About The Materials I Use

I do most of my works on paper, although you wouldn't know it because they are extremely heavy, more like board. There are two great paper mills in the world, Fabriano, who will sell you the same paper they sold to Leonardo Da Vinci. I don't use them because they have a bewildering array of quality. Confusing to many other artists too.

I buy D'Arches brand paper . Mr. D'Arches  founded his company in 1492. They sell one grade of paper, the very best in the world. I love working with his product because I imagine him starting his company while Columbus was wandering across the Atlantic. There's lots of history there. D'Arches  sells more professional watercolor paper than any other mill in the world. In my opinion their paper is the best ever made.

Artist quality paints are pretty much interchangeable. Manufacturers grind pigments into the appropriate mediums, such as oil, acrylic, vegetable gum, add some standard modifiers and package it.

What I pay attention to is the pigments they use to make the paints. My preferred pigments are made from minerals. Minerals have stood the test of time (millions of years). I don't worry about them fading or deteriorating. Sadly, few minerals have bright colors, and sometimes that's needed. When I do resort to a modern pigment, I require very stringent standards.

My pigments must stand up to 5 years on panels in Arizona, moving daily across the sky, towards the Sun, for at least 5 years.

They also must withstand a thousand hours in a standard fadometer, which is one hell of a tough of a standard to pass.

My materials are selected for my users; so they may treasure my work for many generations to come.