Friday, May 14, 2010

Untitled 13 (oil)


36" x 36", oil on linen.
Sold.

This one, with a lot of glazing, was almost done quite a few months ago, but I got so disgusted with Liquin, Galkyd, et al (I find the fumes intolerable) that I put it aside while researching alternatives. I eventually found M.Graham's Walnut Alkyd glazing medium, nontoxic, no fumes, and (so far at least) works wonderfully. I can't believe there was an oil glazing product out there that wasn't harmful to one's health and I didn't know about it. But I am extremely glad to know of it now. It uses walnut oil as opposed to flaxseed (linseed) or poppyseed oil or safflower oil. Linseed is the most commonly used oil for paints, but the manufacturers tell us that it is okay to "mix" oils in a single painting (e.g., most of my oil paints use linseed oil). On the label it instructs the use of a maximum of nine drops of this medium per inch of squeezed tube paint. It seems to be a good amount; I've been using the full nine drops for a very sheer glaze. The photo is a bit glare-y.

I'm just amazed I can now glaze without killing my nervous system. It's great.



The weather has been so horrible for the last couple of weeks. It's doing what it did last spring, and which it never used to do...thanks, Global Weirding. It has been snowing!--second week of May and snowing!!--and raining constantly. Boulder used to be known for being sunny almost all the time. I'm hating it. Waah.



Tortured tulips.


More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

12 comments:

Casey Klahn said...

Great work! I admire your proficiency with oils, and it is not easy working with yellow. You are the bold one!

SamArtDog said...

Chin up! You've got lots of sunny yellow to combat the gloom, and your tulips look like strawberries.

Anonymous said...

beautiful result Jala! i am working on glazing at the moment and recently tried a medium mix that Paul Coventry-Brown suggested on his blog (link on mine). Dries superfast too.

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Yay to the painting. Lovely soft color!

Bleah to the snow. I surely sympathize and hope warm, dry weather comes very soon!

Pam Holnback said...

Interesting about the walnut alkyd. Lately I've been using walnut oil from Safeway to wipe my brushes (suggested by a young man at Meinniger's). It seems to clean, condition the brushes, and glaze the painting all in one. Then I just use a little gamsol at the end.

Caroline Simmill said...

How are you finding the drying time with the walnut glazing medium Jala? I used walnut oil to clean my brushes and for painting but the oil paintings took weeks to dry off which for glazing didn't suit how I was working. If you keep the lid on the liquin as you work the fumes are not so bad. I do the same with the non odour turps. I would love to use the walnut oil but I need the painting to dry overnight so I can work on it the next day. As I remember you get a beautiful sheen with walnut oil.

Caroline Simmill said...

A very beautiful painting by the way!

Jala Pfaff said...

Thanks, Casey! You know how I love yellow.

Sam - Wow, you're right. They DO look like strawberries! I wonder if that's what everyone (else) is thinking they are.

Hi Rahina - Thank you. I looked at that medium and I think it would kill me. (Semi-seriously speaking.) The product I'm using is working perfectly for me and no fumes nor toxicity whatsoever. How are you liking yours (Paul's)?

Thanks, Elizabeth. Who stole our sun, is what I keep asking.

Hi Caroline, thank you. For me the glazes are drying in less than a week, but certainly longer than one day. We live in a (generally! until recently!) drier climate than you do, so maybe that's why. For me the tradeoff of waiting longer than a day (I have several paintings going at once, always, of oil-glazed paintings) is SOOOO worth it to use this product. NO fumes (I can't take even the slightest whiff of Liquin or I almost pass out and feel nauseous) and no toxicity. It's incredible. Beautiful look too.

Anonymous said...

hey Jala, I am suffering with glazing. I liked the medium but it dries too fast for me. I think i will leave it to the profesionals and those who dont chew their brushes:)

loriann signori said...

Ooooo..I like this one. what a glow you have created! Thanks for sharing about the walnut oil. I will try it.

Daily Paintings said...

Beautiful piece!

Anonymous said...

Great info on the walnut alkyd and it comes up a lot in articles etc. Glazing- yet another realm. You've got a way with it.
Never understood why those toxic plastic-y mediums are appealing. I love the smell of a tube of paint- seemed like a contradiction.
I didn't like the smell either.

Thanks for explaining it.

Rumi, wistful Rumi of the White Shutters. Love this shot.