After years of floundering around, searching for an oil paint medium that will make my paint handle just the way I want it to handle, trying nearly every commercially available medium, and being quite disappointed with anything I tried, I finally experimented with my own concoction for a painting medium. Long story short, one day I became so fed up with the way one of my concoctions was behaving, that out of frustration, I finally just "threw" some Walnut Oil into the medium, and noticed such an improvement in its handling characteristics that I decided to get a bit more scientific about my ingredients, and I carefully measured them, to create a useable "recipe". I did that, and within a short time, invented a medium that I have now been using for years.
I use it for layering, and glazing of my oil paintings. It does not tack up on my palette while I'm working with it as does Liquin. It is perfectly clear, and not cloudy because of the addition of clay (Kaolin), as is Liquin. I think it has a pleasant smell, while Liquin, and some other alkyds smell like either gasoline, or kerosene. And, I've been told by those who have used it, that it has an incrdedible shelf life, unlike Liquin, which often spoils in its own container, often even on the shelf of the retail store.
I purchase all my ingredients from "The Art Treehouse" (Robert Maynord, proprietor) in Madison, Wisconsin. Rpbert had so many calls from painters who wanted to try my medium, but were a bit reluctant to purchase all the ingredients separately, that he asked if he could bottle my recipe, and sell it as "William F. Martin's Painting Medium". Heck, it even has my photo on the label! He is doing that now, as well as offering the separate ingredients. (This is not a sales pitch, because I receive NO royalties or kickbacks from the sale of my medium.)
My recipe is no secret:
2 portions Water-Washed Linseed Oil
2 portions Water-Washed Walnut Oil
1 portion Canada Balsam
2 portions Oil of Spike Lavender
Each of these ingredients are available from Robert Maynord at "The Art Treehouse", at what I consider to be very reasonable prices. For example, he offers Water Washed oils for about the same price as the art stores ask for the non-washed type of oil.
If you have any questions regarding this painting medium, you can email me at:
williamflmartin@cox.net, and I'd be pleased to explain anything you wish to know regarding this medium. I understand that several persons who have purchased my medium from Robert have come back for more.
