresh colour. I can close the larger cardboard and transport it without making a mess- something that is difficult to do with the wooden palettes.

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Priming

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Priming cards

The cards are cut from mat boards. I prime them with a mixture of  95% linseed oil , 3% turps and 2% oil paint for the first layer, then leave it to dry for a week. I recoat the cards with the same mixture a fortnight later.

 I wait another month then coat it in a layer which is about 90% titanium white and 10% turpentine.

I let it dry for at month before painting on it.

I rarely have problems with either sinkage or cracking, and have been using this formula for about five years.

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Forest and Swamp - first stage

Perhaps you can detect the forms of trees and bushes in this underpainting? And on the right hand side you might be able to discern distant fields between the trees.

I shall leave this to dry for a week, then return to it. The slowness of oils is fustrating and immensely satisfying at the same time, forcing you, as it does, to appreciate more and more- what a contrast to the glib speed of photography! On Monday, weather depending, i shall tackle on of the other two newly begun pictures, illustrated earlier this week.

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Oil primed canves allows the paint to sink and become absorbed- had I used an acryllic primed canvas, the paint would not settle into the canvas, and each layer would more or less eradicate the one previous, so that the resulting picture would lack depth and richness.