February portrait

[Carl Toboika]

Originally Posted by William Whitaker

Thanks for the comments folks.

Carl, the Dibond is very nice, but for most work I don't believe it is any better than canvas on gatorfoam.

It is thinner than gatorfoam and of course stronger. I think it is most useful for some kinds of field sketches.

Bill

Thanks again Bill. This is so sensitively handled.

[Kimberly Dow]

Bill,

I got to see this painting in person today - and two others of yours.

I entered a show in Midland and got my acceptance letter late since I moved. The only option was to drive it there (6 hours away). I whined and groaned about it, but did not want to get the folks at the museum mad at me...so off I went complaining the whole way. I left with all sorts to mommy-guilt too since one of my children has the flu. I got in late Sunday night and picked up the local paper to see if there was anything more than the oil wells to see while I was there. Lo and behold - one of your paintings I saw unveiled here recently was on the front of the arts section! Well, you can bet I high-tailed it over to the Haley library the next morning to see these. I stayed an hour studying them...in fact the security people were eyeing me pretty heavy. There was such a smoothness to this one - gorgous! By the way, a nice red sticker was on the larger one there (in case you didnt know it sold yet).

I also saw a Harley Brown and few other names I recognized. Bill, it made my trip worthwhile.

I have a question, maybe not the right section though...but how do you get that nice sheen? They are new paintings, so you are not varnishing them? Mine look so flat in comparison.

[William Whitaker]

Originally Posted by Kimberly Dow

Bill,

I got to see this painting in person today - and two others of yours.

I entered a show in Midland and got my acceptance letter late since I moved. The only option was to drive it there (6 hours away). I whined and groaned about it, but did not want to get the folks at the museum mad at me...so off I went complaining the whole way. I left with all sorts to mommy-guilt too since one of my children has the flu. I got in late Sunday night and picked up the local paper to see if there was anything more than the oil wells to see while I was there. Lo and behold - one of your paintings I saw unveiled here recently was on the front of the arts section! Well, you can bet I high-tailed it over to the Haley library the next morning to see these. I stayed an hour studying them...in fact the security people were eyeing me pretty heavy. There was such a smoothness to this one - gorgous! By the way, a nice red sticker was on the larger one there (in case you didnt know it sold yet).

I also saw a Harley Brown and few other names I recognized. Bill, it made my trip worthwhile.

I have a question, maybe not the right section though...but how do you get that nice sheen? They are new paintings, so you are not varnishing them? Mine look so flat in comparison.

Kim my dear,

Those security people were eyeing you because you are so pretty.

Thanks for the report. It's nice to know my paintings got there in one piece. The good folks at Fedex must have gotten the wagon train through the pass. Nice to know about the red dot too. I guess I will eat breakfast tomorrow morning after all.

The even sheen is a factor of the Maroger medium I use and Rob Howard's copal retouch varnish. In spite of my best intentions, most of my work leaves the studio too soon, so I do what I can with a little retouch varnish, either dammar or copal.