White is the most delicate of colours, quickly becoming dominated by any other. Take a pound of white pigment and add only a ¼ ounce of any other colour, and white will have yielded to reflect the tint of that other (In fact, most tubes of paint on the art store’s shelf have more white pigment in them than their labeled colour—using it as a filler and further demonstrating white’s deferential nature).
Despite its delicacy—or perhaps because of it—it is with white that we most clearly see the passing of time; as it yellows with age, or blackens under urban pollution, or reddens in the light of the setting sun. But, in its heart, white is rarely so effected by time: Strip the varnish, or apply soap to the grim, or come again in the morning, and white will once again demonstrate her original bright beauty.
When grinding a white pigment, it isn’t enough to just wipe the mulling-glass down, it’s necessary to grind it clean with sand. Only after this ritual is performed, will white contentedly rest by herself on glass. White is the most difficult pigment to have a long conversation with—always more interested in conversing with other colours than with the artist. And, while my instinct is to try to preserve her purity, this also reflects her most lovely quality: The ease in which she gives herself to others.
White is childlike, and I love seeing the earnest outpouring of herself towards her friends—even if in my heart I know I can’t truly be one of them.
- Getting the White Right February 8, 2012
Robert Gamblin, from Gamblin Artists Colors, has just released an in-depth article about the different white pigments that artists use. It deals with everything from a pigment's tone to its flexibility! Although I don't purchase a lot of materials persona... - Conestogo Shell White January 25, 2012
I've been experimenting with creating a shell white from some mussel shells I found along the Conestogo River a couple of years back. With work beginning on some local-colour plant paintings, I again find myself in need a local white pigment ...
Shell ... - Dundas: Flake White by Modern Process August 11, 2008
While I really love the idea of following the historic method for making flake white, I have also decided to try and create this pigment using some of the newer methods developed within the last century.
I've come to realize that in making flake white ... - Dundas: White Crust August 7, 2008
I have been eagerly waiting to see what will happen in my attempt to create flake white and I am happy to write that the process of changing my ore into a carbonate is going well. As you can see the little medallions have quickly begun to develop a white... - Point Clark: Seashells August 6, 2008
Heading into the August long weekend my family and I decided to take a short vacation. We headed up to Hanover and then explored the region, visiting places such as Walkerton, Kincardine and Durham. While our choice of location was not done with this pr... - Dundas: Stack Setup July 4, 2008
With all the ingredients prepared all that remained was to setup. Researching some of the different methods used to prepare flake white was very revealing. I think that I will probably try a couple of different methods, but to begin with I figured I'd s... - Dundas: Smelting for White July 2, 2008
In preparation for turning the galena collected at Dundas into flake white I needed some kind of guinea-pig (I wonder if such a phrase is still politically correct ..?) to test my proposed processes for turning such a metal into an oxide pigment.
I don... - Dundas: A Little Success June 18, 2008
It isn't much, but using a very pure sample of crushed galena I managed to smelt a little bit of my ore. It has been a learning process for me, here is what I have found out so far: It turns out that it is important to do a two step process in creating th... - Dundas: Smelting Attempt June 17, 2008
Smelting a rock is something new to me. While I have crushed and then refined many different minerals, and made colourful pigments from them, this process is something I'm unfamiliar with.
Without me writing too much about it, you can probably guess fr... - Dundas: Separating the Galena June 16, 2008
The galena collected at the LaFarge Quarry in Dundas was very pure but it also came mixed with other minerals. This posed a problem, because if I wanted to easily smelt the galena, it would be important that my sample be fairly pure.
After researching ... - Dundas: Quarry Visit May 21, 2008
In a pit as large as the Dundas Quarry I quickly realised that finding any rocks of interest was going to be like looking for a needle in a hay-stack; that is unless you have a very knowledgeable rock-hounder with you!
Thankfully Reiner and Maggie were... - Dundas: Quarry May 20, 2008
Visiting the LaFarge Quarry in Dundas is quite an experience. The quarry opens it's gates twice a year to rock-hounders and, because I'm a member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Gem and Mineral Club, I was able to attend. Everyone met on a side road, and when I... - Paris, Dundas and Wiarton: Other Gypsums May 14, 2008
We did head out to a third location in Paris. Maggie had found where the original mines of Paris were located and more out of historical interest than any other we decided to walk along the bank and see if we could locate any remains. In the end we ... - Paris: Part II May 13, 2008
While in Paris we traveled to another location that held the promise of gypsum. Parking in the downtown, we followed a trail along the south side of the river keeping our eyes peeled for more white rocks.
I was looking for a white, powdery rock suc... - Paris: Plaster Thereof May 12, 2008
The town of Paris is a beautiful place to collect. The whole town seems to have the right mixture of straight, hard stone lines and soft curving hills, but I had a special interest beyond that in my desire to find the gypsum I needed for making the icon... - Dundas: Galena May 7, 2008
The last sample provided by Reiner Mielke from the Dundas quarry was of the mineral galena. Galena is a natural form of metallic lead sulfide, and herein lies my quandary ... Lead. Is there any proper use for it?
Over the centuries it has ended up in s... - Dundas: Celestite April 29, 2008
In May, the LaFarge Quarry in Dundas will be open for a field trip to collectors associated with local gem and mineral clubs. I plan on attending this rock hounding opportunity, but Reiner has been good enough to provide me with some samples beforehan... - Don Valley: Cleaning Rocks April 24, 2008
Since the rocks I collected from the Don Valley Brickworks were all mud-covered I really only had a very rough idea of what I had collected on my trip. So, with some toothbrushes in hand, my children and I began to clean these little treasures.
Som... - Don Valley: Limestone April 22, 2008
I recently visited the old Don Valley Brickworks in search of some unique minerals. The brickworks was created in 1889 by three brothers John, William and George Taylor. There work was creative, using the different materials present at this site to crea...