help wanted

I did it! For years now I've been promising myself that I'll invest in oil paints. I loved using them at university, but when I started painting again in 2001 (after a way-too-long-to-mention break) I hemmed and hawed for a bit, then decided on acrylics for ease/economy/ low toxicity. I liked them immediately though I'd never used them before. They suit my graphic/layered style very nicely though, granted, it was a style that developed as I learned to handle this new medium. (Which came first -- the chicken or the egg?) Anyway, for years I said to myself, "When I make X amount or sell this much I will treat myself" ... and never did. I realize now that the whole idea of 'treating myself' was what was holding me back. I was considering this a luxury rather than a business expense (a huge, blind pothole in the road of artists who are second-income earners). After all, there's always a transmission to replace, teeth to straighten, vet bills to pay, etc. So when I realized that the series of paintings I've had germinating in my brain for the past few months would work better in oils rather than acrylics I knew it was time to pony up and make the investment. I waited until I was paid for the Texas commission, though! :)

I'm hoping using oil paint will breathe new life into my work and that my attitude won't sabotage my fun. What attitude you ask? Robert Genn summed up my approach using a very positive spin in a recent letter:

Esoterica: There are two kinds of students--recipe takers and recipe fighters. The former listen to the instructor, try to get it "right," and often succeed in doing so. The latter strike out on their own, pay the price of rugged individualism, and fail often. In art, it's all about failure. In art, the journey outshines the destination. In art, mistakes are golden.

I'm one of those golden forgers of grand mistakes. I'm the person who hates asking for directions (fortunately I love maps), never reads the instructions, and nods off when given an explanation that consists of more than two steps. I love to putter and explore. I get frustrated. I throw a lot of stuff out. So tackling the materials is going to be a bit of a learning curve for me. Here's what I got to get me started:

There are eight colours of Gamblin paint, plus black and white. I was looking for Liquin but they were all out so I got Galkyd as a medium. I don't use medium with acrylic so I'm not sure what to make of it. I bought three brushes that I won't use with my acrylic paint and old-fashioned "The Masters" brush cleaner. Oil painters: am I on the right track? What should I use to rinse my brush between colours? Should I use rags or paper towels? How much medium should I use with my paint? I also discovered this old can of Ecolse Quick-Drying Oil Painting Medium III at the back of a cupboard. Is it any good and, more to the point, will it still be any good? Also, if you know of any on-line info that is short (very short) and sweet, please point me in the right direction.

Before I get to play, though, I have to do two more of the landscape-plus-goodies drawings for Effusion Gallery. Do you think I have enough discipline to keep my fingers off those tubes?