Portrait Artist Forum - View Single Post - "Genesis" the non-toxic paints

David Dowbyhuz · 02-14-2002, 10:53 AM

I discovered the notion of Genesis a year or more ago. I was really intrigued by the "never dries until YOU decide" claim.

I requested their documentation, but found myself put off by the notion of the "heat gun" or "drying boxes". They may warrant the archival traits of their medium, but I'd worry what all those applications of heat are doing to the fibres of your canvas! 250 degrees F or higher. Save me! My wife is a textile person, weaving her own fabrics on a hand-loom, and she believes repeated applications of such heat WILL degrade the canvas. Ever seen what happens to a weather-beaten tent? Granted, tents are exposed to elements other than "heat", such as UV & rain, but they do age badly and become brittle. And a tent will never see 250 degrees of heat. And if you actually use those little pizza ovens to dry your painting you'll end up sucking every last drop of moisture out of your stretchers. Then, once placed back in a less than alien environment (the real world) and the stretchers begin to re-take moisture, they may rack. Here is a quote from their site: "If you see smoke or fumes coming off the canvas or notice small bubbles forming in the paint, you are overheating". You read on and it's like the old Saturday Night Live skit for the "Happy Super Fun Ball"! I also didn't like being obliged to abandon my old pallette for some "non-porous surface".

I like to think of myself as progressive, "ends justify the means" and all that with art materials, but when it comes to this approach call me a Luddite.

However, there's no denying your above piece borders on the ethereal. If anyone can transcend this test-tube technology, it's you, Karin. Good luck with this stuff.

02-14-2002, 10:53 AM	#5
David Dowbyhuz Associate Member Joined: Nov 2001 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 123	I discovered the notion of Genesis a year or more ago. I was really intrigued by the "never dries until YOU decide" claim. I requested their documentation, but found myself put off by the notion of the "heat gun" or "drying boxes". They may warrant the archival traits of their medium, but I'd worry what all those applications of heat are doing to the fibres of your canvas! 250 degrees F or higher. Save me! My wife is a textile person, weaving her own fabrics on a hand-loom, and she believes repeated applications of such heat WILL degrade the canvas. Ever seen what happens to a weather-beaten tent? Granted, tents are exposed to elements other than "heat", such as UV & rain, but they do age badly and become brittle. And a tent will never see 250 degrees of heat. And if you actually use those little pizza ovens to dry your painting you'll end up sucking every last drop of moisture out of your stretchers. Then, once placed back in a less than alien environment (the real world) and the stretchers begin to re-take moisture, they may rack. Here is a quote from their site: "If you see smoke or fumes coming off the canvas or notice small bubbles forming in the paint, you are overheating". You read on and it's like the old Saturday Night Live skit for the "Happy Super Fun Ball"! I also didn't like being obliged to abandon my old pallette for some "non-porous surface". I like to think of myself as progressive, "ends justify the means" and all that with art materials, but when it comes to this approach call me a Luddite. However, there's no denying your above piece borders on the ethereal. If anyone can transcend this test-tube technology, it's you, Karin. Good luck with this stuff.