"Garden Reprieve"

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7"x 8" Oil on gessoed card. Available on Ebay. Click on the link at the top of the page to go to my Ebay store.

The third and last "orange" painting is complete and it begins a series of small garden paintings which I'm excited about. Of the many painting surfaces I've tried lately, I really loved this one. I gessoed the surface of a medium weight Strathmore board which is archival grade and easy to cut with a mat knife. I was accustomed to using this board for many mediums in illustration and the gesso seals the surface for oil paint. It produces a similar surface to gessoed masonite but not as slick, providing a slight "tooth" that I prefer. The huge benefit is that I don't have to get out the table saw!! Photographing this surface is less likely to show the shine "dots" that have been giving me such trouble with my canvas paintings. The disadvantage is it's only appropriate for smaller works – maybe up to 9" x 12" unless you want to mount it on a stiffer support.
Thanks to Kelly for letting me enjoy her beautiful and colorful garden. This orange bench is just one of the many whimsical elements she has so creatively spotlighted in her landscape.