Calling all artists…
Michael Harding, maker of handmade oil paints, is on a non-stop quest to meet artists directly and share his passion for quality art materials. This is a talk and demonstration geared for the artist who is interested in understanding why the quality of art materials used is important to the value of their painting, with discussions on pigments, oils, consistency, suggested uses, toxicity, safety, etc. or whatever questions you may wish to raise with Michael.
‘My paints are made by hand, using techniques which date back to the days of the Old Masters. There is a very simple reason for this painstaking process. As an artist and painter I wanted to create colours that were true and vibrant, and paint which was beautiful and durable. The greater the pigment content of a paint the greater the resistance it has to fading. Nearly all manufacturers use various fillers to extend the volume of the oil paint. It may increase profits but it compromises on quality. I totally refuse to do this. Why make something exceptional and then dilute it?’ Michael Harding
Michael has been making oil paint for nearly 35 years. Artists using his oil paint include Howard Hodgkin, ‘…this is incredible paint… the most beautiful Vermillion you can find.’ When given sap green he remarked, ‘Fantastic-it’s the same shade green as the menus they had in Paris in the 1940s…’ Clearly colours are about moments and memories for him. David Hockney describes the paint as, ‘…the first quality oil paint – excellent’ while Chris Ofili states, ‘Michael Harding’s oils are beautifully honest paints – for the beautifully honest act of painting’.