Rusty Nails

Rusty, hand forged,  antique nails

What have rusty nails got to do with painting?

I have a collection of these beautiful hand forged antique nails that I have always wanted to use in someway in my paintings and finally I have found it. They were the starting point for a new composition on paper.  Something that I have wanted to try for a long time: placing the nails on the paper, wetting them with a spray of vinegar and water and letting them stand until dry, creating  a beautiful variety of russet stains from yellow ochre to a  rich burnt umber.

My first support when I started working with cold wax was canvas, a rough surface sometimes accentuated by the addition of sand or inert materials.  This new piece is  totally different. I still used  wax but this time on paper, normal, light weight drawing paper. First, I stained the paper  using the rusty nails. This first time the nails were placed in a hap-hazard way, no idea in mind. I didn't even think I was going to continue working with it but as I looked at the marks I decided to continue. (for that reason I don't have a picture of the beginning.)

The next steps were interventions with wax, black India ink, and oil, resulting in "The Queen and the Joker" below.

"The Queen and the Joker"   17 x 14"  wax, oil, ink on paper

This is a detail of the painting. You can clearly see the the rust spots, the ink, and the wax.

detail of "The Queen and the Joker"