Today I started relining a period equestrian painting. The painting had major overpainting in the sky (past restoration done badly). I removed all of the overpainting and cleaned the back of the canvas to prep for relining. Relining helps to stablize old canvas and the painted image. Some artists used thin linen canvas and over the decades the canvas is exposed to different temperatures and environments. A good linen canvas will last over a hundred years but, when the painting is not taken care of properly the linen canvas begins to rot. I have worked on some paintings where the canvas is powder and the gesso and oil paint are the only materials left on the stretcher bars.
At noon I took a break and started working on the screens for the fall Poydras Home Art Show. The exhibit and juried show is attended by a lot of local collectors and last year's show was a hit. The screenscape paintings were the talk of the show and I sold screenscapes months after the show. Painting on old windows, screen doors and transom screens is quit the challenge. Some screening is copper or brass. The aluminum screens tend to fall apart and crumble just touching them with a brush. The right material does matter just like with using the right linen canvas for a painting. I have painted on linen canvas and sold paintings on canvas but, for some reason I am drawn to the challenge of painting on old screens. People tell me they feel like they are looking through a screen at a Louisiana landscape. I tend to paint marshes, ponds, bayous, and swamps at sunset. The painted images on screen change with the light in one's setting. Cloudy days the images look dark and sunny days the images look light and airy. I love to paint trees (willows and live oaks) and the reflection of a tree in water is very peaceful to me. People tend to feel at peace with my paintings and that is my whole goal recently. I want to paint images that are meaningful to people. The money is good but, seeing the happiness in other people's faces is more rewarding. Let me know your thoughts. Thomas
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Your paintings are absolutely beautiful. Yes, so unique on screens. I have always been intrigued with paintings on old windows, but these are exceptional. "Bayou Blue" is just lovely; so dreamy. How interesting that the view changes with the kind of lighting in the day. Thank you for looking at my blog and I will continue to check in here to see what you are doing.
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