Thank you for attending the Genesis Artist Colors®, Genesis Heat Set Oil Paints Seminar with Tracy Moreau, Genesis Instructor

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Genesis Artist Colors®, Genesis Heat Set Oil Paints Seminar
TRANSCRIPT LOG OF August 27, 2004

Good evening Ladies....and Gentleman

My Thanks to Von and David for having me here this evening, and Thanks to you for your continued support of their efforts.

For those of you that have never used Genesis Paints , I have one thing to say....get a sampler set and try them!!! I started out 28 years ago , painting with Reeves Oils, and over the years have switched from Oils to acrylics to water colour and back to oils .... Several times. I took a Genesis Class 4 or 5 years ago, and was immediately hooked on them. They have all of the benefits of painting in oils, the blendability , the colour vibrancy, the long open time and None of the Drawbacks. Virtually odorless and requiring no solvents to clean up , it is one of the most user friendly fine art products I have seen in years.

Genesis is technically Not an oil paint ... it is perhaps closer related to the oven bake type clays that are used in crafting. Made with Polymers and a catalyst , Genesis will remain wet indefinitely. When the Paint is heated to 250 to 280 degrees the catalyst causes the paint to dry. You must maintain this temperature for several minutes to dry Genesis fully.

Now what possible benefit could this unusual quality have to and artist....well... imagine never having to waste paint because it has dried on your palette , or ruining brushes that you forgot to clean. Because Genesis Paints Don't dry until you heat set them , your palette will remain wet and ready to work no matter how long you leave them untouched. When you come back to your paints after a long hiatus , you may find they are a bit stiff , but they will quickly regain their smooth and creamy consistency as you work them with Brush or palette knife.( Genesis paints are thixatropic, sorta like Margarine) Imagine what this does to your set up and tear down time!! This also means you never have to carry a WET painting home from class again

I am particularly fond of the well thought out packaging, Genesis paints are sold in individual unbreakable Jars instead of tubes ( This eliminates mess and Waste) and in Sets (the sets include a heat gun) Due to their unusual properties Genesis has its own line of Glazing , Thinning, and Thickening mediums. It is recommended that the artist use the mediums developed for use with Genesis, though some traditional solvents can be used, the results are often unpredictable. All of the Genesis kits come with an instruction manual that provides the artist with invaluable product information , I encourage you to read it and familiarize yourself with every aspect of this product.

In nearly 5 years of using Genesis I have found very few drawbacks , Some plastics and porous materials like wood can't be used for storage , or for palettes, so I use a piece of plate glass as a palette and I set it in the bottom of a card or shirt box and cover it with the lid when not in use. You can purchase empty Genesis Jars to store "mixed colours" or you can use baby food jars.

Preparing surfaces:

Whatever surface you decide to paint the preparation will decide the success or failure of your piece .

Wood : Ensure that it is completely dry, any moisture on or in the surface will cause the paint to blister and or peel off. Try leaving the wood piece in a very slow oven for a couple of hours if you are unsure it is completely dry. Base coat with acrylics and allow to dry. (Thoroughly)

Metal: Clean it thoroughly with a mild detergent to remove any surface oils and debris. Scuff it and prime it using a water based primer and allow it to dry THOROUGHLY. Base coat with acrylics of your choice and allow it to dry. THOROUGHLY ! I recommend using the heat gun to set pieces painted on metal, you are less apt to over heat the piece.

Canvas: I use double or triple primed stretched canvas. I prefer the Gallery wrap format , as I like the unframed look and often continue my painting all the way around to the very edge. ( I Do Not use canvas Boards as the heat often softens the adhesive that is used to hold the canvas to the board , causing the canvas to lift and peel away. )I base coat with my Acrylics and leave them to dry overnight. These I heat set in my Conventional Oven. The instructions for this are in the PDF file available from Von.

Glazed Ceramics: I have experimented with this and have found that the best result comes from etching the glazed surface with Etch All and then transferring my design and painting as usual. ( I really like the Brenda Stewart Designs...They are Wonderful for Genesis !!!) I like to heat set these with the heat gun for the sake of control.

Because of the nature of my job I have plenty of time to play... and during a few PLAY sessions I found some nifty things to do with my Genesis... I found I can use them with my Frescolina and my Relief plaster. Now my paintings have TEXTURE!!! Apply the Frescolina as usual and ensure that it is completely dry before adding the Genesis. I used the Thick medium much like my Fini and my Acrylics, I tint the dry frescolina by rubbing the Genesis colour( mixed with a bit of thick medium) into the texture with a shop towel . I heat set after each colour application . This allows for each colour to peek through the following , creating an amazing amount of Depth. ( The Thick Medium makes your colour very transparent and is perfect for this application.) Use your texture mediums to create layers of texture, allow them to dry thoroughly prior to applying your Genesis. Now you are ready to paint , dry brush or detail as you see fit . Be sure that the texture medium you are using will with stand the temperatures required to heat set the paint by testing a small sample before you begin. Makes sure that the texture mediums are dry BEFORE you heat set them or they may crack. You can use anything to apply your texture , Palette knives , piping bags , trowels etc. To Clean my equipment I have found that good old fashioned Rubbing Alcohol works best but dish detergent will also work. I simply soak the brushes in a small jar of Rubby , for several minutes and then gently pinch or squeeze them clean with paper towel. For larger brushes that are heavily soiled I use a bit of Odourless paint thinner . If your anything like me , You will want to experiment with a number of techniques with the Genesis... my advice...GO FOR IT . Try it all, Washes , Impastos , Glazing techniques, whatever.. you will not be disappointed. The colours are rich and deeply Pigmented and a full range of Values are available. Ask for the Colour mixing booklet and take the time to brush up on your Colour theory or take a colour theory class if you haven't already. You won't regret it. These paints will help you become a much more knowledgeable and enthusiastic painter.

I believe that any artist should stretch themselves from time to time to gain a bit more knowledge and insight. We can learn new things from the most unlikely sources. I was skeptical of Genesis Heat set oils when I first encountered them, believing that nothing could be better than traditional Oils..... I was wrong. There is a journey to take in learning to use them successfully but it is a journey you will enjoy immensely.

I did!!

Thank you for you time and attention

Happy Painting.

Tracy

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Please feel free to email Tracy at faux2@mts.net with any questions you may have regarding the Genesis Artist Colors.