Happy New Year!

The year 2012 is rapidly winding down. Although I didn't get everything done this year that I wanted to do, I did accomplish some cool things, and I am hard at work--and making progress--on several new projects!

So, I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year, and I'll be back with new posts, and new stuff, in 2013!

The End of Lead (Flake) White?

Several fairly-common oil paint colours are becoming scarce. Safety and environmental regulations have caused many European countries to ban the production of lead carbonate (pigment PW1), the main ingredient in oil paint colours like Lead White, Cremnitz White, Silver White, Naples Yellow, Lead Tin Yellow, etc. (Winsor-Newton recently moved their operations from the UK to more-highly regulated France, and recently announced that it may suspend production of their genuine cadmium oil and acrylic colours, in addition to colours containing PW1. I'm not aware of any acrylic paint that incoporates PW1.)

Colours containing admium are considered less harmful than colours containing lead, but cadmium is still considered toxic.

I bought my first tube of a lead-based oil paint on the advice of a college classmate during my sophomore year: Winsor-Newton Naples Yellow. Having any lead-based pigment on campus was against school policy (but, what they didn't know, didn't hurt them!)

I loved using the colour, especially for skin tones. I use Naples Yellow for skin much less these days, preferring Yellow Ochre (or glazing transparent or semi-transparent colours) for flesh, but there are still times when Naples Yellow comes in handy.

During my juniour year, I puchased a tube of Flake + Mica from Robert Doak, and it's been my "go-to" mixing white for several years--esepcially for skin tones, where it's semi-trasnparency is superiour to the chalky opacity of Titanium (PW6)--and flake doesn't have the potential delamination problems associated with zinc (PW6).

I'm currenly into my second 150ml tube of Doak's Flake + Mica.

Using toxic pigments like cadmium and lead frightens many painters, but the dangers of these paints can easily be managed. Following a few simple rules. like not eating in your studio, making sure to wash your hands frequently (and every time you get paint on your hands) and/or wearing protective gloves, will virtually eliminate the health risks of using lead or other toxic pigments.

I don't wear gloves when I paint, because they adversely affect my grip on brushes, paint tubes, palette knives--and especially airbrushes. But, I do wash my hands frequently, and I don't eat in my studio.

Some oil paint manufactuers--namely Michael Harding in the UK and Mr. Doak in NYC--have vowed to continue offering lead whites as long as lead carbonate remains available. Old Holland recently increased the prices on their lead whites; a 40ml tube of OH lead white can retail for as much as $25.00, or more.

I've been stocking up on flake white (photo) buying paint from Winsor-Newton, Williamsburg, and Holbein. I'm hoping to place another order from Robert Doak in the Spring, and hope to obtain at least three or four more 140ml tubes of his Flake + Mica.

Lastly, owning paintings that were made using PW1 is not a problem; lead white is toxic primarily when eaten. The danger from lead paint in Chinese Toys and lead-based house paint is that kids peel off chips of the paint--lead-based paint flakes taste sweet. Children eat the chips, and get sick.

I haven't heard of any instance where a child was injured from eating paint flakes from a painting, and I can't imagine any collector letting a child get close enough to a painting to peel and eat the picture!

Anyway, I've been working hard on The Presentation of Spiders this weekend, and the four figure has been drawn, and painting will begin soon. Also, I have an idea for the image that will go on a four foot by four foot panel I've prepared over the winter, too.

So, new stuff is on the way.

Thanks for reading.

Looking back--Looking forward.

Yesterday, I found out that my website is down; I'm going to call the hosting company tomorrow, and get the site back online.

I can't believe it's 18 November, already--only six weeks (or so) of 2012 remain.

I'm always torn, as a year draws to a close, whether to speed things up and try to finish as much of the not-yet-completed projects from the year before the year ends, or keep steadily working (with the attitude that whatever does or doesn't get finished now, can be completed next year)--

--or whether it's best to start work on some new projects, and worry about finishing the older stuff after the first of the year.


I actually began a new piece today, with the smallest beginning of a sketch. I have a 48 x 48 inch panel built, and I've been wondering what image might be best suited for a large, square panel, and this afternoon, I thought of something that I think will be amazing!

I still have three other paintings in various stages of completion: a small piece that's nearly done, Presentation which still has a long way to go, and a third piece that's about one-third complete.

Lastly--believe it or not--I've actually started working on the drawing for the next painting in the "Invented Faces" series!

So, what I've been feeling as a sort of "slow-down" during the third quarter of 2012 has ended, and I'm feeling really good about picking up the pace, once again.

There will be some new stuff posted here, soon.

Life Drawing from 2010

This is an "older" life drawing I found the other day. (I've been reorganizing my studio. I have the "large" 37 x 72 inch drafting table in place now, and I've moved lots of stuff into other rooms throughout the house, and have many of the things I need in more accessible places throughout the studio. And, I've found a few things I'd forgotten about.)

This is about 11 x 14 inches, charcoal pencil on paper. I don't remember the model's name. This was probably done in a bit less than 2 hours.

Now that I have it photographed, I think it should be dry-mounted, to get rid of the creases. Then, I'll probably frame it.

Hope you like it.

A new life drawing...

Last Thursday night, I attended a local life drawing session, and made a pretty decent drawing (if I may say so, myself!) The group meets weekly, but I haven't been in several months.

I would like to get in the habit of attending at least once a month; it's great practice, and I think it's important to support groups like this. There are at least two other life drawing groups in Kansas City, and most major cities probably have at least one group like this.

So, you can probably find one near you...or, start one, if there isn't one nearby already!

CD Review: Emily Autunn: "Opheliac"

Most people are familiar with the list of topics that shouldn't be discussed in polite company: politics, religion, and money. To that list, I would probably add one more, "music".

During tonight's Presidential debate (and that's as close to politics as this blog gets, I promise!) I was driving home from a local art organization's monthly meeting (where I had just given a presentation on airbrushing), and instead of the debate, I was listening to Opheliac, a 2006 CD by Emily Autumn.

From time to time, I have purchased music based on a review in a magazine, without hearing any of the music prior to buying the CD. From King Crimson's Discipline, Kazumi Watanabe's Mobo Club, and Danielle Dax' Blast the Human Flower, to Lustmord's Heresy, Faith and the Muse's ankoku butoh and Amy X Neuberg's Utechma, I haven't chosen poorly, yet. (Honestly!

This CD is no excaption.

Now, Emily is probably an acquired taste (though, as a long-time Tori Amos, Bjork, Laurie Anderson, Kate Bush, and Amy X fan, it wasn't hard for me to acquire it) but anyone who enjoys Lady Gaga, shouldn't have too much trouble enjoying several of the tracks on Opheliac. And the CD as a whole is worth repeated listening.

The opening (and title) track begins with harpsichord (which doesn't sound sequenced), and quickly transitions to a combination of orchestral chords, distorted vocals, and a driving industrial beat.

Autumn's vocals often channel early Kate Bush and Toyah, but much of the album reminds me of no one more than early Amy X Neuberg--especially the second track, Swallow, with its lilting sequenced trills, and upper-register vocals.

Liar ventures into full industrial territory, ala NIN and KMFDM, and shows off the lower register of Autumn's versatile voice. The track does suffer from the repetition of one lyric line--which reminded me of the too-many-times-repeated "I love him" from Bjork's otherwise sublime and beautiful Pagan Poetry.

The Art of Suicide is another harpichord piece, this time with subtle drum-machine clicks and whirs providing the 3/4 signature, and laced with (given Autumn's violin chops) what are probably (mostly) real strings.

I Want My Innocence Back takes us back to hard-edged NIN territory, while Misery Loves Company combines strings, drum machines, and the full range of Autumn's voice, for a song that Laga Gaga might have written for Pat Benator (or vice versa).

God Help Me starts out with a driving beat, similar to much of the rest of the album, but ends with another harsh repetion, this time of the title phrase. Shallot is an upbeat anthem to eagerly-awaited death (!), and until Loreena McKennitt and The Crystal Method actually collaborate, this is as close as we're likely to hear. Gothic Lolita, Dead is the New Alive, and Let the Record Show finish the album nicely.

Although this album isn't as lush as Hounds of Love or quite as polished as Utechma, these are thirteen mostly strong tracks, and I think Emilie Autumn is interesting enough to watch.

The Deluxe Edition of Opheliac includes a second disc with eight additional tracks.

Her new album, Fight Like A Girl, has just been released.

A word (or two) about donations...

I considered not writing this, but I think it needs to be said.

Artists are often solicited to donate their art to fundraisers by various organizations, and although there is a reward in the simple act of giving alone, there may be reasons why it's not always a good idea.

I heard a presentation by an organization recently, and decided to donate to their annual charity art auction. I chose to donate a "good" piece; a spider painting that had been featured on the postcard advertising one of my recent shows. I figured that folks who saw the piece at the auction, if they later ran across my work at a future show, would recognize the work as mine, even if they didn't remember my name.

I've donated to a few art auctions over the years, and I've usually found them to be a positive experience. First, my work is "out there" in front of the folks attending the auction (who might be a completely different audience than the folks who come to one of my shows); the auction determines what someone is willing to pay for the work, helping me to establish (as much as possible) it's "true value"); and I get another name for my mailing list--someone who already owns one of my paintings!

This particular auction, though, chose not to provide donating artists with the contact information for the folks who bought our work. Although I received the donation form, for tax purposes, showing that I donated a painting, having a way to contact another person who liked my work well enough to pay for it, is really important to me.

One local organization actually provides each donating artist a complete contact list for everyone who makes a purchase at their annual art auction. The name(s) of those who bought work from the artist receiving the specific list, is circled.

Although I don't regret the decision to donate work to this particular auction, I think that--given the fact that there are always more organizations looking for donations than I have work available to donate, I will not be donating to this particular auction, again.