Red Ochre Fiction

We rode out to the mall this morning, there were very few people and everyone wearing masks. Luckily Montreal has stabilized with the COVID and we hope it continues to improve. I got some more of the 9 x 12" paper I used to make the 'palette cleanser' series, and also found this Fabriano 5 x 7" cold press block with 20 sheets at a good price. I was trying not to buy more paint, but they had a clearance sale and I picked up English Red Ochre (PR101) and Burnt Yellow Ochre (PR102) Daniel Smith brand, and more of the amazing umber (PBr7) from PWC that I first got last year and have used about half of it already.

The funny thing about ochre is that it is mostly made of clay (limonite, geothite, silicates) with a very small amount of iron oxide. That means it can not be burnt (heated) to change its colour significantly.  These product names (burnt ochre or red ochre) are thus pure fiction, the evidence is also in the pigment code PR101/PR102 means iron oxide red. It's no problem really, I knew well what the colour would be after reading about it extensively and examining the colour swatches on Blundell's blog. Most of these colours look the same, I may just mix them all in one giant pot and call it Peter's brick red! 

This painting was also done with the new paper block, it was really quite fantastic, the edges held, it did not buckle, and as you can tell the paint dries very bright. I think I'll pick up more since 20 sheets will only last a few weeks at the rate I'm going. The burnt yellow ochre was used in the retaining wall in the painting, it is a deep maroon, and the English red is in the other brick wall to the right, it is identical to a burnt sienna.  Let's call the new paper and paint a belated birthday present. 

Benny Retaining Wall, 5 x 7" cold press, watercolour, May 2021 (No. 2631b)