Hi! Time to check in and say hi. About 10 canvases got gessoed today and here is another tip I just learned, too: BARN/FARM AND FENCE PAINT found at Lowe's for little over $10 a gallon is the best gesso you can find- bar none! or, if you need it in large quantities... go to your local TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY. The brand I used was Valspar, but they all should have the same properties.
Having a background of meager means and still needing to stretch the dollar now, the least expensive stuff is always what I try first. After shopping around and trying tons of stuff, stumbling upon this was an accident. After painting the shed with it as a primer (because its an outside self-priming latex), I figured it'd be worth a try on the canvases. Sure enough, the thickness and consistency was that of the more expensive gessos and it hides REALLY well. It dries super fast and is easy to clean up. Plus, it didn't have that weird smell some primers have that have lindseed oil in it. (never figured that out- how can it be latex with lindseed oil in it?)
Either way, good luck and it there are problems with it, lemme know.
In other areas, Elton Duck is eating Stephen's shoes. This cracks me up~ OK, for those of you who don't know, Elton is a duck that I got for my birthday from Lisa Howell this past March and "The Ladies" (Chicken Hawk and Chicken Little) are the little smokey gray hens. In march, they were chicks and a ducklet, of course- but now, they've grown up and are living, clucking and waddling happily around the yard.
Here's the story: The duck started to get an "attitude" with my husband after it got a little bigger. We figured it was a phase and let ducklet grow out of it. Well... come to find out ducklet is a MALE and he won't grow out of it ;) Stephen has tried hard to lovey up to him (who is now named Elton- as in Elton John, the Diva) to gain his approval. No dice.
So after watching an episode of the "dog whisperer", Stephen figures he can hold Elton down with his foot until he "surrenders" and goes "calm-submissive". Well, he did... he did eventually get tired and surrendered. BUT when he gained his strength back, he was p'oed! Now he takes it out on Stephen's shoes :D If he can't get a nibble on Stephen's ankles, he'll get his shoes when he takes em off outside the door. When I can figure it out, we'll upload some video.
I honestly love that critter.
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