Art Treehouse Newsletter- August 2018

Newsletter – August 2018

The Art Treehouse Newsletter features artists, techniques, and news largely drawn from the resources of our customers.  We find that artists who write us often have the greatest insights into the various ways materials can be used, as well as the new materials we should be developing.

Art Tree at Mt Lassen

This image was sent to us by Suzanne Cerny, who was taking a vacation in the Northern California Cascade Range.  Suzanne said in her email, “This is for the Newsletter!” 

Photos sent to us….
It is always great to hear from artists who use materials from The Art Treehouse.  The above photos were sent by Safa Qureshi, who arranged the various oils she uses and complemented them with other materials around her studio.  Read more about Safa’s work here!

Kathryn Noska

Beholding What Becomes
“I work completely solvent-free due to having multiple chemical sensitivity, and am only able to use the Art Treehouse paints.  I am so appreciative! In this painting, I used Benzi Orange in the fox, Quinacridone Magenta and Ultra Violet in the butterfly, and Buff Titanium mixed with Yellow Ochre and Ultra Violet for the ‘wall’”. 

Close Up Detail

Kathryn continues: “I work with very thin layers of paint, only adding a little extra Water-Washed Walnut Oil as needed.  I also use very tiny brushes… that fox is approx. 2.5”.  My website: kathrynenoska.com

Samuel Shelton Describes His Process

Here is a remarkable new painting called The Gift Giver, by the artist Samuel Shelton! 

“I started with a detailed drawing on a traditional hide glue gessoed panel. I then started from the bottom of the figure and painted very tight from the get go with small round brushes. I worked my way up the figure and background inch by inch. I went for a finished product right off the bat because it is due into a major show and I had a deadline to meet. Read the full article.

ARTIST SAFETY ISSUES!
It is always good to remember that oil soaked rags should never be piled up, because it can lead to spontaneous combustion.  Rags should be submerged in water or disposed of immediately after use.  However, many people are not aware that oil soaked rags can be a concern even if they are washed! In December of 2017, the owner of Soul and Sea Restaurant in Penn Hills, PA washed and dried a bin full of towels soaked in cooking oil at a nearby laundromat. The clean towels were stacked on top of each other, and they heated up until they burst into flames. The problem could have been avoided if they had simply used the cool-down cycle on the dryer.