Original works

Some original works are available for sale from time to time. Please contact me by email (phil.stenning@gmail.com) or phone (44) 01536 710573 for availability and prices.

Below are listed the materials and methods I use, in all mediums I currently work in, to give an indication of the material quality of my artworks.

OILS

Paints
All paints used are 'Old Holland' oils which are widely regarded as the finest oil paints in the world. The colours are made using only the finest quality pigments and stone ground in the purest virgin cold-pressed linseed oil. They do not contain any fillers or extenders and are manufactured using 16th century traditional methods.

Paint supports
All oil paintings are painted on canvas which is carefully prepared by myself using traditional methods to ensure longevity of both the paint and the support itself.

I use one of the best linen canvases available (13oz. Superflax from Russell & Chapple) which is extremely dense and very tightly woven. Before sizing, I dampen it and stretch it twice on the stretcher frame to stop shrinkage and warping, to improve size adhesion and test for material defects.

The stretcher frame (mitred and wedged with oak or birch) is made from seasoned kiln-dried pine (19mm x 57mm) and lipped on the front edge to allow the minimal amount of painted canvas to touch the frame. Tacks are zinc plated and canvas edges are all 'pinked'.

The size is hand-made by me using a traditional recipe with rabbit skin glue which I apply using traditional methods.

Finally the sized canvas is primed twice by me using Spectrum white lead primer to create one of the most stable painting surface available.

Preparation, procedures and finishes
In addition to the support preparation, much care is taken when I'm painting in oils to adhere to time honoured methods to ensure the long term chemical stability of the painting. This includes, amongst many others, taking into account the varying drying times of different pigments and varnishes, adhering to the 'fat on lean' formula, and using only the very best mediums (oils, resins, waxes and diluents) in the appropriate way.

Varnishing
My works in oil are not given a 'Final varnish' for 12 months from completion of the painting, as oil paint (particularly impasto) is not completely dry internally for at least 6 months. For short term protetection I use a 'retouching varnish' which allows paint to dry without causing cracking.

The 'Final varnish' I use has a ketone base and is also removable so that it can easily be restored. Two thin coats are applied (the second coat brushed at right-angles to the first if gloss) for a high level of protection and enhancement of colour.

Framing
Frames for all original works are chosen by me and made in my own workshop to a high specification. All mitres are both glued and underpinned, and the frame is assembled using only the best materials available.