The Anti-Liquinite

When I got accepted into the BFA program at BYU, that meant that I got a super cool studio space in an old house at the north end of campus. It was the first time I sat down to paint what was in my head and heart - not an assignment. What a great feeling, I was an artist. The painting I showed two posts ago was from this era. While working on that huge painting I got super sick. I have always had allergies, hay-fever and what not. But that spring I was in a sorry state. I realized that the solvents and mostly the Liquin I was using, closed up in that little room, were causing major chemical allergies. I later found out that these chemicals are bad for you, even if you don't show immediate allergic reactions. There are a lot of ailments that can result from the chemicals involved with painting - lead poisoning and bladder cancer to name a couple. Well, I found an alternative that rocks. I use walnut oil, a product by M. Graham and Co. I swoosh my brushes in it to clean them and leave them soaking indefinatly. It doesn't evaporate and it doesn't get a film or an gooeyness. I also use a walnut oil alkyd medium that makes the paint dry faster. Love it! If you paint you ought to give it a try. There are a few times when I can't avoid using some chemicals, that is when I wear this lovely mask.