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2021 Update: This was originally published 2013. Since then, most painting manufacturing companies are producing paints without cadmium. Cadmium can be poisonous when ingested or absorbed by skin...and this can be a very slow, long time. Now, I don’t stick paintbrushes in my mouth. I don’t fingerpaint very often. It really makes me wonder if people eat paint that the manufacturers have to remake a paint formula that’s worked for hundreds of years. The next question about the new paints is how archival are they? Until my tubes are used up, I’ll use up the few cadmium paints in my studio. I’m not going to eat them! As for the price of a tube now, I don’t know. I can tell from the color name that this particular red has “hue”...which means it’s not an “original” formula and is considered less expensive than cadmium (at least in 2014!).  Hot Summer Palm Trees, 8x8 inches, acrylics on canvas board ©2013 Angeline Marie It is hot. It's humid. The palm trees are dripping with rain drops. The sun comes out and sizzles the water off the fronds. It is hot. Hot orange, hot blues, some greens is how it feels in Florida most of the time. Hot Summer Palm Trees began as a palette. A tube of cadmium orange hue paint costs about $26...so most of my leftover paint is incorporated into the backgrounds of new paintings. That is how most of the layers of paint evolved to this design.  I am walking to my painting studio daily to get relief. My painting studio is gratefully at home. It is a space where only music and painting thoughts are allowed. Serious conversations are ushered to a different area of our home. To help you have some relief, allow me to remind you that June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. I've many fun quirky cat paintings to adopt. I love to joke that my cat paintings NEVER need kitty litter changes, shopping trips for food, or vet visits. My cat paintings only want you to enjoy them. So here are the latest kitties in my shop! Most of my cat paintings are 6 by 6 inches, acrylic paintings. Some are ready to hang, some are only on paper.  My palette of acrylic paints for a dog and a cat painting. Most artists will advise you to organize your colors around your palette. I’ve tried. I just make a huge mess. Why bother? I lay out my colors as I need them. I keep the paints fresh between time blocks with sprayed water and plastic. Can you tell which colors are used the most during this painting time? Your hint is to look at the size of the colors, lol.  View of my taboret that includes water, paint containers, brushes, and spray bottle full of water.  Fire and Damage," 2010, encaustic techniques on board, ~8 x 8 inches. $105 Art inspired by photos of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Crisis. Originally published May 12th, 2010. Writing in an earlier blog post about how strict nuclear power is because of past human error events, I have since learned how the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill may affect nuclear power plants. Because some nuclear plants use existing and natural water systems as cooling systems, this oil spill may threaten the canal and wetlands that help nuclear power plants run (specifically thinking of those in Florida, Louisiana, etc.). The existing water intake designs are not made to handle crude oil intruding into them. More water cleaning to do because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. If you followed the Senate hearings yesterday [May 11th, 2010], the gist was to improve standards of the oil rigs, industry etc. The added regulation would help the oil industry prevent and detect more often than correct (to loosely borrow a work line)!!! Maybe the governing entities would force preventive equipment maintenance! Interesting link: Another player in the clean up is the Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Visit the Center's Web site at www.marinelife.org. Update for 2021: I’ve no idea if the standards for oil rigs and industry have improved for the environment, but I do believe there’s been oil leaks since this one happened. This is the last of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill series of blog posts I’m updating and resharing. I chose the three blog posts because they had really high views. There are more paintings in the collection, as well as more blog posts over in my old Blogger, if you’re interested. This was originally published in 2012: As mentioned, most of my art is made while on-the-run. In Paris, I ran around with a heavy bag full of markers. Ridiculous! At home, my supplies changed a wee bit. The first change was the size of my colors. Here is a quickie on how I made my current favorite watercolor paint set (otherwise known as palette). It is so small, it fits easily into my jeans or shirt pockets. It weighs almost nothing at all. The colors are juicy. If the case breaks, clear tape works fine to hold it together until I find another nicely sized eye shadow color set.  The Dollar Tree is a wonderful place. Score! Step 1: Find a nice eyeshadow set. This is super when you want to recycle...let me have your old sets, please!!!! Step 2: Soak in water, overnight. Step 3: Dig out eyeshadow with any handle tool such as a paper clip, fork, etc. May need to repeat step 2. Step 4: When all spaces are clean, pour from the tube of watercolor into the place wanted for that color. Do under fill. Step 5: Allow to completely dry. Step 6: Enjoy while on the run!!!!!  Thin, light case, places for 12 colors. Perfect!  Soaking in water. If you wish to know how to make an "official" watercolor palette for yourself, this is a great source: Artists' Journal Workshop: Making Your Own Pan Paints: 'via Blog this'. Cathy Johnson also mentions why manufacturing companies of watercolor tube paints dislike artists making these palettes. I agree with Cathy - the paint works wonderfully when re-wet. The re-wet paint works better than the stay- dry-until-use paint, to me! Feel free to let me know what you did for colors on the go! Would love to know what your favorite on-the-run creative tools you use for drawing, writing, etc. Please share with a comment or an email to me: [email protected]  The well loved travel paints on the right with a recently filled sketchbook. 2021 update:
I still love using this travel paint set. I still love this size sketchbook. The major change is that I use a Pilot Decimo fountain pen instead of the fine line pen and pencil shown in this last photo. I’ve lost track how many times I’ve refilled the set. It now has clear tape on the lid to help hold the crack from spreading. Overall, yep, still works for me! Also, Cathy Johson mentioned here can still be found sketching and painting! |
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Drawing, painting both analog and digital, and other artsy things while living in Costa Rica.
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