Most of us  routinely paint on acrylic gesso as a ground or primer.  If you buy a canvas off the shelf it is almost surely primed with acrylic polymer gesso. I have been thinking about this very fundamental aspect of painting and how it impacts my work.

Recently I was commissioned to paint a very large piece (4' x 9') and I wanted to work with a lot of water in the paint, to create a very loose underpainting.  I knew that if I thinned down the paint to a wash consistency with water, it would not bond well to the canvas. So I decided to prime all three canvases (each was 36" x 48") with a mixture of Golden Absorbent Ground, Gesso and Titan Buff for a warm tone.  

After this ground had dried for a day, I started to paint on it.  And I have to tell you, it was a blast! I flooded the surface with water and dropped intense colors like Cobalt Teal and Phthalo Blue into it and watched them as they dispersed or intermingled.  I could lift the canvas and move the pools of color around.  

Check out my blog to see a short video of this piece "Spring Eclipse".

Golden makes a huge array of gels, mediums and grounds. Micaceous Iron Oxide is iridescent  and toothy.  Fiber Paste is white, opaque and absorbent.  Molding Paste is gray and has a slick surface.  The possibilities are endless. Try one or several and email me your thoughts.

Hmmmm, is there a workshop in my future?  

Artists of all kinds will benefit from the sage marketing advice at ArtBizCoach.com, where Alyson Stanfield offers classes, in-person workshops, and a free weekly newsletter filled with ideas that are easy to implement for your art career. Click on the image above to get her excellent book!