Scott Gellatly  (Portland, OR, via zoom)

Scott’s Casein colors by  Richeson  (for sketchbook)

·        Titanium White

·        Cad Yellow Light

·        Cad Orange

·        Rose Red (Quin Red)

·        Ultramarine Blue

·        Pthalo Green

·        Richeson’s casein emulsion (extends drying time)

 Support:

·        Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor Board

·        Hot Press WC -- Fabriano

·        Works well on Gesso Board

·        Likes smoot surface

 Brushes:

·        A mix of Watercolor, Acrylic and Bristle brushes

·        Starts with a 1” wide acrylic brush

 Setup: Clips everything onto a 13 x 16” ½” plywood board

·        Disposable palette paper – preferably with a wet sponge underneath

·        Support

·        Water jar

·        Spritzer

·        Palette knife to mix

·        A “Stay Wet” palette would work well

·        Works small – 5x7 is a good size

 Casein qualities

·        Dry time is an issue, add emulsion as needed

·        Only put out a small amount of paint at a time

·        Like acrylic, once dry, any layers added on top will not mix or disturb lower layers

 Achieving abstraction in a landscape

·        Use a sketchbook to respond en plein air to a landscape

·        Use the sketch as the take-off point for the oil painting – no photo, but in studio

·        His abstract oils wouldn’t exist without the sketchbook done in casein

·        This method makes it easier to make the transition to abstraction

·        Uses informed intuition to create abstract landscapes

 Video setup for oil demo

·        Uses mirror clips to hold an 18 x 24” vertical glass palette mounted to the wall

·        Painting is also vertical

·        Creates equal lighting conditions on palette and painting

·        Easier to film

·        For oils uses solvent free gel as it doesn’t slide off the vertical palette

·        (when not vertical, he uses Galkyd Lite)

 Other hints

·        Prefers to paint in poetry rather than prose (my interpretation)

·        Begin with a color wash

·        Limits to 2, accentuate one of them:

o   Color

o   Chroma- intensity

o   Hue (prefers analogous)

o   value

·        Uses a transparent oil painting ground for oils

·        Uses Princeton catalyst brush and squeegee tool

·        Applies oil paint in blotches and then merges or touch up with brush, card, palette knife or squeegee

·        This makes for easier abstract transitions with oil

·        Likes a salmon pink underpainting or paint’s grey over old paintings to reuse the support

·        Compressed value sale creates harmony (nocturns are a good example)

·        Create a rhythm, and then break the rhythm

·        Framed a couple 5x7 casein paintings on gesso boards as a diptych and it looked great

·        Prefers opaque lights and transparent darks