Oil paints, yum. I hardly use them, but when I do, they resonate with so much history for me.
I became allergic to the solvents some time in Graduate School at UT, Austin School of Art. Maybe I was practically bathing in turpentine and my nails started to have black stalagmites streaks dipping into them vertically.
I moved to Venice, California and my studio was the living room of our tiny 1911 bungalow not far from the beach so the aroma of turp and oil was too much. I also had begun to create with acrylics on paper for their directness and speed of drying.
I kept a few oil on canvas projects going and yesterday I pulled out a diptych that needed a touch up.
As I pulled out some supplies, memories overtook me and they were delicious.
One memory was my Professor Robert Levers at UT telling me that someday all the other voices from people critiquing and offering opinions and advice and even requests would disappear and you would be there alone with your painting and it would be amazing. That happened today.
The piece Underwater World has had me stop in many times at intervals over the years and it feels great.
Have you had that feeling?
Joyce Lieberman 