Tuesday, October 19, 2010

What's that funny smell?


Evening Highlights, 2010. oil on panel 8 x 10. sold



I'm in the last week of prepping everything for my show at

the Elliott Fouts Gallery. The finish line is in sight. Each day seems to fly by as I make sure everything is getting done and ready to go. Today was spent varnishing all the paintings (which is a protective coat that you apply to paintings after they have dried), while not particularly hard, takes quite a bit of time, smells awful and is tough on the body (bending over paintings that are lying on the ground.)



Each painting has to go through over ten steps to be ready to be shown in a gallery after it has been finished being painted. Multiply that by 34 and you get the picture.

Check lists are my friends.



By this time next week, I will be done. Don't call me for 48 hours after I deliver the works. I'll be in a coma.

2 comments:

Kenney Mencher said...

Ooof. I know the joys of varnishing. It's hard to trust someone else to do it for you. Are you using Soluvar or Damar? The Soluvar stuff makes it a little easier.
Beautiful, beautiful work!

John Karl Claes said...

I use a retouch varnish from Utrecht...I Think it's like Soluvar, I've had good luck with it. Thanks for the kind words about my work.