Brothers At An Event, 2008, Oil on Birch Panel, 20x24Well, it's back to work today. It sure won't be an exciting, awesome, incredible day like yesterday was, but it will be just fine; way better than most days in the last eight years have been. Today seems like a good day for everyone in America to roll up their sleeves, get down to work and get this country straightened out. Not sure if making more art will help much, but it's all I have to offer right now.
On deck for today:
Eleven small landscape underpaintings need color glazes.
Prepping more panels.
I have to tape down gessoed paper on panels in order to do some monochromatic sketches, hopefully I can do them tomorrow. I had hoped to be doing a few of those each week, but oops, have slacked off on that particular goal.
I am finding myself a bit low on subject matter here lately, maybe I used up all my ideas in December when I posted every single day. Or maybe this is what happens when one has a blog for almost three years. But more likely it's because lately, every day here is pretty much exactly the same as the day before, not giving me a lot to write about.
I could display one of my "talents" that people in my real life already know about. A brief question can cause me to go on forever. So help me out with post topics and ask me anything. Can't day I will answer ANYTHING, but I'm a pretty open sort of gal, so will give all questions consideration.
PS. Lurkers are welcome to participate! Email me if you are shy.
13 comments:
I'm curious if you worked with oils and turps while you were pregnant? There is mostly conflicting info about the safety of this. My husband and I are thinking of trying for kids soon and I don't really want to take up water colours or something completely non toxic.
I was going to ask you about your birch panels, but then I noticed the link 'birch panels' and all my questions were answered!
What I want to know is how did you get a photo reference of ALL my relatives for your portraits? Amazing, like looking through my albums. So European. I especially like these men, they look so KGB.
I'm curious to know who are these people? What do you think motivated the jump to this work?
Yes: referring to the oil paint fumes also (I'm not pregnant, nor will I be!)I do paint in the house, just got back to it, and am using acrylics because I thought that fumes might be too much. Years ago I painted with oils, and never worried about such a thing. Painted right next to a furnace, pilot light, my dad smoked cigarettes, what, me worry? However, now I wonder.........do you have a ventilation system, or am I concerned for no reason?
You can't go wrong with a chicken update.
I have to respond to the oil when pregnant question. I just started using water soluable oils because they literally are safest way to go. Acrylics are bad, bad, bad - very toxic. And the actual oil paints are fine it's just the solvents you use with them that are toxic and of course the varnishes.
I know this from a woman by the name of Monona, a biochemist who consults for OSHA, is also a scenic artist.
Tracy, you write so well that everything you write is fun. I enjoy your blog very very much. I was wondering about your work during your college and after ( before your babies). Can you write how it evolved? Do you have some of your favourite work still hanging that you can post? what was the medium and subjects you used? Why did you join Art School, what inspired you then as I understand it was a total different time and milieu.Hope I am not asking you too much personal thing.
Stacey, I enjoy all your figures, they're awesome. But as a landscape painter myself, I would be interested to know when you developed your distinct style in this area. Yes, your style development. I'd like to hear more about that, please!
Ooops. I meant Tracey, Sorry, not enough coffee yet.
Ok; will do some posts on paint safety during pregnancy, how I got a hold of Ellen's family photos for my portraits, and of course a chicken update. Might have to wait a bit for that as I'd like to take some photos and they are all huddled in their house, not exactly photo worthy.
I will also discuss my move to figure a bit further.
And I will also talk a bit more about what I did after college, etc. I do have some older work but it's currently stored in our barn (SO archival out there!) which has about 3 feet of snow in front of the door. As soon as I can get out there, I will post some images. Been meaning to get them in the house and now I have a good reason.
Thanks for the input Laura, concerning safety of our art supplies. You probably know much more about it than I do.
And I will actually answer to Stacy, I have been called that my entire life! Even Doug's father called me Stacy until the day he died! Had to just laugh about that after awhile:)
So after trying to find that comment from Monona I actually asked her again, seems I was thinking of a different water based product- anyway not as bad as I remembered, teach me to open my mouth before I recheck the facts.
Comments from the expert about acrylics:
They are not horrible, they just aren't as safe as people think they are. They contain exactly the same toxic pigments that oil paints do. So they are not any safer to spray, sand, eat around or work at home with. In fact, no art paint should be used at home or in living areas.
The acrylic emulsion base has a small amount of formaldehyde in it and a stabilizer that gives off ammonia. So there should be a small amount of ventilation. They do not need as much ventilation as the traditional oils, but some is warranted.
Thanks for the info everyone. It's tricky with ventilation in Canada in the winter, you don't want to be blowing your heating bill out the window :) I am definitely going to look into limiting solvent and varnish use and increasing ventilation.
I guess I don't worry too much about fumes from paints or turps. I try to keep the turps to a minimum and rather like the smell of oil paints. Yeah, I'm odd. :)
Tracy,I'm curious as to whether you've ever considered teaching art?
I'm also curious as to how your palette of colours came about. I love it by the way and it works beautifully, just wish I could be brave enough to try a magenta sky or purple grass!
Any time you need a filler you can show me photos of your snow and I'll be here watching!
I seem to remember one particularly fine post where you took photos all the way out to the chicken coop and back again...........
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