Each work begins with kiln-dried hardwood stretcher bars and heavy cotton duck canvas.  For larger works, I use aluminum reinforced stretcher bars to prevent warping.  The canvas is hand stretched, and then coated with a minimum of four coats of high quality acrylic gesso to prepare the canvas and make it a sturdy, resilient ground for the oil paint.  High quality M. Graham oil paint is used exclusively in all paintings.  Each painting, once completed and fully dry, is  coated with Gamblin Gamvar varnish, a synthetic resin varnish developed in conjunction with the National Gallery in Washington, DC and used by conservators worldwide.  This varnish will not yellow, crack, or dull with age as other, non-synthetic varnishes will, slowing the aging process of the painting considerably and making it easier to restore when the time comes.