To Paint In Oils or Not To Paint In Oils...

I do a lot of shows over the course of a year and I have been often asked if my pastel paintings are in fact oils or if I paint in oils at all. The answer has simply been, "No, I really enjoy using pastels". And I have. But in all honesty, I've never learned to use oils and have never really wanted to learn... until now.

This past year, I have broken 4 pieces of glass on my framed pastel paintings. A couple of times the piece was ruined and the frames damaged. I am a practical and frugal person and I have always admired the durability of oils and the way my oil painting friends treat their finished work so casually - stacking them up, touching the surface, framing without the fragility and weight of glass. But I do love pastels. The range of colors and how I use them is a tactile experience that I never want to give up. They are a wonderful medium and I feel I still have so much to learn about them. I want to continue to grow old with them. But I took all of that broken glass to be a sign.

So I have decided it's time for me to expand my knowledge as an artist and teach myself to paint in oils. Some of the finest artists I know paint in both oils and pastels. I want to join their ranks.

I do have some experience as an artist. I write about my experiences with pastels in a couple of other blogs, but I'll have to see how well that knowledge translates to a new medium.

So here I go. This blog is devoted to the experience of learning how to paint in oils. I have no experience in painting in oils, as will be clearly evident. So wish me luck.