Open Studio Nightmare - Literally!
 

I was at a local Community College for an Open Studio session - it was my first time there. There were about 30 people in the room and all of them seemed to know each other. They were talking and laughing together and they all had their works from previous weeks hanging on the walls and on their boards - the work was just wonderful - all of it.

I was sitting there feeling very out of place and in awe of this amazing group of people when a guy came into the room and sat down next to me. We nodded to each other and he said "Aren't you dressed a little lightly for jumping?" I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I began to ask him what he meant when an older man walked into the classroom with two people in tow.

He said "Alright everyone listen up. We're going to be making our jump today from 9,000 feet." He gestured to the two people behind him. "Tod and Leslie are our models today and they will take their poses in class from how they land in the field. Everyone be sure to check your parachutes, let's have a safe jump. I'll see you all back on the ground and we'll draw."

As people began to get up and gather their stuff, the realization of what he just said began to dawn on me. I turned to the guy next to me and asked "You folks always paradrop into Open Studio?"

"Yea, every week." he said

I held up my box and board "What do I do with this stuff?"

"You jump with it" He said "You put it into a bag that straps to your ankle."

"I've never parachuted before." I said dubiously.

As we began filing out of the room he clapped his hand on my shoulder and said "You'll do fine. The hard part is after we reach the ground."

Then I woke up.

Clearly, the current world situation, the upcoming class with Bill Whitaker, and my frustrations at drawing from life are working in my subconcious. :)

After I woke up and thought about the dream, I realized that I was more worried about the Open Studio session than jumping out of an airplane!

Hey, they let you wait until you landed to start drawing, didn't they? When they ask you to draw while free falling, let us know. :)

Cold feet?
 

Michael, if it gets too bad let me know and I'll go in your place. As long as I don't have to jump from a plane. If I had to do that, to draw or paint the world would be less one artist!

Jean

What a hoot! Thanks for sharing that one.

Probable cause
 

Maroger fumes not only cause darkening of paintings but apparently darkening of thoughts as well.

I could not disagree with you more!
 

Marvin,

Maroger has been known scientifically to restore clarity to ones thoughts. After sniffing my own Maroger medium for two days I was able to complete a 10'x10' painting of McArthurs triumphant return to the Phillipines in only 5 days.

Michael is suffering from light and oxygen deprivation from being buried underneath 5' of snow for 2 weeks.

Sincerely,

Marvin:

I challenge you to show me ONE painting done with Maroger's that has darkened or cracked. Have you or anyone here EVER actually seen a painting by Maroger or anyone using one of his mediums - or is this just more magpie repeating of "things I heard somewhere?"

Where is it actually DOCUMENTED by a credible source that using Maroger medium will cause these problems and where does it say what TYPE of Maroger medium was used that would have caused such darkening? Further, where is it documented how MUCH medium was used in the painting, how it was prepared and what environment the painting was stored in after it was painted and were any of those conditions a factor in the darkening or cracking.

Otherwise, it is best to leave my choice of medium out of it.

Michael, I have to ask - did my parachute open and was I holding Michele's hand? :?

Lighten up
 

Ouch! I guess I'll have to add Mediums to Mothers, Religion, Sexual Preferences, Investment Strategies, Political Affiliations and Patriotism when compiling my list of things to not joke about on the forum.

Since you asked, I have seen darkened paintings by John Koch, who used Maroger, but as to the specifics of who, what, where, when and how I can't ask him since he's dead.

Yea, Lighten up...
 

Marvin:

You know I use Marogers in my work. In my opinion, your comment carried an implication that my paintings would overly darken over time.

I thought it was not a very nice thing to post about another artist's works.

If that was not your intended message, then I apologize.

I research my materials extensively. I firmly believe that Maroger medium is good stuff, and that (as with any painting medium) if made properly and used judiciously, it will not adversely effect the painting over time any more than using any other medium would.

I don't know what type or formulation of Maroger John Koch may have used in his works. Certainly the paintings I have seen in person and on the web appear to be in very good condition. However, I will take your word for it and fold that information into my thinking as I move forward in my painting.

On the subject of Maroger's, Virgil Elliot (our sometimes-resident SOG archival materials guru) has a lot to say. He has commented elsewhere on the forum that anything with natural resins (like the mastic in Maroger's) will darken considerably more than paintings completed with linseed, for example.

yeeeeha!
 

I can always count on this cafe to give me the "pick me up at the end of a rough day in the classroom" I so desperately need.

I was under the strict impression that Marvin's comment about Maroger was totally in jest and not one bit sent as fodder for fightin' towards Michael. I also was under the same strict impression that Michael's comment back was a totally hilarious response making puns intended about Marvin's adept ability to back up most every opinion he has about painting, horseback riding and fencing, etc. etc. with facts upon more facts.

Then when I read Michael's latest response, I now think he misread Marvin's funny post entirely.

Well, at least that is my interpretation! Sounds like Beth and Sharon got the same message?

Lots of laughs,

Michele:

Yes, I have heard Virgil talk about that.

However, it is my opinion that far too broad a brush is being applied here. There were certainly many paintings done from about the 1700s on where many different types of resins were used. There is a good deal of speculation and disagreement about if these resins are detectable in the paint layers or not.

Further, IMO, there are simply so many factors that come into play that it is a vast oversimplification to say that "all resins are bad."

For instance: What resin was used in a particular painting that is showing problems? What quality level were the ingredients and what was it mixed with? Was it used in the paint medium itself or just as a varnish layer over the top? Was it prepared properly? How was it used - too much? What happened to the painting after it was painted - did it spend the last 300 years in a temperate room or in a cold humid basement or a drafty castle? What kind of oil was used and what quality was it?

Reynolds appearently used anything and everything in his works in sloshy quantities and he is held up as the poster child of "what not to do." However, outside of Eastlake, where some documentation exists, what he used, in what quantity and how it was prepared and the quality of the ingredients are largely speculation. It is the same for all of the painters up to the late 1800s.

I have had several people try to tell me that Maroger's paintings have turned black or darkened and yet there is no one who can give me ANY evidence or documentation that this is actual fact. It is always "I heard that.."

There are a host of Maroger's original students out there using his mediums today who have done so for many decades. A number of noted painters use the medium with great success.

So anyway, it is kind of a personal bugaboo for me to debunk all this junk about Marogers in the face of phantom evidence and broad brush inuendo with no shread of real fact given to back it up.

I use it, I very much like it, I have read and will continue to read everything I can get my hands on about it.

I am probably being too serious about this, and I've mucked up my topic, so I will sign off now. Thanks for listening to my rant.

Michael is the Maroger's the mix of Black oil and double mastic that Studio Products sells? I don't think we would be led wrong on this.

I noticed something when I paid a visit to the Museum of Art in Indianapolis last weekend. I was really amazed at the difference in oils. There was Whistler

Who knows
 

Two psychiatrists pass each other on the street. The first one says, "Good morning." The second, thinks to himself, "I wonder what he meant by that"

Michael, it was just a joke, as Denise accurately surmised. I think you may have overreacted a bit. Even if I seriously questioned the permanency of your medium, in no way was I impugning your work or you.

I'm no psychiatrist, myself, (I'm sure many might wonder if I am actively seeking the aid of one) but I think your reaction might be an indication that you yourself must harbor some doubts. The truth is, no one really knows about the long term effects of many mediums since they have not been around for all that long.

Scientific evidence, to date, has shown however that the vast majority of old master paintings contain no evidence of resins in the paint layers , and as Beth pointed out, they seem to be in better condition than much younger works. Let the buyer beware.

Marvin:

Yes, I did overreact and I am sorry I vented at you. Do I have doubts about Marogers, yes I do. I also have doubts about alkyds and linseed oil. That is why I keep researching my materials.

I certainly need to back off of this and just paint and let the future worry about my works. If any of my paintings survive to be 100 or 200 years old then perhaps they will someday provide gainful employment for a conservator somewhere.

Beth and Sharon: Thanks for your good humor. :)

Perhaps a "nightmare" thread was invariably destined to darken....

Just as the Cafe Guerbois seems filled with artistic, temperamental absinthe-drinker-painter types....

As long as there was no NUDITY in your nightmare, Michael, I think you don't need to employ the services of a psychoanalyst.

Funny stuff, Marvin; I got a great kick out of your self-effacing comment on another thread, along the lines of "what do I know, I'm a realist." I love that stuff.

I thought it would be nice to illustrate the side topic this thread has taken.

This is a painting, I believe, is called the "Hatman", I am not sure who the artist is. This illustrates how the paintings turn yellow or darken over the years.

I am not sure if this is caused by the artist varnish or if they did in fact use a medium with their oil. Of course in the way old days, this might not have been the problem, since they mixed their own paint - maybe they just weren't good at this.

The "Hatman" before restoration.

What the future holds
 

Michael,

I'm assuming that my paintings will eventually wind up as fish wrapping. Anything up from there I view as a plus. There is a flea market I pass on Saturdays on my way to teaching. There is always a variety of original oil paintings hanging in the drizzle. It provides me with the proper perspective. And who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?

Mari,

I employ a team of cracker jack comedy writers to constantly freshen up my stand-up rout...I mean my teaching rhetoric with biting wit.

Now this is the "Hatman" after careful restoration and removal of the old varnish.

I think it is interesting how the "Black Hat" theme continues!

Great minds
 

I was thinking the same thing!

Michael,

I had a nightmare myself. I dreamt that I had joined a professional group of artists, and like your dream, I was blown away by their talents, and felt self conscious about my own level of achievement.

At one meeting (presumably after they had parachuted), someone quite innocently inquired about the proper way to sharpen a pencil. The responses came pouring in from the pros. One insisted on a chisel shaped lead, while another said that his work is just fine with a point. One used an electric sharpener, and the others belittled him for it, even though his work was excellent. Screaming and accusations erupted, and finally they all took their pencils, sharpened them in their preferred method, and began attacking each other with them. Fortunately, I awoke before it got too violent.

What a nightmare. I can hardly look at a pencil now.

Oh send some of your Depends please, Beth!

Napoleon's on
 

Gawd,

Beth and Marvin - you've done it again. That $700.00 Photoshop sure does come in handy don't it?

I am still laughing - and yes, the black hat theme is not worn out yet - keep those pics coming! I liken myself to Sharon in one way - "pass the Depends!" So glad I got my laugh here again tonight!

On a side note:

A&E has the special production of Napoleon on and I had to get out my Nineteenth Century Art History Book to look at all the paintings done of Napoleon and his precious Josephine. Clothing was period correct in the production!

Bonne Nuit!
Denise

Nightmare
 

I had a nightmare that no one would ever care what my paintings looked like 50 years from now -- darkened or not.

I still gotta wonder how anyone can know what 3% of maroger medium will do to a painting. How is the comparison made? Photos aren't reliable, they fade and their colors change. Unless 50 years ago an artist made two piles of paint (several colors), then added maroger to only one, placed them both on the same canvases, then exposed both to the same exact conditions for 50 years, how would anyone know? This is not like the discussion on varnish, which sits on top and can be removed.

Viscosity and Veracity -- the Slippery Truth about Binders and Medium

After taking account of all the experts

Another "laugh out loud" post from Steven! I think I'll make a trip down to Shucks Auto Supply today.