Artists Rene Gonzalez and Stewart Beckett tried our Premium Cotton Stretched Canvas and Cotton Canvas Art Boards for their acrylic and oil painting. Here, they share their thoughts and their paintings in progress.
Above image: Detail of Rene Gonzalez’s painting Dissolving at First Light
Rene Gonzalez
This is the second of two paintings I did on a Jackson’s Premium Cotton Stretched Canvas that I was kindly asked to review. I absolutely loved it and definitely recommend it to artists looking for a quality surface to paint on.
I wanted to use a good size (75 x 50 cm) to apply as much of my techniques and tricks with acrylic paint, and overall it definitely lent itself to a great painting experience over the course of a couple of weeks.
The canvas felt like it had a great balance between absorbent and smooth, which allowed for more texture than some prepared canvases I’ve used in the past, where the paint would just drip freely and could be a bit difficult to control. It is of a medium texture, slightly grainy, stretched over pine wood and, in my opinion, just a fantastic canvas!
I know I’m not alone in thinking that Jackson’s standards for artist materials are of the highest quality and I’m always looking forward to working with their products as they seem to put special love and care in what they put out, which is a joy for artists in a modern, low quality, mass production context. That’s without mentioning the magical experience of physically going to their beautiful locale, which feels like going to choose ingredients for an alchemical formula at a master’s atelier.
The works I created for this review were a very satisfactory exercise for me and I hope others enjoy it and that they are enticed to give Jackson’s canvases a try. I am currently working on a new piece in one of Jackson’s bespoke canvases that are custom made, and I’ve requested this stretcher to be fitted with a raw linen surface, and I just can’t wait to see the results.
Nothing But a Little Boy, 2021
Rene Gonzalez
Acrylic on canvas, 75 x 50 cm I 29.5 x 19.6″
About Rene Gonzalez
Rene Gonzalez is a London based painter of Latino background who was born in
Montreal Canada and then lived in Costa Rica before moving to the UK where he graduated from a BA (Hons) in Fine Art Painting at City & Guilds of London Art School in 2015.
Rene paints scenes with dream-like natural landscapes that often feature human or animal characters that guide us through dark forests, ambiguous backgrounds and bursts of trees and foliage against dramatic, eerie skies. These compositions go from echoes of tropical forests, to woodlands in the Northern hemisphere, but always vibrant with a mystical other-worldly feel, evoking a feeling of the magical in our world.
Rene has exhibited in solo and group shows in galleries and different art events across Europe and America, including collaborations with the Messums Gallery, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Auc Art, The Auction Collective and The Great Western Studios. He was awarded first place in the Clyde & Co Blank Canvas Art Prize 2015. In 2019 he produced a mural displayed in the area of Seven Dials as a tribute to the legendary junction and has created unique artworks for entities such House of Vans, Clarks, New Platform Art and the NBA London.
Dissolving at First Light, 2021
Rene Gonzalez
Acrylic on canvas, 75 x 50 cm I 29.5 x 19.6″
Stewart Beckett
I have been asked by Jackson’s to review their Premium Cotton Canvas Art Boards and have produced this 12 x 16in painting using the board.
I found the surface excellent to paint on, and in the studio the board behaved very well. My only concern is that the boards are only 4mm thick, and not as stiff as other canvas boards I use.
I did try painting en plein air with it and found that it got a bit floppy when wet, but the surface remained intact and the painting was not affected. This studio painting progressed well on the not-too-rough surface and took a watercolour pencil drawing fine.
As the paint went down the canvas tooth gave nice feedback, and it made the experience enjoyable. I would recommend them and use them again.
Stewart Beckett’s finished painting, oil on cotton canvas art board
About Stewart Beckett
Stewart Beckett (b. 1973) is a painter living and working in Southampton, England. His thick paint application, and sculptural style stives to capture the fleeting interactions of colour and form in the world around him. He studied HND illustration at Solent University and taught himself how to paint. With an understanding of classical painting techniques, he pushes his work to create a more contemporary view of the shapes and objects in his life. His work has been featured on Sky TV and exhibited at the Mall galleries, London.
Use or search the Instagram tag #jacksonsmaterials to see more.
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