Paint, Mediums and Varnish

Sawdust Connection carries the finest quality paints, mediums, finish and sealer supplies and accessories. Alan and I have been have been using Jo Sonja paints and mediums for many years because of the quality and coverage. When I switched from oil paints (due to allergies to linseed oil) to acrylic-based paints I experimented with every brand on the market but none could compete with the wonderful colors or the coverage provided by Jo Sonja's paints. Al uses mostly the fluid background colors because it's easier to thin and get into tight spots in his carvings. I fluctuate between those background colors and the tube paints depending on my project. I also love their iridescent and metallic paints on my gourds so it only seemed natural to offer them to my customers and students.

Mediums, Finishes and Sealers

Al and I both use a variety of sealers depending on the project. Al uses a variety of finishes for his carvings and wood working projects including mineral oil, Krylon Crystal Clear and a variety of others which are all dependent on the individual project.

For me I also use a combination. I love using brush on finishes for the control. For this I prefer the Jo Sonja Polyurethane Satin on my gourds and on my woodburnings I use a polyacrylic finish made by General Finishes. Most of my gourd ornaments are finished with a Krylon Gloss finish and this is just about the only thing I use gloss for. Many of my gourds that I want a natural finish with no sheen at all I use the Americana Matte Spray finish. Most of these are now available from us in our Mediums and finish department.

Jo Sonja has been used by fine wood carvers for many years and they work great on gourds as well as on wood and other materials. Jo Sonja paints and mediums are some of the finest quality on the market at a very reasonable price.

Jo Sonja’s Decorative Painting System developed as a result of collaboration between innovative paint company, Chroma, and renowned American Folk Artist, Jo Sonja Jansen. The commitment of both, was the development of a brand that used today’s exciting technologies to harness the techniques of the past so that a lasting heritage would be produced for the future. The paints and mediums are made in the USA and Australia. Developed to the exacting specifications of Jo Sonja Jansen, these paints are renowned for opacity as well as their ability to thin to the most transparent glaze. Jo Sonja Jansen has dedicated her life to making high quality acrylic paints for Decorative Artists, Tole Painters, Rosemalers, and Crafters.

As a student or a professional artist, your work will naturally show improvement when you start using better quality materials. Your creativity will increase even more after mastering the various faux finishes and other techniques. Jo Sonja's is the most comprehensive and versatile decorative painting system in the world. Using it will open up exciting possibilities for you.

Earth Safe Finishes (formerly Terre Bella Finishes) Generation Green are the finest Earth Friendly non toxic water based products available on the market and I have had a blast experimenting with them on my gourds. They have a wonderful array of products for the gourd artist and other crafters. We have been carrying these products for several years and I just love them. They are earth friendly, water-based, easy clean up with soap and water and made in the U.S.A.

The Generation Green products have no VOC'S and are safe even for people with allergies and sensitivities. I have used them with the Gourd ink dyes as well as the Jo Sonja with great results.

I have also received requests from many of my customers for products which I usually order and test out personally. If they meet the muster then we do our best to obtain them from the manufacturer or local distributor.

For a tutorial on decorating gourds please go to the Gourd Crafts 101 Tutorial

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