Here’s a Watercolor painting of my husband and our dog, Chandler. This Watercolor painting is on the Ampersand Aqua Board. My intentions of painting on this board was the thrill of “No matting or framing under glass”. But as this painting is nearing completion (it is in progress in this photo) I started contemplating the thought of a fixative or varnish on top of Watercolor paint. I started contemplating how a Juried Exhibit would perceive this painting. Would it be perceived as a ‘Traditional’ watercolor? Especially if it is framed with no glass and has a varnish on it? Hmmm…. My questions to myself started to make me wonder and worry.

Because I really like this painting a lot, and I have high hopes for it, to be entered into some very traditional venues, I didn’t want the end result keeping it from being the ’star’ that I feel it could be.
So, I projected my questions out there onto two different art forums. I have been getting some great feedback and a lot of ‘food’ for thought.

One place I visited and laid out my question was at the WetCanvas forum website. My gosh that place is huge! It is everything art, all aspects of it and from around the globe. It’s bigger than Disney! And it’s free! Free advice, Free help…..hmmm….I like that. I can mull over the answers and suggestions and take what may work for me, and leave the rest, as I graciously thank everyone for their help.

The other forum I went to is a private forum for the Equine Art Guild. This is an awesome group of Equine artists ranging from many different levels of expertise in their field.
Here’s a little feedback that I got from both places.

• Ampersand makes a Clayboard fixative for this board. (But there is no scientific evidence of how well it holds up over time).

*I was advised that the above fixative needs to be handled carefully on ‘dark paint’ and especially when used in a cold environment.

• One artist uses Krylon uv Acrylic spray as an isolation layer (spray it over the watercolor paint first.) Then brush on a few coats of Acrylic varnish to protect the whole painting.
• Another artist suggested Acrylic fixatives and making sure to seal the edges of the board also.
• Yet another suggested a fixative with uv coating for Prints, sprayed onto the watercolor, then seal with an Acrylic varnish.

• Other traditional watercolorist felt that watercolor paint should never be sprayed with any fixative or varnish, no matter what support it is on. That the paint would soon be sent to it’s doom. ( I Have to say this one rung a little bell for me….ding-dong!).
• Also to think about (that rang an even louder bell for me….) that many Exhibit venues and Galleries may not accept this kind of watercolor. The argument being that it is not a traditional watercolor. Traditional meaning….watercolor on paper with no varnish and framed with a mat and under glass.

So, because I want to really enter this painting into an upcoming competition, I am opting for repainting this scene again! I have it almost 3/4 done on a Cold press paper that is on Cresent Premium Watercolor Board. This board is 100% museum quality Archival.

This painting on the Aqua board will be my ’study’ for now and it just may become a mixed media painting with the addition of acrylic paint, or I’ll just leave it and enjoy it here at home, with me and my family.

There’s something to be said about ‘Tradition’.

Makes me think of Pumpkin pie and Turkey……

Deb

©Copyright 2008 by Debbie Flood. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Debbie Flood’s website.