JOHN CRUMP painter in paradise Two recent plein air paintings in the Dart Valley Im spoiled with an amazing landscape  First things first  Over the last month or two, I have been very busy so I decided to save some of my emails until I had a chance to fully answer them. Most of them were related to this web site or my recent DVD done by Put Some Colour in your Life, www. Download Whole The Amazing Screw-On Head Movie ' title='Download Whole The Amazing Screw-On Head Movie ' />McMasterCarr is the complete source for everything in your plant. The official DVD FAQ Frequently Asked Questions about DVD of the Internet DVD newsgroups. The most comprehensive source of DVD technical information in the galaxy. Once photographing meant a large box camera on a tripod, shifting film plate after each shot and working with a dark cloth over your head and the camera. You. Tube and my DVD page. Unfortunately, I inadvertently deleted all 2. So. if you have written to me and havent received a reply, I apologise. Could you please write again Hopefully, I wont make the same mistake twice However, I do know that many of them were enquiries about the brushes, colours, canvas, etc, that I use, even my easel created interest among a number of people, so I decided to use this next blog to answer many of those questions and hopefully, save myself having to do many individual answers to peoples questions. Whether you are just a weekend painter, or perhaps more serious, wanting to make progress, contemplating an exhibition, or even anticipating going professional one day, a few ideas from my forty eight years of painting experience might be a help. For me, its important to have a working system. I find it extremely difficult to work in a shambles gear all over my studio or vehicle, nowhere to store wet paintings, etc, and as necessity is the mother of invention, Ive developed methods and habits to keep me sane  Easels  Probably, the most important and expensive item that you need is your easel, especially if you intend painting outdoors. I was fortunate to be shown a very good design by an artist friend about 3. If youre away from home and in need of WiFi, now Facebook can help you find it. Originally only available in a few countries, the social networks Find WiFi. Contacting Charter Communications Headquarters. Charter Communications is a telecommunications company that works with the likes of ATT and other businesses to. Download Whole The Amazing Screw-On Head Movie ' title='Download Whole The Amazing Screw-On Head Movie ' />I believe than any commercially made outdoor easel that you can buy on the market. I have tired of building them myself so I am looking into the possibilities of having them made by a commercial joinery shop. If you could be interested in buying one, please let me know so that I can ascertain whether it is worth pursuing. Funny Comedian Videos 50 Cent: Refuse 2 Die. Be warned though. They do last though. I gave an earlier one to a friend who is still usingit. Its now 2. 4 years old and as good as ever. I cant imagine how many paintings it will have supported over that time   Palettes  My plywood palette is designed to fit neatly into my easel when it is shut. That means that I can leave my pools of colour on the palette and they will stay wet for several days because the lid is a reasonably airtight fit. Its very important that it is as large as possible, very smooth, shiny, and balanced so that it lies on your arm for support rather than having to grip it tightly with your thumb very tiring over a long day Paints   I use Winsor Newton artists quality paints I think perhaps I should send them an account for this free advertisement After many years of trying a variety of makes and colours, I have settled on the following winsor blue red shade, winsor blue green shade venetian red, winsor green, titanium white, cadmium yellow pale, cadmium lemon, gold ochre, cadmium orange, permanent rose, cadmium red, and magenta. During the winter when they dry more slowly, I add alkyd titanium white roughly 5. The colours I use are strong but very pure, and with practice, will mix any colour or shade that you may want. Because they are pure, it is easier to avoid mixing unintended mud, something that seems to beset so many people when they try oils Medium My medium of choice is Winsor and Newton liquin original rather expensive but very nice to use and I find that using it means that my paintings are touch dry in about 2. Central Otago winter temperatures. My medium container which clips on to my palette has a screw on lid so that once the medium has been put in the container, it stays there from one painting to the next. Brushes I have tried many types and now use brushes with a mixture of hog bristle and taklon synthetic fibre, sizes 8 to 1. I wash my them in kerosene rather than turps as I find it keeps them in much better condition. I dont even need to go through the ritual of a wash in warm soapy water when I get home from painting in fact they keep better without it. I do allow myself a small oxsable brush for branches of trees or my signature  no fiddling with small brushes though  Canvas Ive painted on a number of different surfaces and now work almost exclusively on linen canvas that I buy on rolls so that I can then choose the size and shape I want to work on when I arrive on site. I simply cut my canvas off the roll and masking tape it down to an MDF panel that then fits securely on to my easel. When the painting is dry, I then glue the canvas to a backing board that fits into the paintings frame. Canvas is quite expensive though, especially linen, but there are cheaper cotton alternatives that are also quite nice to work on. As a much cheaper alternative, I have painted many times on hardboard and MDF panels that have been primed with a generous coat of gesso. For the price, this is an excellent surface to work on far better than cheap cotton canvas. Painting storage  Wet paintings can be a problem so I have a large covered drawer that fits into the back of my vehicle easiest if you drive a station wagon or van. Inside it is a space for the canvas panels to slide into so that up to 6 paintings can be stored safely until they are dry. Other gear needed is also stored in the drawer with the lid fastened down so that nothing is loose much safer in an accident. Before I built this setup for the back of my vehicle, I made myself a simple box with grooves down the sides so that I could slide MDF panels into the box and close the lid. It kept the paintings inside completely safe until they were dry. My philosophy of painting is simple. Whether I paint in an abstract or figurative style, contemporary or more traditional, is not really the issue. After all, the qualities that define a painting in any genre are basically the same. What matters to me is that I create something from my heart, something that communicates with other people in a way that they can understand, and something that involves the elements of a good painting. Namely drawing skills, good colour and tones, flowing brushwork, a good design that may involve some abstract qualities, perhaps even some quality from outside the box something beyond the conventional. Thats a high calling and too often, I feel that I have fallen short but nobody said it would be easy   It makes the occasional success all the sweeter.