My Art Notes: October 2016

Monday, October 31, 2016

The Joys of Painting Outside

And this is where my morning painting ended up at Airport Mesa.
I have a few things I want to do to finish it up.

I'm loving painting outside more and more. It's the one thing that manages to get me out of bed early excited to start the day. The thought of going somewhere beautiful to paint really thrills me. I'm in the right place for it in Sedona where beauty abounds.

A really fun day is when I paint in the morning and in the late afternoon at different locations. That's what I did this past week.

The photo in the center of this post is at sunset at Red Rock Crossing with a wonderful view of the iconic Cathedral Rock. A blank board awaits the touch of paint.

Airport Mesa, Brewer Trail, Sedona, Arizona
Plein air painting.

I went to Airport Mesa for my morning painting session. The photo to the right was my view of Sedona looking toward my hood in the Village of Oak Creek. The road you see is the Red Rock Scenic Byway.

So far, I've gone three times to each location this past week to paint on each painting. This is not your typical way of plein air painting. I have not built up my speed yet to complete them in one sitting.

I've come to enjoy a 12 x 24 inch format. It lends itself well to an expansive landscape like Sedona.

Sunset at Cathedral Rock in Sedona,
blank board waiting for painting to begin.

My acrylic en plein air set up.

My plein air setup is still using my acrylic paints. I feel comfortable now with this set up after all these months of trying to figure out the logistics of plein air painting.

I need to figure out my set up for oil paints. I have dragged them out of the closet so I'm getting close to the conversion from acrylic to oil paints in alignment with doing my small part in saving the planet... lol... grandiose? I don't know what impact my converting from acrylic to oil will make on the larger environment, but at least, I will feel better knowing that I'm doing what I can in my own small way.

Below are a few other photos for your enjoyment.

As always, I love to hear from you. Leave a comment below. Share this post.

Cathedral Rock. This is where the painting
is at this stage. I still have work to do.

About the Author

Braylee Rush (Mary Gravelle) is an artist, author, and creativity catalyst and consultant. She resides in Sedona, Arizona with her loving and efficient assistant, Sir Kitty. Her other websites and work are: Wisdom Painting for Self-Discovery, Igniting Your Intentions, Sedona Art Hikes.

Contact her today with painting commissions, requests for creative work, consultations, or one on one coaching sessions. She is happy to paint something just for you. Or she can help you delve into your creativity and come out with your own unique expression.

Inquiries

Inquiries about this en plein air acrylic landscape painting can be made through the contact page.

And, as always, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.

Sir Kitty

Until Next Week

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Monday, October 24, 2016

Oil Painting is Non Toxic

Oil Painting Studio Set Up

As evidenced in my previous blog posts, I am searching for non toxic ways to create my art. Non toxic for me means not only non toxic to me and my studio process, but also for the environment.

Last month, I delved into this issue with these blog posts:

On Becoming a Green Artist

Is Acrylic Paint Environmentally Friendly?

How Far Down the Integrity Rabbit Hole Should the ...

I discovered, much to my horror, that my beloved acrylic paints are petroleum based. Since I signed petitions to stop the North Dakota pipeline, the issue of our heavy reliance on the oil industry has peaked. As an artist interested in protecting the environment, I search for answers and alternatives to my practice of making art.

Sun Fire, 9 x 12 x 0.75 inches, Acrylic on Canvas.
Copyright 2008 Mary Gravelle.

This past week, I attended a lecture by Scott Gellatly, Technical Support Representative at Gamblin. His presentation was fantastic, assuring me that using Gamblin oil colors is safe for the artist and environmentally safe as well. You can read a great article on their website about studio safety.

Gamblin oil paints are made with linseed oil, which is derived from the flax plant. They also use safflower oil in the making of some of their colors. All paints are made from the same pigments. Oil paints use plant oils as the binder whereas acrylic paints, according to an email received from Gamblin Oil Colors, use "emulsions of plastics derived from petroleum." This is not okay with me.

Passage, Oil on Masonite, 16 x 20 inches.
Copyright 2006 Mary Gravelle.

Now the question arises, "How much petroleum does the art supply industry actually use in the production of acrylic paints and other media?" Should we as artists care? I think so, if we care about the environment. I have to believe that many do. With all the oil spills that have harmed and killed wildlife on the Gulf Coast, we had better care and become activists for the place we call home, Earth. If the North Dakota pipeline is successful, which I would have to think it will be with all the pressure from the oil industry, our country is in danger of much more harm being done from our dependence on petroleum.

As one artist, can I really make a difference? I don't know. But, I must try. I must be true to what I think is the right thing to do. I might not be totally ready to switch to oil paints but I'm close. There are more issues to discuss like oil painting mediums.

As I become more aware of this issue, I'll write more. Stay tuned...

What do you think about any of this?