Freja

[Allan Rahbek]

This is a small study I made today.

It is oil on copper and the size is 11 x 9" / 29 x 22 cm

[Chris Saper]

Oh, Allan, it is delightful!

I've never worked on copper, but would love to learn more about the whole process - by any chance did you take any photos of the in-process work? If not, would you next time?

[Garth Herrick]

Delightful and so full of life! I love the bold composition and brushwork too.

Garth

[Mary Cupp]

I love it!

[Carlos Ygoa]

Beautiful, Allan. Looks so effortless. I would also like to try copper one day.

I can see this one day being in a nice big coffee table book about contemporary Danish masters.

[Amanda Grosjean]

The combination of copper and green in the background is just gorgeous. I had never heard of painting on copper before but I am very interested, please share more info. What sort of treatment (if any) did you give to the plate before painting? Are you concerned at all about the exposed copper oxidizing and changing color? Are you going to apply a varnish to it (maybe this would solve the problem)? Any historical precedence (that you know of) of artists painting on copper? (Just wondering how it holds up over time). Did you find it a more difficult surface to paint on? I would think it would be so slick. Does it take the paints longer to dry? Do you have more examples with different color combinations? So many questions!

I am going to be digging through my things today to see if I have any un-used copper plates from the intaglio days. Ugghh! How I have missed you copper!

[David Draime]

A beautiful and intimate portrait. Well done!

David

[Allan Rahbek]

Thank you, all

Painting on copper is quite uncomplicated.

First I fixed the copper plate to a fiberboard panel with a stabble across each corner of the copper plate.

Cleaned the surface with turpentine and tissue and then scumbled over the whole panel with undiluted paint using a bristle brush. This made a foundation suited for further application of paint.

Then some marks for drawing and impasto paint.

I once before tried to paint on copper, but thinned the paint too much. Thinning is a no no because the copper is non absorbent. That time I gave it up without a fight.

I don't think that oxydation will occure when the copper plate is varnished.

Rembrandt and others have painted small pictures on copper. They seems to be in perfect condition.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Allan,

The thing I like best (and there are many things I like) about your work is that you obviously enjoy the feel of the paint and the surface. In this sketch of your granddaughter it seems to me that the feel of the paint and your feeling for her are connected, so that they are expressed together. The blues and greens are wonderfully rich, I guess because of the copper showing through. Her skin glows in contrast. It reminds me a little of Sargent's oil sketch of his sister Violet, I think because of the brushstrokes and something around the eyes..

[Tom Edgerton]

Simply wonderful, Allan!