Varnishing is the only painting task I hate. Cleaning brushes, sharpening pencils, preparing canvases, all boring but pleasantly so. I don’t mind those tasks. But varnishing is unpleasant. Varnish is smelly, sticky, finicky stuff. I can be very creative at finding ways to put it off.
The paintings have to be thoroughly dry so no moisture gets trapped under the varnish. I use acrylics so my canvases would be cured enough after four days. This time I waited about three months. Best to be safe, right?
The house has to be very clean to minimize any dust landing on a wet canvas. It would probably be enough to dust and vacuum the studio, but this time I cleaned the whole house: inside cupboards, drawers and closets, the tops of cabinets, behind paintings, the undersides of chairs. I washed all blankets and afghans. Aired area rugs and cushions. Sorted the junk drawer. Cleaned the refrigerator. It took six weeks. I had to clean the house again after cleaning the house because by the time I finished the odd places, the ordinary places needed vacuuming and dusting again. But it delayed the varnishing quite effectively.
The varnish must be mixed in a precise ratio of gloss to matte and I needed a glass container with an airtight lid to mix and store it. I’d tried plastic containers before but the harsh varnish chemicals softens them. So I was determined to find suitable glass. That took four weeks, most of which was spent forgetting that I was looking. Found the perfect jar at Big Lots where it had probably sat waiting for me for months.
The day has to be perfect. Not rainy or cold, so windows can be open. Not windy, so little dust comes in the open windows. Not humid, so the varnish will dry. Not too hot, so the varnish won’t dry too fast.
Yesterday was perfect. I had the glass container. And the house was clean. I could think of no other reason to delay. Plus a client was waiting for one of the paintings. I mixed the chemicals, brushed them on, smoothed and blotted drips. And waited. Five minutes, four minutes, three minutes, yes, there it was, right on cue. A dog hair.
As usual, one had stuck to the surface and, as usual, to remove it would ruin the careful brushing of the varnish. This is why I hate varnishing. No matter how hard I try, it’s never perfect.
Varnishing is necessary partly to boost the colors. The mixture gives a snap, a glow to the colors without making them shiny. But the real purpose is to preserve the painting for posterity, for centuries. This may be the true reason I’m uncomfortable with varnishing. Everything else about painting is enjoying the now. I freeze a moment of beauty and keep it safe. It is a moment of my life now. But varnishing requires that I believe the moment will outlive me. That means assuming others will cherish the moment too. I have trouble believing this. Varnishing is facing the immortal. I’m not yet brave enough to enjoy that much truth.
Above: Queen Anne's Lace, acrylic on canvas, 48x36 inches. Freshly varnished. Copyright 2010 ptw.
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