The Making of Real Gesso
The Night Time Series 1996 onwards
River Wye at Bredwardine, November 2019 9pm
2017
28 x 16 cm
Sea at Aldwick, Evening Sun at 9pm
2019
28 x 16 cm
Real gesso is an ancient mixture of chalk dust and glue. This is produced over a double boiler and applied as a warm emulsified substance that is ivory in colour. This is separate from contemporary gesso primer which is made from acrylic and fillers, and is brilliant white in colour. In 1975, Coral G Guest received the technique of making real gesso from her Chelsea College studio tutors, one of whom was the painter and draughtsman, Ken Kiff. Gessoed surfaces, when carefully preserved, have been shown to last upwards of a thousand years, and counting.
Real Gesso is traditionally applied to a seasoned wood panel, and used as a ground for artworks using silverpoint, egg tempera and oil paint, before the use of artist’s canvas. As an aspect of Coral G Guest’s work, its purpose is to provide portable surfaces for both painting and drawing.
Guest stores her real gesso surfaces for many years before using them as supports for artworks. They are archived to give the surfaces time to adjust and to breathe in varied temperatures. In the summer of 2019, small-sized pieces of gessoed surfaces applied to hand made board in 2009, were brought out of storage. These now serve as the supports for new small landscapes painted on location.
Other Series, such as the Night Time Series which began in 1996, use gessoed boards.
The Beach at Bognor Regis, Storm Passing, 2am
Gale, gesso crackled
June 1996
40 x 24 cm