A Passion for Creativity

In The Studio

As you can see, I don’t use a traditional palette for mixing acrylic paint. Those wood kidney shaped ones with all the colors neatly arranged on them are a wonder to me, so neat and organized. However, they feel small and restrictive to work on. The paint saver palettes that are covered in a box, ones with little round or square wells, the paper palettes, plastic ones, I’ve tried them all. This palette is a 21”x23” rectangle of thick framing glass that was handy. Using duck tape on the edges worked well (why is it named after a bird?). The glass sheet sits on top of white paper that has the circle outline of a color wheel, just in case. I considered using a neutral gray paper underneath as a color grounding element but opted for white instead as a mixing background. The glass allows me to scrape paint off easily since acrylic dries fast, even with extenders. Best of all, there is lots of working room. Speaking of wonders, how about the photos you see of artists painting in nice clothes, that is, with not a speck of paint on them. Often, they are shown sitting at an easel in a living room or such, sometimes on a wood floor or beautiful rug.  I’m not one of those either. I feel fortunate to emerge from the studio with no paint in my hair or on my teeth.

The collages are ongoing but recently I started another 48” abstract landscape painting also, feeling the need to hold a brush.  Using Caran d’Ache Neocolor II Aquarelles, I begin with a loose drawing of the composition with the color scheme mostly thought out. But things always change during the process…

p.s. see the floor. LOL.