"The relationship of planes and curved surfaces, as well as the plane or curvilinear directional inclination of the surfaces, are primary aspects of our perception of mass and volume." - Graham Collier, Form, Space, and Vision
After the initial preparatory work I did for the small panel-painting of the water towers (see March's posting), I followed up with the next step in my standard working method. The above photos show the second layer (the first being a white chalk-gesso ground) --- an under-painting of white egg tempera paint (a mixture of egg yolk and distilled water) and yellow ochre oil paint.
This egg/water solution is a very traditional paint recipe that has been used for many centuries. I'm not breaking new ground here. I make this solution fresh when I am ready to paint and it only lasts a few hours before starting to spoil. But egg yolk makes a very permanent paint film after it cures (evaporation is the first step and happens quickly -- not much more time than it takes to lay down a brush stroke). The medium handles beautifully and enables free expression and subtle effects.
By reinforcing forms repeatedly with very fine brush strokes I can achieve subtle transitions between light and dark to fit these into an atmosphere or, as one art historian has referred to it, an "envelope of air".
