I never intended my first blog post targeting a particular tube of paint.  I thought it would be of a grander theme - deep, deep information that could inform or inspire a creative path for someone.  Instead, I am venting about a phthalo experience.  I have heard from several artists through podcasts and workshops that phthalo, both green or blue, on your palette should be used with caution since it will get everywhere.  I have had trouble enough with alizarin and veridian green becoming too persistent in my paintings, so I have avoided colors where these artists I admire are giving a clear warning, that is, up to a few days ago.  

Marc Anderson gave a workshop online through White Bear Center for the Arts.  It was a great workshop that included awesome video feedback.  During his demo he created a beautiful sky that included in small amounts, phthalo blue.  It came with the warning "it gets everywhere" referring to his palette colors, or so I thought.  I bought a tube.  "I'm ready for this" I told myself, "I've done hundred of paintings, and I can handle my materials"!  I went through a 4x8 landscape with contentment and care in my handling of painting of a sunlit field farm scene with a sky that begged a dab of phthalo.  Success!  I liked the painting and that doesn't always occur much less without some sort of back and forth dance to make those art elements work harmoniously.  Time to celebrate!

So starting to make a cups of hot chocolate, I first noticed the phthalo on my hands. I am a fairly clean painter so I was wondering how that happened.  Cleaned that up.  Then it was on the coffee mugs.  Cleaned that up.  Cleaned up my hands again, wiped down my palette lid, paint brush handles, and work area, wondering where I was picking this up.  Sat down on the sofa with my artist sister, Lynette Redner, who is notorious for getting either red cadmium or alizarin everywhere, and she notices there is phthalo blue on the blanket I was sitting by. So where is this coming from?!  I started cleaning the blanket with limited results and I realized there was glob of the beast on the sleeve of my sweater.  I changed my clothes and when I looked in the mirror, I had a cool streak of the phthalo running through my hair.  This was a first and hopefully last for using Gamsol on my hair. So clean clothes, clean hair and I join Lynette again for a cooled down beverage, and I notice it is back on my hands, on the new hoodie I put on, so the investigation begins again to continue finding the source of this phthalo.  It goes on, but you get the idea.  

Next morning,  thinking the phthalo massacre behind me, my dog Sadie, a fearless painting buddy, looked at me sweetly with blatant streaks of phthalo. 

A couple of take aways from this: phthalo blue and yellow lab compliment each other nicely, no oversized sweater sleeves near paint palettes, when used sparingly it adds a richness and vibrancy, and I should have a professional streak my hair.   Spring's Sunlit Fields, 6x12 oil on linen panel