WORKWORKWORK

I've been on a roll lately, spending 10-12 hours at a stretch in the studio. It's wonderful being in "The Zone." I'll exploit it as long as it lasts or until I run out of steam. Or recover my senses.

I recently ordered another batch of birch panels with a 2" box. I'm just about out of the 36x36 inch ones I picked up in December. The new ones will be 42x42, custom for roll stock BFK. I seal the bare wood with four coats of GAC-100, then use matte gel to affix the paper surface. Next, I under-paint with ink and/or watercolor, then two coats of a clear pastel ground for tooth. I end up with a superior and satisfying torture-proof painting substrate--one that really grabs the pigment. Now, if I could just find pastel sticks that never wear down . . . and don't cost money.