A labor of love
I took most of the last year off from painting while we were renovating/selling our house and then searching/buying/moving into a new one. I had forgotten how long my varnishing process takes. It is so much more than just putting on a layer of varnish....its a slow, meticulous process...
Since I use mixed media, i.e. pastels, graphite, etc., along with acrylics, I need to make sure that the other media doesn't smear and is fully protected. So first I apply a fixative. Then once that is dry, an isolation coat., which fully seals the surface before the final varnish is applied.
Only after this all completely dry, do I apply a UV satin removable archival varnish. I use a removable varnish because this enables the varnish to be removed if the painting ever needs to cleaned for conservation purposes.
All this insures that my paintings will be around for many years....to bring beauty and joy to the lives of future generations as well as yours. 😊