I visited my friend Steve Aufhauser at his San Fernando Valley art supplies store while I was picking up some gesso in preparation for the arrival of the canvas I need to stretch onto the big panels. He’s such a gentleman. He’s helped me to understand painting materials more than anyone I know, having growing up in his parents’ art store to thank for providing him with an encyclopedic knowledge of art-making equipment and media. Thinking back I believe it was Steve who introduced me to Graham paints.It’s about time we went to Malibu for several cocktails.
The canvas is coming from my comrade Cyn McCurry who had it stowed away in her garage for years without using it. It’s perfect for what I need, being large enough to stretch over the panels, medium weight, and plenty long enough. Cyn’s back on the web promoting her work at her new website – great news for collectors looking for a good deal – check out her site and buy one of current small works in the near future. She’s very collection worthy, being one of the leaders of the new movement of romantic narrative painters in the USA. I deeply admire her paintings, having a couple of her pieces in my own collection of other people’s work, and I believe that these will appreciate tremendously in value  over the years.
Meanwhile, not slacking in the studio I’ve been continuing with the en grisaille work on the shirt and body of the virtue Fortitude, correcting some of the most loosely defined features of the face and shirt in particular, then reworking the face.
