It’s a Winter Wonderland out there today! I’m not used to snow, so I really enjoy the simplicity of watching it fall and the beauty of a world coated in white.
Around Thanksgiving I met an artist who got me thinking more about using oils instead of acrylics. I honestly haven’t thought about oils in a long time and I’m used to using acrylics because that’s all I have right now. I like that they are fast drying and easy to layer. The lack of any recognizable odor is another plus, and it’s one of those things where familiarity has prevented me from venturing out into using other mediums.
However, one thing that bothers me about acrylics is their lack of vibrancy. (I love definitions and this is exactly what I was looking for when trying to figure out what I felt was missing from acrylics: Vibrancy – pulsating with vigor and energy; stimulating; strong and vivid.) I want more of that energy in my paintings. Color is very important to me because of the emotions they incite.
Then yesterday, I was given a very special gift and it’s something I will treasure for the rest of my life. My step-father gave me an original painting by his late mother. It’s a landscape of Angel Fire, New Mexico and she used oils (exclusively from what I understand). The brilliancy of the blue sky and the bare aspen trees is breathtaking and the colors are extremely realistic.
So now I’m trying to figure out where to start and with what kind of oils. Everyone has an opinion when it comes to paint and what they prefer, so I’ll just have to jump in to find mine. As with anything new it’s a little intimidating, but I’ll get over it. After all, you don’t know until you try and I am definitely hands-on when it comes to learning. Who knows.. I may end up hating oils and run back to my user friendly acrylics. Familiarity can be detrimental to experimentation!
-Robin
