Just rediscovered one of my passions...

[Naturalist]

I used to make my own paints, from raw pigment and binders. I also made my own inks (walnut and ox gall). Then, when my son was born, I put it all away so that he wouldn't get into the paints and get sick.

For only the second time since he was born (he is now nearly 8) I pulled out my paint supplies. I taught a workshop on how to make: watercolor, egg tempera, oil, encaustic, and pastels using pigment and medium. I had four students (perfect class size) and they were thrilled to be learning it and that it was all so easy.

I had forgotten how much I loved making the paints and working with handmade art materials, and also I was worried that I had forgotten much of the technical details. Not so! I can't wait to rework my studio space so that I can start doing this again!

I hope if any of you have old interests that you have reluctantly "put aside" that you will find the opportunity to revisit them sometime. It is very gratifying!

 

[watersprite]

Neat-o, I am interested to hear how it goes. I just put in an order for paint and other supplies, & was thinking about this. The beautiful glass muller has always caught my attention when looking at catalogs or online art supplies.

I am re-igniting bike riding. Now that we live here I have an amazing, astoundingly vast place to explore.

 

[Naturalist]

Neat-o, I am interested to hear how it goes. I just put in an order for paint and other supplies, & was thinking about this. The beautiful glass muller has always caught my attention when looking at catalogs or online art supplies.

I am re-igniting bike riding. Now that we live here I have an amazing, astoundingly vast place to explore.

It is really easy to make paints. If you get the muller from the catalog, get a piece of tempered glass from a glass supply place for the palette--much cheaper than buying from the art supply places. Then all you need is a pigment (start with your favorite color) and a binder (start with the one you use most, such as linseed oil if you paint with oils or gum arabic if you do watercolor). Grind them together in small quantities, adding the binder drop by drop until you get a consistency you like.

I really want to take up bike riding again. We have some excellent trails, but since I have to drop my son at school every day I haven't been able to ride on them to get to work. Enjoy the opportunity!

 

[Naturalist]

It is really easy to make paints. If you get the muller from the catalog, get a piece of tempered glass from a glass supply place for the palette--much cheaper than buying from the art supply places. Then all you need is a pigment (start with your favorite color) and a binder (start with the one you use most, such as linseed oil if you paint with oils or gum arabic if you do watercolor). Grind them together in small quantities, adding the binder drop by drop until you get a consistency you like.

I really want to take up bike riding again. We have some excellent trails, but since I have to drop my son at school every day I haven't been able to ride on them to get to work. Enjoy the opportunity!

I should add, you don't NEED the lovely muller to make the paint. It makes large batches easier, but for most things I just use a little at a time so a palette knife works fine.

 

[Rocco]

I began painting again recently. It is always thrilling to pick up a shelved interest!

 

[watersprite]

I should add, you don't NEED the lovely muller to make the paint. It makes large batches easier, but for most things I just use a little at a time so a palette knife works fine.

Thanks. I can buy the glass locally and a little binder and pigment and do some experimenting. I can't wait to try it. Oil first, I think.
May time open up for you to ride again.

 

[Naturalist]

I began painting again recently. It is always thrilling to pick up a shelved interest!

So glad you are painting again Rocco! Your work is beautiful, I keep hoping to start collecting artwork I like but haven't managed to get ahead in funds... So you will know I have finally made it through a month with money to spare when I can claim one of your masterpieces!

 

[Aspergirl4hire]

I've gotten as far as gessoing some panels and pulling a photo as a subject aid. I'll get there. Sloo-o-o-wly.

In other news, I've finally searched for writer's colonies and there's one close enough to me. I'm currently stuck on the application form, which wants me to list my published works...which consist of two poems so long ago I don't even remember the name of one of them, and a paper that was published anonymously by my employer. I'm thinking the only thing I can really do is list two awards and send in copies of the letters, and hope for the best.

 

[grommet]

I love your paintings. Since I first began looking at them I haven't been able to forget how they made me feel. I am so glad you put them up for us to see.

I began painting again recently. It is always thrilling to pick up a shelved interest!

 

[Naturalist]

I've gotten as far as gessoing some panels and pulling a photo as a subject aid. I'll get there. Sloo-o-o-wly.

In other news, I've finally searched for writer's colonies and there's one close enough to me. I'm currently stuck on the application form, which wants me to list my published works...which consist of two poems so long ago I don't even remember the name of one of them, and a paper that was published anonymously by my employer. I'm thinking the only thing I can really do is list two awards and send in copies of the letters, and hope for the best.

Thanks to the traditional gesso I use, that stage can take a month per panel! Then about six or seven more to decide what to paint

I HATE the "publications" portions of the forms... Dammit, one often needs to go to a writer's colony just to FINISH something, sans interruptions, before getting round to publishing! One freaking thing at a time people!!! Expectations seem so backward in our world...just like the poor kids who graduate with Masters degrees but can't get jobs that pay more than minimum wage, because they lack experience; or the people who have loads of experience but no degree. And then you finally get both and you are outdated because you haven't kept up with the tech...

Anyway, I feel your frustration. Good luck with your application!

 

[Emya]

I love to sketch. Seeing this made me want to put more time into it again.

 

[StephF]

I love my creative side, mostly digital media. It's nice to create something.

 

[Naturalist]

I love to sketch. Seeing this made me want to put more time into it again.

I am so glad! Sketching is very therapeutic for me, it's like an acceptable stim, but I also tend to get lost in it so it is hard to keep up when I am busy with other things. Welcome to AC, Emya!

I love my creative side, mostly digital media. It's nice to create something.

It is! I would love to learn digital media, especially for scientific illustration, but for now my tech level is stuck in the middle ages, at least where art is concerned! I hope you get to indulge your creativity often!