Lost Sheep in oils

Like the difference between spreading butter and jelly, is painting in oils now for me rather than acrylics. Now, mind you I refer to the butter that’s been sitting out on a summer day, all soft and shiny. I painted in the jelly of acrylics for several years and was afraid of oils with what seemed a complicated and dangerous occupation with the combustible and fume laden liquids.

I found a rosemary stand oil that says it’s safer to use but boy is it strong smelling. I keep it in a tightly sealed container. I use it to clean my brushes and to mix in the paint as needed remembering to paint fat over lean which is not too difficult of a rule to remember but it does take longer to dry so I have learned to use less. There’s a screen in the bottom and under there where I can’t see must be the stuff I scrub off the bristles and on the top is the pure oil which separates and rises like oil does.

So I am about painting over many of my old acrylic paintings – using the themes I once worked hours to develop and adding to it. That’s how this sheep got lost in my painting (above).