Here it is. (Drum roll please) My first abstract painting done completely in oil paints. I call it "In the Favor of Blue". But, oh, the loooong drying times. I did get frustrated with trying to clean my brushes with safflower oil and broke out some odorless turpentine. I figured if I used it outside, the smell wouldn’t be an issue. As soon as I started using that brush again, I got a good whiff of turpentine. So much for that idea.
As I’ve written before, I have for the most part stopped using acrylic paints. Here is a good article on why. Acrylic paint is nothing more than plastic with pigment. According to this article, on average, we consume a CREDIT CARD’S worth of microplastics every week.
This piece was supposed to be just experimental. I’m actually happy with how it turned out. There are about three layers, with about a week’s worth of drying in between layers. I read that it is advisable to wait six months to add varnish. Oil paintings can take up to 100 years to completely dry. I added all of those small marks to make the piece more interesting.
The colors are hues that I usually associate with the ocean. Few places make me feel closer to nature than the ocean. The lines give it a feel of looking through something. Inside looking out? Or outside looking in? How about you? How are you looking?