All of Michelle's original paintings are painted on hand-made kiln-dried cedar framed boards unless specified differently. Cedar is the perfect wood for framing as it has a relatively low rate of movement over time, is durable and stable. It has almost no tendencies to warp and check once dry with little swelling or shrinking movement. We prime the cedar with a oil based wood primer. Following this two to three coats of primer are hand brushed to the whole board with the necessary sanding in between. A final two layers of top coat readies our boards for painting. This system has proven to be the best method after years of testing, our boards are made to last many, many years.
After many seemingly endless weeks painting in the studio and in the middle of the school holidays before the first winter snow, the perfect weather window approached. Boots, packs and gear were scattered throughout the house half packed and ready to go, however I was still only half committed. The looming dread of listening to the kids 7 & 8 fight, whinge and moan while I carried over a third of my body weight up 1100 vertical meters...
A little peek into the studio to see the last few weeks of detail work that has been going into the Lake Alexandrina painting…Progressing steadily, but the water reflection work is going to...
As the season cools and the leaves start to tinge to hues of golds and burnt orange I have been working on the Lake Alexandrina painting. This artwork has the same vibrant autumn colours pressing against...