Introduction by Mark Golden

We have been debating the content of our Just Paint Newsletter, trying to define our direction as we move forward to champion the research, innovation and value of modern coating technology, especially the acrylic resin. Yet we are now also a company that manufactures one of the most beautiful oil paints in the world. Should we keep our interest solely in the writing of articles on acrylic, staying true to our roots as a company, or can we feel comfortable in sharing our knowledge and interest in other traditional media? In the last 30 years we’ve generated a good understanding of traditional materials especially as artists have pushed us in that direction, both in making custom oil paints as well as working with many of the artists that continue to combine both acrylic and oil. We have finally come to the conclusion that Just Paint is just that – all paint, and should contain information necessary to inform all our customers of the most important technical issues within the vast field of artist paint technology. It should also provide insights to future research as well as be inspired by the innovation and conversation that has kept us all passionate about sharing and supporting the most complete information resource we can provide on all our products.

To this end, this issue features our first article on grounds for oil paintings. We can’t think of a more requested topic than, “what is the appropriate ground for oil paintings?” Most artists working in oil are currently working on top of an acrylic ground. So as a bridge to both our worlds of acrylic and oil, and to provide a greater understanding of the most important bridge for a painting, that between the support and the paintings, Sarah Sands’ article, “Using Oils with Acrylics” will begin to open wide the technical issues facing artists from the ground up. In continuing the review of grounds, Amy McKinnon has written a complementary article, “Make a Mark,” sharing the insights of how many of our products are performing as surfaces for a wide range of drawing media.

For all our Just Paint readers, we will continue to share our passion for making paint and the recognition of all of us for the trust you place in us in the continued legacy of the works created with our materials.

Mark Golden