CherylAnnHillsArtist

Its spring and the weather is beginning to warm and we’re supposed to be all happy and inspired and ready for a new season with new life and hope and all that stuff. But its not always the case for everyone. I think I struggle most with the changeover to spring/summer exactly because of expectations. Expectation of great things to come, happy happy happy. And I never feel I’m able to meet those expectations. So, I withdraw. Become stoic and reinforce my invisible armour. Yesterday I went plein air painting for the first time this season. I was absolutely uninspired. The resulting working was meh. Some dude on the trail behind me shouted out “those are the wrong colours”….. I didn’t flinch. Wrong for who? Is what I thought. Then a tiny teeny voice reminded me I do this for me first. This is, my paints are, and what my brushes produce, become an extension of me. Its me. On the canvas. Why would it be anyone else?? I will spend a lifetime learning about who I am, what I like, what I can...

As an artist who almost exclusively paints with oil paint, I get this question a lot. Is oil paint toxic? The simple answer is no, oil paint is not toxic. The paint itself is made of a pigment which is ground into an oil base. The oil base can be made with linseed (most common), walnut (my preference), poppy, safflower and other less common sources. The pigments were originally from natural sources such as; mineral salts, semi-precious stones, cadmium sulfide, crushed cochineal beetles, various natural clays,  buckthorn berries, bones and charcoal to name a few. Some modern day paints still use these sources while others have adopted synthetic sources to achieve similar pigments. While some of these pigments do contain toxic properties, when handled correctly in the studio they do not pose a risk to the artist. (ie: do not eat) The solvents used in oil painting can be toxic, however again when handled correctly this is not an issue. A solvent can be used to clean the brushe...

R ecently I reacquainted myself with Pablo Picasso and his story.   Listed in the top ten of most popular visual artists of all time by most opinion pieces, his career spans 79 years and flows through 8 recognized periods including early works, the Blue Period, the Rose Period, the African Period, a study of Cubism, examination of Neoclassicism, works representing Surrealism, and lastly later work that embodied practices and elements of the preceding periods. Not only did his work evolve and change but he also explored various media throughout his career including painting, ceramics, sculpting, poetry, writing and even stage design. Born in 1894 his life ending in 1973; he left behind a glorious body of work that remain both inspiring and informative to modern day society. Today, if an artist decided to take a similar path and change direction as often as Pablo had, friends and advisors would most certainly take issue. Why? Pablo's  seeming directionless career ...