I’m using Alkyd Oil Paints for the Jewel Box. They come in exactly the same colors as regular Oil Paints but dry much, much faster. Unlike Acrylics the colors remain true, they stay exactly as you lay them down and don’t darken as they dry. The Amaryllis in the background? They are part of our living Christmas Decorations in the studio! We have several: they were planted in pots, two at a time, 10 days to two weeks apart. This way we’ll get to enjoy the gorgeous blossoms for a long time. If you’d like to enlarge this or any of the other pictures just click on the image.
The critters are perched on a tile floor that makes up the top of the box. I paint it exactly like I do on canvas, covering the entire area with the light and shadow areas.
Then the lines separating the tiles are pulled into the wet paint of the floor. I have to work quickly, the paint is drying fast! I’m totally not used to that 🙂
The edge of the lid serves as the edge of the tile. Then the side is painted in an adobe color with textured brushstrokes. I leave the washed in area of blue-greens at the bottom. It’s now dry and will be the base color for the Geraniums we’ll plant here.
A mass of Pink Petunias fill the ceramic containers behind our “Fur Babies”. The flowers are blocked in with different combinations of Permanent Rose + White.
Geraniums line the bottom portion of the Jewelry Box. I need for all of the flowers to dry before I can do any more work. Hope you’ll come visit our next session; I’ll be painting Baby, Rumsfeld and Gragson. Hugs,
Mikki Senkarik 
December 13, 2014 at 8:38 AM |
I hope you don’t mind a question. I used to paint but migrated away because of the long drying time. I’ve honestly never heard of Alkyd Oils before. Can you recommend a brand and starter range just to give it a go? When I checked them out on the Dick Blick site, up pops up a bunch of mediums and grounds so I have to ask, what is necessary? I’ll get what I need but I really don’t know. Your project captured my imagination and I’d like to give it a try. Many thanks!
December 13, 2014 at 7:32 PM |
Hi Bonny,
We use Winsor-Newton Griffin Alkyds. They can be purchased at JerrysArtarama.com No need to use any mediums or grounds with them. And if you don’t want the Alkyds to dry as quickly they can be intermixed with regular oil paints. This link will explain our Double Primary Mixing system and give you a list of the colors you need: https://mikkisenkarik.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/our-color-mixing-system/
Please feel free to ask questions. HAPPY PAINTING, Mikki
December 13, 2014 at 11:48 PM
THANK YOU!