Simon CalleryArchive 1996

The picture is painted on a piece of 12oz cotton duck canvas, supplied by Russell & Chapple, stretched over a wooden strainer made by the artist. The canvas was prepared with three layers of Golden's Acrylic Gesso Primer. The thin initial coat was diluted with water which had the desired effect of stretching the canvas until it was taut and flat. The second coat was applied full strength, and the final coat had a small addition of water added to the primer before it was brushed out to form a smooth, even layer.

The composition is executed with oil paint of 'a certain kind of consistency' made by Callery himself. 'The actual paint is lead white which I've made from lead white pigment from Cornelissens ... I mix it with refined linseed oil, so it's just a straight forward oil paint with no fillers or anything else in it.' The primed surface was covered with a layer of lead white paint into which the lines were then worked. The thin coloured lines were made with Sennelier chalk pastel sticks, drawn across the dry and still wet areas of turpentine thinned paint where the pastel has bled into the paint, creating the appearance of lines strewn across and below the white painted surface… (read more)