To some, my studio might look like a jumbled mess, but to me, it looks ordered and purposeful. I have three easels. I use the third one, the one not shown, for drawings.
I expanded my palette from my habitual dozen colors to what you see now on my home-made palette. Just because I no longer count every penny (now it’s every quarter), I still hate the thought of scrapping off dried, unused paint. The butcher’s tray on the counter is just the right size for my palette, and the tray’s lid preserves the paint and keeps it fresh overnight.
The palette might look scribbled, but you see it after a long day (the early bird!) of painting. When I get around to scrapping off the dead paint, I’ll refresh it in exactly the same way: the same colors in their same locations. I think I could mix colors blindfolded.
I hoped to finish Grand Army of the Republic Highway, the painting on the left-hand easel, during my last session but it wasn’t meant to be. I keep working until my eye is happy. How else can I do it?
I’ve been using sun-thickened oil of late, and I like it. You can see the additional dual-chambered medium holder next to the palette on the painting table. I add a small amount of the honey-like stuff to my regular medium. Keep your medium thin, folks! People who disagree and point to artists like Rembrandt miss the obvious: his thickly-painted passages standout because they contrast with large, thinly-painted areas.
Anyway, I bought my sun-thickened oil from Doak year’s ago and I hate dealing with them. They never answer my questions or respond to my emails. The last time I tried to order, I called 10 minutes (their website is antique) before closing time and no one answered the phone. Bah. So I am making my own. That jar of urine-looking stuff on my windowsill is cold-pressed linseed oil that I am patiently converting to wonderful sun-thickened. Better than stand oil in every way.