ARTIST DESCRIBES USE OF SPIKE LAVENDER

It is always interesting to hear about the different ways artists use Oil of Spike Lavender.  This is a description from one artist who recently wrote us:

“Oil of spike lavender is less toxic then natural orange turpene and is actually better than turpentine as a solvent, something I did not think possible. Used on its own for wet and thin underpainting, it produces a very smooth matte finish. I personally mix it with linseed oil and damar resin in a ratio of 1/2 oil of spike, 1/4 linseed oil and 1/4 damar resin (which is a slightly thinner version of the traditional mix, 1/3 solvent, 1/3 linseed oil and 1/3 damar), and I often apply a very thin layer on the entire canvas before painting, which allows a great control of the paint on the wet surface. When dry, it makes an amazingly smooth, uniform and shiny surface. For each new layer, I add a bit more linseed oil and damar to the mix, which makes it more fat and shiny. By the last session on a painting, the ratio of oil of spike is down to about 1/4 of the mix, and by that point the higher ratio of linseed oil makes the medium super shiny, while the higher ratio of damar resin makes it dry as a very solid film, which can also be used as a varnish.”