Preparation

 

What you paint on is just as important as (if not more than) what you plan to put on it. I take pride in building my painting surface from the ground up. I build my own stretchers, I stretch my own canvas, and then I prime them just the way I'd like it. It may take a heck of a lot longer, but it looks a thousand times better than those crap stretchers you can buy at Hobby Lobby. Plus, just because it's not the center of attention doesn't mean it's not art. It's the backbone of your piece, it's literally holding everything together. Why not build it the best you can? Set yourself up for success.

It's been a long while since I've built a canvas, and it was nice to get back into the groove. I can't explain to you how good it felt to have paint on my hands (and everywhere else on me) again. It's been too long. And it's so great having a studio space at home. While I was gessoing (priming) my canvas this little lady was hanging out with me, being extra cute:

You can't beat that! Painting at home with my cats. It's a good thing I'm married, because that sounds like a spinster in the making, eh?

So my canvas is built, stretched, primed, and my painting is sketched out. I am ready to roll! Unfortunately I wont be able to work on it until next week. Until then it is sitting in my living room, looking all bright, white, and new, begging to be attacked with color. I can't wait! Let's just hope I remember how to mix colors. Blue and red make green right? ;)