9 Below at 735am - Oil on Linen (NYC 91DP) - 18x20

Ben Bauer

A new painting - cold and colorful

Oil on Linen - 30"x36" - WIP 90% done or so

Ben

Starbuck, MN

16x18 - Oil on Shellac Birch Panel

While Pheasant hunting a few weekends ago in the more than gorgeous western part of Minnesota west of Starbuck. This image is derived from thought, memory and ideas from a field I worked Cooper - my German Shorthair Pointer. He is the name of my OPA Eastern Regional SHow painting as well, a mascot and or inspiration of sorts.

Shellac Boards are SUPREME

The Beauty in a grey minnesota day!

Oil on Shellac Board - 14"x16"

Ben

November's Promised Grey's

November's Promised Grey's - Oil on Hand Primed Raw Linen - 16"x16"

Thinking about the 65 degree day today and how Novie is supposed to be here in Sota I created this feeling.....

Material-istic things!

I have been a nitro junkie of materials for many years and always looking at ways of expanding and seraching. I will list my likings below to maybe spark some interests....

Supports

• Linen - I use and love NYC Central Art Supplies House linen's especially DP 301!
• Boards - Rockler Wood Working Supply Baltic Birch
• Raw premium cotton canvas and belgian linens
• At times Claessens but usually NEVER - too slippery and it works with some things for me....
• Shellac cover matboard mounted to foam core
• gessoed Rives BFK printmaking paper.

Primers

• Williamsburg - Titanium Oil Primer
• Flake White to double prime an alkyd primer if seeking a certain effect....
• Acrylic polymer Gesso, with marble dust, pumice and chalk for boards only
• Shellac
• Sherwin Williams Alkyd Primer Professional Series to double coat - love the way it accepts paint! and the look as it dries

Palette

• Cad Red Lgiht
• Alizarin Crimson
• Cad Yellow Lemon and Deep
• Ultramarine Deep
• Naples Yellow (as dead grass modifier)
• Cobalt Blue very rarely

and Titanium White

Most of these paints are mostly being purchased through a great paint source I have recently found RGH Artist Oil Paints. Jars of really concentrated pigment paints!

I do buy tubes of Auxiliary colors that I add and subtract......

I am very much in search of a universal titanium white I can use at all times, it never works out! I am very found of LeFranc, Rembrandt (stiff), Flake White Replacement (I know most dont like this one...) and Utrecht White. I have put Leads to use yet and scarred about toxicity and such......

Mediums

• M. Graham - Alkyd/Walnut medium
• Liquin for oiling out....
• Schmincke Mal Butter
• A traditional stand oil, OMS recipe works too....
• beeswax mediums

Brushes

• Utrecht #209 Brights and Flats for size 2 to 12
• Robert Simmons Signet as well.
• Blick at times but the bristles release too often and I take good care of my brushes

I hope this helps on some fronts of the materials world for others looking in at times, I feel it helps to see other ideas as well!

Also to add I stretch, mount, panel build/cradle and make almost all my painting surfaces, I take pride in creating my works of art the materials and time put into them, I only wish I could have a huge run of space to prime my own linens, but that'll come later..... Sorry to rant but I like to with some info!

New painting!

Menomonie March Morning - Oil on Linen - 10x36