diluting gesso It always foams

Everytime I dilute gesso with water it foams.If I use it on a sealed decorative bird carving I have to use a hair dryer to break up the air bubbles or I end up with craters of gesso.I read the you should not use heat on gesso or else it will shrink and crack.I've tried different brands of gesso and the same thing happens.I have used Jo Sonja's flow medium but it does'nt get thin enough.

I don't think I have ever gotten bubbles when I mix water with gesso?? Are you maybe mixing,beating,stirring a little too energetically? Strange, really no answer!

You're not using seltzer water, are you? I haven't had any thing like this happen, either, and I've thinned geso down with plain water. 'Fraid I can't help you out on this either.

Al

[pinefeathers]

Relax, the foaming bubbles are a normal both from undermixing or overmixing. I prefer not to use any water in my gesse-(I use only Jo-Sonja brand)-but dilute it wiyh only flow medium. A good normal ratio is 25% flow medium to 75% gesso. Often, as the gesso gains shelf life, it tends to thicken. You then will need as much as a 50/50 ratio.

If you insits on useing water as a thinner, then try not to over-agitate.