Cleaning my Brushes: Padreno after the Gale

by Pat Darnell

Introduction to My New Idea for
Couch d' Art

This little oil painting keeps popping up in my blogs. And here it is again; that is because I think everyone desires a wall hanging. Let me explain.

It was done hastily on a canvas board after I finished another larger painting -- it was a stab at finding a use for left over paint on my palette. Many times my smeared up palettes look much more interesting than the finished painting.

It turns out framed artwork is illustratively final, and can be off color once you get it home and try it on your walls. Also, oil on canvas board is a no-no because slow evaporating oil needs both sides of the surface to be open to air. The smeared look of the finished painting is always disappointing with oil on canvas board. The best ground is primed linen. But more on that later.

This is so true especially if the artist is red\blue deficient. Many of us males are , by the way r\b or red\green "deficient;" [don't believe me; go get your eyes tested for it]. Many Impressionists had cataracts and other vision problems.

My glasses were so imposing most coworkers called me Poindexter... or Four-eyes. I went through the contact lenses stages, to get away from the bookworm image... only to become intolerant in an allergenic way. It was during the years when smoking was not banned in the workplace.. so probably second-hand smoke was rasping my lens covered eyes as a non-smoker.

Yes, people used to sit at their drafting tables smoking and drawing eight hours a day, indoors. Ouch -- that brings back raw memories, of sweat box drafting rooms and printing shops...

Today we have Lazik technology that will cure any person with acute sight problems. And I am also a Lazik patient. My parents, both in their eighties, have had double cataract lens replacement surgeries.

Guaranteed I have had plenty of experience with vision, persistence of vision, color theory first hand, and am very sympathetic with anyone who has vision development problems.

Now that all said, here is a plan. I will put color families up on this site with some degree of accuracy. If you want a painting done, you tell me which family of colors your abode is ranged, and WAA-LAA!

Look for it in MooPig Paint future sidebars, as I scan\cut\paste and make it happen... it is really based on two larger families of Pastel and Primary... you will get it, and maybe become more secure in picking wall hangings for you lovely homes.
- Pat Darnell and Friends