In loading up my paintings on Friday, May 4 to set up for the Earth Arts Tour at Frederic Arts, I am so careful with handling my finished oil paintings, yet an unexplained situation caused some damage so I set this painting aside. Today I pulled this painting out and worked all morning in repainting and, to me, I like this new version of " Mighty" much more than the original painting. Sometimes happy accidents are a blessing and so I am posting to let everyone know is available. This is an Artisan Oils painting on 9" x 12" x 1/2" wood board, in 5 days will be varnished and ready to ship, on June 5TH, Tuesday.

Titled: " Mighty"

Jim Springett wildlife painter

          Whether you paint on Masonite Hard Board, pine, oak, birch, basically all wood surfaces, each of these surfaces need a special preparation prior to oil painting. The ability to develop an archival oil painting depends on sealing the wood completely so that no material can leech from the wood into the oil painting and or so that no material leech from the oil painting into the wood.  If that happens the painting will deteroriate and no longer be archival. A second very important quality of this sealing layer is developing a strong bond to this sealing layer if you are coating with an inorganic gesso coating ground, if this is applied directly to the wood with no sealing layer there is a tendency of this layer to delaminate off the wood surface.

          In my process I use Golden GAC-100, as is, from the container no diluting with water. I use a 3" wide foam brush and I coat front, back and sides, with two layers. To help the drying process, I have made a special drying rack. I took two 1/2" plywood pieces sized 3 1/2" wide and 12" long and put two galvanized nails 3 1 /2" long through the plywood about 7" apart. This allows me to coat both sides of the wood and place under the wet side not making any marks, and this allows the fan air to circulate evenlying top and bottom drying uniformly. Very important. I let the first layer dry for one hour and then after coating the second layer I let dry for three hours prior to my finishing layers. After each coating layer I sand with #220 Grit sand paper until smooth, very important to have a ultra smooth surface, My finishing coating layer that I paint on is an inorganic coating made with distilled water, Liquitex Gesso, calcium carbonate, silica dioxide,  sodium carbonate, with a tint of iron oxide. The sodium carbonate keeps the pH in a basic range so that no bugs will grow in your coating over time. I use two wet layers using a 4" foam brush, then dry in front of a circulating fan, about one hour. Then I apply two more wet layers and air dry. Once dry I sand smooth using a #220 Grit sandpaper, clean all loose dust from surface. I then let cure a minimum of 3 days and if possible for two weeks. You have to plan ahead when using wood surfaces, have enough time to prepare the surfaces correctly, in order to keep your painting schedules moving smoothly with no interruptions.

          If you are interested and have more questions please send your query. Happy painting!

Jim Springett wildlife painter

          Today is a fun day to visit with all of you, and being my birthday, now I am one year older and one year wiser.  Painting is full of great challenges, and in my past 27 years of painting my brushes have traveled a few miles, and hopefully with God's grace many more miles to go. THis week I had a cataract removed from my left eye and an implant attached, Wednesday was my surgery and now on Saturday today, my vision no glasses is about 100% sharp. As I compare my old right eye with cataract, compared to my new implant left eye, I can see right now my art is going to continue to improve, my colors are much brighter. I did not realize until this past March that my eyes were imapacted so much. Our doctors and their staff get all the credit for my healing, bringing me light where there was only dim light, now my sight is really improving.

        Like my eyes improving I can say my painting over the years is changing and improving all the time. It is sutle and not really dramatic but if I look back 10 years I can see a world of difference so now I am working toward my higher self and gaining ground with each painting. My duck stamp painting is a real labor of love,  and I consider my bird paintings pure love. By sharing the birds story I hope to help millions of Americans see their beauty and through their beauty a reverence for their living. Protecting our fewer birds is everyone's challeneg today and to be sure to keep our wetlands clean and abundant.

         I am using once again a totally new process for my WI Waterfowl Duck Stamp, the Federal Duck Stamp I am passing on this year due to rules that have been added. The 3 P's are my way of saying just keep painting and growing and just maybe someday my work will appeal to many more who enjoy original oil paintings.

         In today's painting of a Canada Goose on a 9" x 12" x 1/2" wood board, in Artisan Oils called " Majesty " is from a sighting in Crex Meadows this May. I hope you enjoy and stay tuned to more original oils  by Jim Springett. Many thanks.

Jim Springett wildlife painter

Called " Majesty"