Curve. All images © Robert Canaga
In the Studio with Robert Canaga
by Luke Fannin
I’m with artist Robert Canaga in his cluttered Eugene
studio, and we’re watching paint dry. Actually, we’re watching it cure —
it’s oil-based, so no evaporation takes place. That may seem like
splitting hairs to you or me, but for Mr. Canaga, an accomplished
printmaker and abstract painter, understanding how his materials work
together is among the most important elements of any composition.
So, we’re watching paint cure. And I’m not even
bored. Not yet, anyway — it’s titanium white, for which the curing
process can take up to 300 years, so there’s still time. Mr. Canaga
keeps it interesting by allowing me to observe as he works a bit on
Curve, the oil and wax piece seen above, and the progression of which
can be seen in the series of images below. He shows me the different
effects of mixing colors with titanium white and zinc white — the former
dramatically alters the value of a color, while the latter subtly
changes its tint, in case you were wondering — demonstrates various
methods of paint application with knife and brush, and walks me through a
half-dozen different ways to alter the texture of paint. He explains
the dangers of using turpentine to thin oil paints and clean brushes,
why he prefers cold wax to encaustic, and the pitfalls of gesso.
This is all news to me, but then, I don’t paint. The
surprising thing is just how many painters are in the dark with me.
“People just don’t know this stuff anymore,” Mr. Canaga says. “Students
don’t know it because they’re teachers don’t know it. At some point this
knowledge just stopped being passed on.”
The problem may be evident; the reasons for it are less clear. Mr.
Canaga points to modernism, and the way it challenged the established
norms of painting. Any groundbreaking movement will inspire innovation
and considerably broaden the horizons for all, but as Mr. Canaga puts
it, “You can’t just throw stuff up and see what sticks.” Additionally,
more and more people mistake marketing for expertise, assuming that
expensive materials are both necessary and high quality. “There’s this
whole industry built around getting you to buy stuff,” Mr. Canaga
explains, resulting in artists spending a lot of money on inferior
products or products they don’t need. It also leads to artists taking
experimental (and cheap) shortcuts in order to avoid paying out the nose
for the appropriate materials. “I’m all for experimentation,” says Mr.
Canaga, “but that has to be done within the framework of what goes with
what.” His advice: “Invest in the best materials and tools. Learn how to
use them. After that, you only have to worry about yourself.”
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Curve, in progress. All images © Robert Canaga
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Robert Canaga is the curator of the Gallery at the Watershed, where you can also see his work. His “Painter’s Materials Workshop” (August 13, 2013) is presented by the Gallery at the Watershed, in association with Create! Eugene. For more information, visit tgatws.com or createeugene.com.
Luke Fannin received a Bachelor of Arts in Composition & Rhetoric
from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2009, and a Master of
Fine Arts in Fiction from the University of Oregon in 2012. He lives in
Eugene with his wife, Amber, and their son, Ezra. He likes reading books
and drinking the many fine craft beers brewed in and around Lane
County. If you see him, feel free to buy him either.
