Painting. I love it.
Fired up some classical music, made a cup of Earl Grey from leaves, and got to work.
I made up a controlled palette with various colours, and started roughing in and blending for the underpainting layer of a painting of a rose I started a while back.
The underpainting is still rough, but it's starting to come together and look like a painting. Painterly. I like it.
I'm using Graham colours, made in the Portland, OR area. They're ground in walnut oil, so they're GORGEOUS. I use Gamblin products as well, also in Portland. I think the only solvent I use at all is in their Neo-Megilp product. But the painting here is totally oils in walnut, as Vassari suggested. It glows.
I'm really impressed. Both companies are committed to environmental concerns. With Graham, whose oils I will exclusively use now (they glow, dude!) there's only walnut oil used, no solvents. Likewise, with Gamblin, they have a commitment to renewable stuff, and they make a grey from their leftovers. Their air traps filter out dust from their pigments, which they put into the aforementioned grey, which changes year to year and is rich and multidimensional.
Webcam pics and a painting journal entry here but for the record, it looks WAY better in person.
I painted til my eyes crossed, then I went to wash up, and firing up the computer noticed a kind email back from Graham thanking me for using their products. It's a two-person operation and they appreciated the feedback.
This weekend I continue with the main painting. Excuse me, my tea is getting cold.