Wallis and oils?
 

This is for Chris Saper.

OK, I have searched high and low to see what and where you got the idea for oils on Wallis paper.

Can you elucidate? I have been obsessed since Friday!

Hi Debra,

Kitty Wallis has advertised the suitability of her paper for oils. I spoke with her when I began experimenting, since interesting oil painters in this marvelous substrate would be a great boon for her business.

I'm the pleased and proud owner of a Chris Saper portrait on Wallis paper, and it sure looks great.

I purchased some Wallis paper a while back to try this out, but must confess that it got put on my list of things to do. Thanks for reminding me to get it out next trip to the studio and have a go.

Here is my first Wallis experiment. Richard, 18" x 14', oil.

Oil on paper? I thought that was a longevity no-no. Is there some sort of sizing/ground on the Wallis paper that isolates the layer from the paper fibers?

Actually, Michele, the term "paper" is extremely misleading.

Here's what the Wallis archival paper is made of:

Base Paper:
Meets Library of Congress starndards for permanence; archival 100% virgin cotton rag, acid free and buffered; developed in consultation with art material conservation experts from the National Gallery and Smithsonian;

Coatings:
pH Neutral archival adhesive; Wallis proprietary neutral pigmented coating;

Grit:
Inert white aluminum oxide.

The paper feels like vinyl, and is coated on both sides, gritty on one side. You can literally submerge the paper into water. It can be underpainted with or without stretching or mounting on panel (as I do), in water-based pigment washes, pastels/acetone (like my blue drawings), mineral spirit or rubbing alchohol washes, or oil, without ever buckling from moisture.

I really love this stuff.

Thanks for the info. I'll have to try it out!

This sounds like a neat support to try - I particularily like the texture of Wallis paper, but had never considered painting on it!

Chris, can you elaborate a bit on what you do to prepare a panel for painting (i.e. what type of panel do you mount it on, what type of adhesive, etc)?

If I could mount this to foamcore or something, it would make a fabulous alternative to carrying canvas boards when plein air painting...

My process for oil painting on Wallis paper is just like I prepare linen: I mount it with acid free Demco glue (www.demco.com)on to Masonite boards.

Additional information is here . You can search for "Wallis" in the Search message icon at the top of any Forum page, as there is a great deal of information available.

New Tradtions Art panels, (www.newtraditionsartpanels.com) now offers prepared gatorfoam-mounted Wallis grounds; the difference is that New Traditions uses a heat-releasable adhesive, whereas the Demco adhesive is permanent.

Chris,

I use the Wallis paper for pastels and intend to do more with watercolor/pastel combinations but wonder how, why, or when you would choose the paper instead of canvas. Your painting is a wonderful example of how successful the paper can be employed but what drives your decision of one over the other.

Dear Jim,

As to the "why", I suddenly found myself at the end of a large roll of Belgian linen (the linen that used to be offerred through ASOPA) that had lasted me years - when I called to re-order it, I found the company had gone out of business.

Having tried several of the Claessen's varieties without satisfaction, I threw my hands up in the air.

At the same time I had just about stopped painting pastels, and had at least 2/3 of a large roll of Wallis paper on hand. And that was that.

I have since tried several other Claessen's varieties from New Traditions, and really love them, so I am happy to have the linen option as well.

What I particularly like about the Wallis paper is that oils are so controllable, and it offers a wide variety of surface texture. It can be as painterly as you wish, or extremely smooth and finely detailed. The grit is so fine, that there is no weave to interfere with even the tiniest stroke.

PS And, no, I am not on the Wallis payroll.