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Here's an easy and cheap way of making a brush washer for oil painting using a glass jar and a plastic container, with kerosene as the solvent. The holes in the plastic container are made with a power drill and a 1/4 inch high speed drill.
After the jar fills up with sediment in can be discarded at the recycling center on toxic waste day.
Also check out the GJ post on Ed Ahlstrom's design for a coffee can brush washer, link.
20 Comments on Brush Washer, last added: 6/22/2009
That's actually pretty bizarre the applesauce cup fits pretty well in there. Though I'm gonna have to wonder the same thing Scott's thinking, because I've never seen a glass peanut butter jar. They're usually a plastic of sorts, and often not a terrific one.
I wonder if there's some stout mason jars you can find that aren't as big...
I imagine that jar of kerosene can be dangerous in certain sun/heat conditions...
The peanut butter is called "Santa Cruz Organic," which you can get at health food stores. But if you have an assortment of extra straight-sided glass jars, one of them is bound to fit. I refill the kerosene at the hardware store at about $2.00 a gallon and store it out of the direct sunlight.
Turpanoid Natural makes a good brush cleaner, safer than kerosene and better for the environment. It's expensive, but the gunk settles eventually and you can pour off the clear portion to use over and over again. The only downside is that the gunk never solidifies. I use glass pickle jars and rotate them so I always have a settled one ready to pour into a clean jar.
Wow that's really handy! I had no idea kerosene could be used as a solvent, so interesting.. I'll have to try that with my turpenoid, the stuff could last SO much longer with this awesome little (and convenient) invention. Thanks for the tip, James!
Also, you should do more little videos like this one, I really enjoyed it :]
That is really clever. I've been using a screen at the bottom of a coffee jar, but as you say in the video, it scratches up the brushes so they don't last as long as they could (and get annoying tattered edges on them, too).
Thank you so much for showing us this! I really enjoy your blog a lot and gain a lot of insight into all things artistic by reading this.
Julia
P.S. I'm surprised you use kerosene. I haven't heard of that...usually I use mineral spirits. Is there a particular reason you are choosing kerosene?
We were discussing the other day the relative merits of two instructional media: books vs. video/blogging.
This video illustrates the advantages of blogs as instructional media.
I would guess that this video took you less than 30 minutes to make.
To have written and illustrated this same tip for inclusion in a book would have taken much longer. And books are much harder and more expensive to distribute.
From the learner's viewpoint, the video conveys this tip more vividly, efficiently and usefully. The blog also facilitates for feedback to the author.
Books have one advantage, I guess: longevity. You can put them on the shelf for later reference.
Can you think of any other advantages books might have?
Julia, I use kerosene because it's not a highly refined solvent and it's low volatility. That basically means it doesn't vaporize as quickly as other solvents and has less odor and is less flammable. It does a good job of cleaning brushes, but of course it is a petroleum product, and as Kathy says the Turpenoid is probably better for you.
Dan and Eric, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It took almost no time at all. I think video is great for showing how to do something, but books are better for really studying an image and for working through the thinking behind something. My hope is to combine books and videos in a way that uses the best of each medium to reinforce the other.
My question is how did you clean all of the peanutbutter out of the jar? (I've tried -- it takes forever)
I use Gamblin's Gamsol to clean brushes while painting, which I like because of its low odor/ lower toxicity. Its more expensive than kerosene but I set up a series of settling jars and reuse the stuff that is still good -- so it lasts a long time. Gamsol is a fine solvent for oil paint but I occasionally use Ralph Mayer's medium mix (which contains Damar varnish) and then I will clean those brushes out with Kerosene and then soap and water to clean out the kerosene smell. I keep the kerosene in a covered coffee can in my basement inside the can is a Bob Ross brush cleaner screen I picked up somewhere. I guess its a happy brush cleaner.
I tried turpenoid natural but found that it left a greasy film that didn't appeal to me.
Here's a comparison chart on solvents (its on Gamblin's site so take it with a grain of NaCl): gamblincolors.com/solvents/solvent.comparison.html
It doesn't include kerosene but the flash point of kerosene is between 100 -162 degrees F.
Kerosene ??? really..Does it not have a high flash point...and does it not leave an oily residue on your brushes....Sorry but I have not heard anyone even consider the use of kerosene in over ten years... So what are the plusses to using kerosene other than cheap cost and cheap high.... You know...I love your site...but I have not heard of anyone using it ...not since ten years ago with all of the kerosene heater fires....and that kind of ended their popularity.
I'm sold. Your using kerosene has convinced me to give it a try. Another painter friend of mine suggested it last week, and I've been hesitant. He said you have to remember that you can't do washes with it because it doesn't allow the paint to dry, so use a medium instead. But the advantage is supple brushes that don't get burned like odorless thinner will do. Really enjoy your blog, James! www.jimmycraigwomble.com
Jimmy, you got it right. I never use kerosene as a medium or thinner for the paint itself, just for cleaning brushes. After removing the paint in the brush cleaner, I dry off the brush on the paint rag.
The actual painting mediums are in small palette cups on the side of the palette, and I use Gamsol, Galkyd, and Liquin.
Hmmm, kerosene ehhh? sounds so dangerous... Ive been using OMS in the biggest pickle jar I could find. I then took some aluminum armature wire (1/8th)used for sculpture to make a spiral ( just like in the silicoil tanks. Good thin about your system is that there is no need to keep decantering!
For pleine airing i have the same wire (its also clad with a thin layer or plastic, so its really nice to the brushes) at the bottom of one of those plastic accordion type containers used for watercolors. it fits neatly in my pochade box, and then i just have the liquids in plastic no drip bottles the same size as the small square w/n medium bottles.
The question is though, do you still use soap and water to get rid of the kerosene or do you leave them to dry with kerosene in them? And how does kerosene affect synthetic brushes?
Smuckers makes a natural peanut butter in a glass jar. It can be found in any grocery store. Thanks for this video. I had all the supplies on hand to make one of these. Took me 5 mins. (the jar was already clean)
Palettes appear in many paintings, especially self-portraits, and they reveal something about the artist’s thinking and working process.
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) doesn’t show his working palette: after all, where’s the white? Instead he wants to let us know that he understands Isaac Newton’s theory of primaries and color mixing.
In the Middle Ages, artists kept their paint in shallow containers like shells or saucers, and expressed a dislike of mixing paint.
The first reference to a mixing palette was from an account of the Duke of Burgundy in the 1460s, where he described “trenchers of wood for painters to put oil colors on and to hold them in the hand.” Often palettes were set up by assistants, which helped standardize the procedure for laying out the colors.
The practice of mixing colors on a palette was common in the early 1500s. By 1630 it was a lively topic. Vasari said of Lorenzo di Credi that he “made on his palette a great number of color mixtures.” Above, Velasquez painted himself in Las Meninas in 1656. Note the sequence: red and white, yellow, with dark and cool colors away from the thumb.
This detail of a portrait of Asher Durand by Daniel Huntington, reveals a typical arrangement, with light colors at the top, that is, near the thumb hole.
As this self-portrait by Milly Childers shows, often bright red pigments like vermillion were placed ahead of white because red was seen as a valuable, intense color, different from all the others and in a sense brighter than white.
Above and below are by Sargent. Blues, greens, and black went away from the thumbhole. The paints were usually placed on the outer edge, away from the body, which makes Paul Helleu’s layout (below) a bit puzzling—there’s a real danger of getting paint on his jacket.
References to palette knives show up around 1650. Elaborate premixed tints became a common practice by the late 1600s. During the next century artists more frequencly used a “loaded palette” with fully developed gradations of tints and variations. A Swiss painter’s manual in the 1820s compared the gradations on the palette to the notes of a piano keyboard.
Whistler was said to spend an hour preparing his mixtures. Delacroix’s assistant reported that it sometimes took days to set up his master’s palette.
Cezanne (left) and Picasso (right) were evidently either ignorant or indifferent to these traditions, and showed their own palettes hanging vertically with a few confused and random smudges of color.
Now with the resurgence of realism and a revived interest in the craft of painting, palette arrangements are a hot topic again. Many artists work on a tabletop or taboret-mounted palette instead of a hand-held palette. Let me know how you set up your palette, and I’ll try to do another post in the future about contemporary methods.
Thanks for another fascinating post James! My own palette is closer to Cezanne and Picasso, a very random arrangement. And I only stick to primaries. It means I spend more time mixing during a painting, but I think it means you are forced to control colour, having to mix the same tone several times over.
I cant resist this post, Ive now collected 78 artist palettes, and my collection continues to grow. Here is how my palette is set up:
Flake White Ivory Black Raw Sienna Yellow Ochre Cadmium Yellow Light French Vermilion Perm. Alizarin Cobalt Blue Ultramarine Blue Burnt Sienna Olive Green Viridian
And a purple mixture of Cobalt and Alizarin, a mixture apparently used by the old masters, however they may have used Rose Madder in place of Alizarin. If absolutely needed, I'll put out Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, or Naples Yellow. I find with the palette above I rarely need these 3 colors.
I came up with this palette and its arrangement, after studying all the palettes I collected. I have Ivory black and Raw sienna next to each other, because I mix these to colors to draw with. For plein air I stick to the palette you suggested, which is John Stobart's palette of 6 colors. In this order, Flake White, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Cad. Lemon, Winsor Red, Perm. Green..
Thanks for this Great post,
Jason p.s. Notes on Sargent from John Collier's book.
He disapproved (Miss Heyneman continues) of my palette and brushes. On the palette the paints had not been put out with any system. Sargent: "You do not want dabs of color, you want plenty of paint to paint with."
Thanks, Moyse. For those who don't know, Paul Moyse is a brilliant caricaturist from the U.K. Check out his blog "The Art of Moyse" for amazing demos and insights.
Jason, I was thinking of you when I worked on this post, because you're the expert on palettes. I like the way you set yours up, and the logic of putting the paints more or less in spectral order makes the most sense to me, too.
I find when I'm painting outdoors I grab all the tubes I think I'll need and lay them out in order right on the palette, and then squeeze them out. That way I can edit out colors or switch their order before I take off the caps.
A fascinating post, as usual. I'm always interested in how other artists set up their palettes and which pigments they prefer and how they arrive at the colors they do. All grist for my own mill.
I like a limited palette both because it suits my color sense well and because it lends itself to control and color harmony in the painting. For example, I mix Winsor Violet (dioxazene) with Cadmium Yellow Light and touches of Cadmium Red for earth colors. They resemble Raw Sienna and Yellow Ochre, but they have a richness lacking in the latter, and hold up better when mixed with the cool colors (Ultramarine Blue, Indanthrine Blue and sometimes Prussian Blue)and color harmony will be a given, rather than something that I'm working at, as all the colors will have some pigments in common.
I mix all my greens using either Prussian Blue or Indanthrine Blue and Cadmium yellows. I use Flake White and never use black for shades of a color. I find I can get a perfectly good black using Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue, sometimes further darkening it with a little Dioxazene Violet. You can get a really intense black using Alizarin and Prussian Blue.
For a palette I use a disposable palette on top of a taboret.
I'm a beginner; my palette is a piece of glass taped to foam-core, and I group colors that I'll be combining together and mix my range of colors from those nearby. If I'm finished with a color (or think I am), I'll mix it into a different color. EX: If I'm trying to make a skin tone, I'll put white, orange, and yellow next to each other, with a darkish blue, a brown, and dark rose red nearby.
Great post, I am int collecting palettes as Jason is of different painters as well.
Whistler is one of my favorite painters and printmakers, so I have included to links to pictures of his palettes, notice though how one, the one in Glasgow at the Hunterian Museum, which has a huge amount of his studio contents as well as paintings.
Notice how in this palette he has white in the center, on the left yellow ochre, raw sienna, burnt sienna, raw umber, cobalt and mineral blue and to the right vermilion, venetian red, indian red and black.
I use for the most part a palette of 9 colors plus Black and White.
Flake or Titanium White Cad Yellow Lt. Yellow Ochre Cad Orange Vermilion or Cad Red Lt. Terra Rosa Permanent Crimson (Alizarin) Cobalt Blue Ultramarine Blue Viridian Ivory or Mars Black
Sometimes I'll add Cerulean Blue and Persian Red and Cad Lemon Yellow which brings it to 12. I like thinking in threes or triads as I can add or subtract from this down to three colors if need be as that is the root of the palette.
I also have a string of 9 Neutral grays. (Munsell)
I have been using Munsell to pre-mix palettes as well.
Thanks, Erik for the glimpse in your studio. It's nice to see drafting curves and ink bottles. Am I right in guessing that you are left-handed? What are those "Acryla" paints--acryla-gouache? Gorgeous landscape, too, makes me wonder what's around the bend of the road. That looks like egg tempera and dry pigments.
John and Jeff--I really appreciate your tips on color mixing, and those links to Whistler's palette.
I have found recently that choosing a limited number of colors, or using a simple color idea like opposition between two colors works a lot better then having any set notion of what colors I should have on my palette. It seems if I can discover a simple underlying color idea to the subject, like and arrangement of oranges and blues or reds and greens, much of the unnamable color can be created from the complimentary pair. In other words you can worry more about matching value and intensity of what you see and you almost automatically get nice color and your palette becomes very simple.
So I find myself choosing from colors like ultramarine blue, green blue, cadmium red, permanent rose, and cad yellow and lemon yellow along with cremitz or flake white. Not using them all at once but maybe choosing two or three. It is almost like you already have some sort of harmony then.
I do get confused by the earth colors older artists use for reason. I have tried using ivory black and yellow orche and brunt sienna with some success but the other colors seemed to produce more satisfying results especially in landscape painting.
Good observation, I am colorblind AND left handed :) Curves are hardly used though. Cryla is the top acrylic series of Daler-Rowney. Indeed tempera (hence the eggs I took out of the fridge). Remember your poll for mediums?Resulted in 2 hits for 'tempera', of which I represented 50% of the population. And 'the bend' is not the subject for the painting - I'm going to fit in a young bull and some cows, hence the title : "The Young Pretender". ('the bend' might therefor be a little distracting...ow, we'll see...)
Thanks for pointing out moyse's site. Indeed nice twisted portraits and 'you-tubes'.
I tried using the hand held palettes when I first got back into painting after a 20 year lay-off and found taht I kept putting them down for one reason or another and still worked off them,so I eventually went to a sheet of glass ( 18" x 16" )on top of a small table whch holds my brushes and turps and what nots as I paint.
The arrangement of my pigments remained the same tho.
Starting out closest to me:
Cadmium Yellow Yellow Ochre Transparent Earth Red Burnt Sienna Burnt Umber Cadmium Red Medium Alizarin Crimson Titanium White ( the corner away from me )
Sap Green Ultramarine Blue Cerulean Blue Paynes Grey Ivory Black Phthalo Green ( almost never used)
Under the glass I have a sheet of white paper with the names of the colour on it in their respective places ( I tend to forget which goes where ). I don't usually squeeze out all the colours all the time, but usually just what I am working with for each particular painting, and some of the colours rarely ever see the glass.
I have no idea when or why I picked these colours, but those are what I use.
I forgot I also use Burnt Sienna which I place in the reds.
I like to move from light to dark, I'm left handed so my palette is going from left to right, light to dark and yellow to red to blue to green, a spectrum palette. For landscape I don't use any umbras as they pull to much to yellow. However they do make some nice greens.
Ernst van de Wetering's book "Rembrandt: The Painter at Work" has a very informative chapter on the development and use of the palette before, during and after Rembrandt's days. Yet another reason to recommend that book.
It somehow relates to the earlier post James made on this blog about the method of finishing one part of a painting at a time. Common practice in the 16th and 17th centuries seems to have been to do just that, preparing a palette for a specific part rather than the painting as a whole.
Hi James, I have two main palettes that I use with a few extras thrown in when I need them. Here is the bare bones one from top to bottom along the left side of my palette.
French Ultramarine Blue Cadmium Red Cadmium Yellow Light Titanium White
If I use the split primary it goes like this. From top to bottom again.
French Ultramarine Blue Alizarine Crimson Cadmium Red Cadmium Yellow Light Lemon Yellow or Cad Lemon Titanium White and up in the far right corner away from everything else a dab of Phthalo Blue. It gets into everything, so I try and keep it separate.
Sometimes I stick some Indian Yellow on there for mixing greens. I use that a lot more when painting in the U.S. and almost never here in Mexico.
There are always exceptions, but these are the standards for me.
I don't often use a hand held palette. I find I am cheaper with my paint if I can't close a lid on it and take it home. I use open box m's and another folding palette that I made. They both can save unused paint. Besides, my left hand is always full of brushes and a rag.
My palette is a 12" x 16" sheet of glass under which is placed a neutral gray sheet of paper. It rests on a tray attached to my easel so that it is between me and the easel.
I have arranged dark, transparents on the left edge, mid-value opaques along the longer edge away from me, lights along the right edge and dark neutrals along the edge closest to me.
My colors are: darks--quinacridone gold, transparent burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, dioxazine purple, F.U. blue, thalo blue, thalo green, Daniel Smith sap green; mid-value opaques--thalo blue+white mix, FU blue+white mix, dioxazine purple+white mix, alizarin crimson+white mix, Gamblin cadmium red light, Gamblin cadmium orange, Utrecht yellow ochre; lights--Utrecht hansa yellow light, Winsor Newton titanium white, permalba white; dark neutrals--Utrecht burnt umber, Rembrandt raw umber, ivory black.
This is my own system which has been evolving for 40+ years.
I recently started painting in March, something I hadn't done since a teenager (over 30 years), and have been trying to figure out my palette.
Currently I'm doing mostly plein air, and being located in south central Kentucky means there is a LOT of green right now. For that reason I'm using three yellows on my palette along with two blues. It goes something like this from upper left corner clockwise;
Titanium White Aliz. Crimson Cadmium Red Raw Umber (mostly for laying in quick darks and first sketch) Lemon Yellow Cadmium Yellow Indian Yellow Cobalt Blue French Ultramarine Blue
Hello! I thought I would throw in my own palette thoughts. I usually paint in acrylic and gouache. When I paint in acrylic, a butcher try is employed with a disposable palette and wet paper towels. I put white in a corner and then lay out my lighter colors closest to the white then darker away from the white. I like to have my cool colors on the long side and warm on the short. Gouache, I use a water color palette, there was order, but as I get more colors I just put them were I have room. Thanks to James and everyone else with so many fun ideas!
If I remember correction, Whistler never looked at his students painting, only their palette. He felt he could learn more about a person from his palette than anything else. Interesting and I think there's something to it.
This is a really fascinating post! I never really thought about how I arranged my palette...
For acrylic, I work on an 8x10" sheet of glass with masking tape on the edges, and since I generally place it on a table instead of holding it, the order of the colors is less important (since I turn the glass so that whatever I need is closest). It's been awhile since I painted with acrylic, but generally I group warm colors, cool colors, and then browns/black/white.
My watercolor palette I have with me, so I can be a little more specific. It's a very cheap plastic rectangle which I really should replace with something better, but it fits in the box I use to keep all my supplies so I haven't yet.
From left to right: Burnt Sienna Burnt Umber Gamboge Hue Yellow Ochre Alizarin Crimson Cadmium Red Light Cadmium Yellow Pale Thalo Yellow Green Hooker's Green Deep Thio Violet Payne's Grey Prussian Blue Ultramarine Blue Cerulean Blue
Again, the palette is pretty small so I generally turn it around a lot so whatever I need is facing me. The colors I use most, though, are probably the Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Prussian Blue and Gamboge Hue (or any other warm yellow). Eventually I will probably get black and white in there, but right now I'm still a beginning watercolor student so those colors are forbidden by my teacher. :3
Your votes in the art materials poll have been tabulated, and it looks like the lowly pencil is right up there with Adobe Photoshop as the most popular medium, with oil paint right behind. Here are the results from the 282 of you who voted:
It was rather fun watching the poll. For the first couple of days, PS and graphite were neck and neck. If you think about it, simply for editing and prepping a picture for posting, PS would be used for that. Add on people who do work digitally, of course it'd be first.
I have to use PS a lot at work, but for my personal illustration purposes, even with my Wacom, it leaves me feeling cheep in the end. though i am very impressed with a lot of PS artists, theres just something not genuine about it to me. not to offend anyone who does it, you still have to be able to draw to use it correctly. i will take the old pencil and some AcrylaGuache anyday over a computer. its just natural and real.
CHICANO/LATINO LITERARY PRIZE ANTHOLOGY The Chicano / Latino Literary Prize: An Anthology of Prize-Winning Fiction, Poetry and Drama Stephanie Fetta, editor Arte Público Press, May, 2008 Arte Público has announced the upcoming publication of an anthology based on the first twenty-five years of the Chicano/Latino Literary Prize from the University of California, Irvine.
From the first winner, Ron Arias' short story The Wetback in 1974, through almost all the winners, several second- and third-place winners as well as honorable mentions, the collection has 320 pages of fiction, poetry, and drama covering a key period in the development and expansion of what has become known as Latino Literature.
Now entering its thirty-fourth year, the award has recognized a wide variety of writers. Many of the names are familiar to La Bloga's readers: Juan Felipe Herrera, Michael Nava, Helena María Viramontes, Lucha Corpi, Demetria Martínez, Gary Soto, Cherrie Moraga, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Graciela Limón and, as the press publicity says, several "pieces in this anthology are considered to be foundational texts of Chicana/o and Latina/o literature, and those that are not as widely recognized deserve more serious study and attention."
Stephanie Fetta is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of California, Irvine. She has taught in the Chicano Studies, Women’s Studies, and Spanish and Portuguese departments at UC-Irvine and studied at Bryn Mawr College, Stanford, and Cornell. She is the translator of a book-length study by Spanish Anthropologist Francisco Checa entitled Spain and Its Immigrants: Images and Stereotypes of Social Exclusion and has published several articles in the United States and abroad. She lives in Southern California.
MORE NEW STUFF FROM ARTE PÚBLICO (Text from Arte Público) The Case Runner Carlos Cisneros March, 2008
Alejandro “Alex” del Fuerte, fresh out of law school, is returning home to South Texas, ready to open his solo practice, humble as it may be. He’s got dreams of making his mark in the world and in the courtroom. But when he meets Porfirio “Pilo” Medina, who just crossed the border in search of his wife and son, Alex is suddenly dragged into a world of wrongdoings and political pay-offs rarely covered in law school.
Rampant corruption and big-money politics are set against the rich backdrop of border culture, with its distinctive way of life and unique perspective. And Alex, something between saint and sinner, is an apt guide to both the light and dark sides of the region. This is Cisneros' first novel.
Julián Olivares brings together the late author’s entire literary production: Rivera’s classic novel, ... y no se lo tragó la tierra, translated by poet Evangelina Vigil-Piñón; his short fiction collection, The Harvest / La cosecha; and his poetry collection, The Searchers: Collected Poetry. In addition to his creative work, this volume collects Rivera’s influential critical essays, including Into the Labyrinth: The Chicano in Literature,Chicano Literature: Fiesta of the Living, The Great Plains as Refuge in Chicano Literature, and the previously unpublished Critical Approaches to Chicano Literature and its Dynamic Intimacy.
Mexican writerRosario Sanmiguelcrafts intriguing narratives about solitary women in search of their place, caught between the past and the present. Set in the border region, this collection follows these women—some from privileged backgrounds and others from more desperate circumstances—through seedy bars, hotel rooms, and city streets. A woman who has escaped the night life, dancing on platforms in front of thousands of eyes; Francis, who finally finds the strength to leave her married lover; young Fátima, whose mother abandons her, leaving her to take her place as a maid in a wealthy El Paso family’s mansion; Nicole, who has risen from dismal poverty to become an accomplished immigration attorney.
Originally published in Mexico as Callejón Sucre y otros relatos (Ediciones del Azar, 1994), this edition contains a profound English translation by John Pluecker. The seven stories included in this collection interweave the opposing themes of solitude and connectedness, longing and privilege, fear and audacity, all of which are juxtaposed on the boundary of self-awareness.
EL LABORATORIO PRESENTS MARIO ACEVEDO AND AARON ABEYTA El Lab is a center for the Latino literary arts presented by The Lab at Belmar. El Laboratorio is proud to host some of Colorado's most acclaimed Latino writers, artist and scholars for literary workshops, public readings and conversations. El Laboratorio aims to be a true laboratory, where all audiences can experiment and gain insight into the ways Latino culture is changing the landscape of the United States.
March 15: Aaron Abeyta and Mario Acevedo; 6 PM reception, 6:30 PM program. Aaron Abeyta will read from his book of poetry As Orion Falls and his novel, Rise, Do Not Be Afraid. Mario Acevedo will read from The Undead Kama Sutra, third in the Felix Gomez vampire detective series. Now that's diversity.
$10 - $5 members. The Lab is in Belmar, 404 S. Upham, Lakewood, CO; 303-934-1777.
COMEDY OF ERRORS The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare February 28–March 1 March 6–8 7:30pm King Center Rawls Courtyard Theatre, Auraria Campus, Denver Tickets: $12 General Admission $5 UC Denver students Sponsored by: Theatre, Film and Video Production Department
José Mercado, new Assistant Professor of the Theatre, Film & Video Production Department, directs this comedy "as if it were set in the world of Tim Burton, with bustling, haunting, and mystical action" according to a publicity release. The Comedy of Errors is a story of mistaken identity and family reunion. Confusion, mischief and familial squabbling abound…all in a single day.
Prior to joining the UC Denver faculty, Mercado led the theater program at North High School, directing Zoot Suit Riots, the first high school production to play DCPA’s Buell Theater. He worked as an actor in LA after earning his MFA in Theater from UCLA where he won the Jack Nicholson Prize in Acting. He is the founder of Labyrinth Arts Academy and member of the Denver Commission of Cultural Affairs (an advisory board to the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs).
Later.
0 Comments on Old and New as of 1/1/1900
Corina Carrasco said, on 2/22/2008 4:33:00 PM
What a wealth of information you've provided us with. I will be out looking for these. So far, I haven't found anywhere to get any Chicano titles anywhere near me.
I'll have to hunt for a place. Or end up getting them online. We need to make our literature more accessible to all of us, not just those that are in the hub of the scene.
Manuel Ramos said, on 2/22/2008 8:32:00 PM
Thanks - don't know where you are so I can't suggest any book stores; check out the links in the post, they will take you to a few sources for orders.
Rebel Girl said, on 2/23/2008 11:47:00 AM
Dopn't know where you are either but, if you're anywhere near me (so Cal) Liberia Martinez in Santa Ana, CA (and Lynwood, CA) offers so much - I think you can order from them online. They could use the support - check them out at:
Several bits and pieces this week: a pair of grand old maestros are still stirring the pot; an opportunity for maestros-to-be; readings and performances that will stir your soul; appearances by Our Lady of Guadalupe; y más.
The Land of Enchantment Award is a children's book award designed to encourage New Mexico youth to read books of high literary quality. The award is sponsored by the New Mexico Library Association and the New Mexico International Reading Association and includes master reading lists for children and young adults. Information about the award is available at www.loebookaward.com.
The First Tortilla is the story of a young Mexican girl who saves her village by making the first tortilla with the help of the Mountain Spirit.
Congratulations to Rudolfo Anaya on this award. There's more: Bless Me, Ultima is now being read nationwide as part of the National Endowment for the Arts' Big Readprogram; and the Albuquerque Museum Foundation named Anaya as its Notable New Mexican. _______________________________
MORE NEWS FROM ROLANDO HINOJOSA Another of the writing legends,Rolando Hinojosa, was awarded a Doctor of Letters degree from Texas A & M University in August. Hinojosa's recent publications include:The Forgotten War, So-Called, published by Veterans for Peace; Klail City Redux published by Puentes (Núm 5, Otoño 2007); Lone Star Sleuths (University of Texas Press, 2007) included Chapter One of Partners in Crime; and Texas Tech Press published his short story Death and Obedience in Nasario García's anthology Brujerías. As I recently mentioned here on La Bloga, Hinojosa also was presented the Bookend Award (with Dagoberto Gilb) at this year's Texas Book Festival. ___________________________________
AUTHORS READING IN DENVER November 30, 7:30 PM Tattered Cover Book Store Historic LoDo Denver's Deputy Mayor Guillermo Vidal will read from and sign his book Boxing for Cuba: An Immigrant's Story of Despair, Endurance & Redemption(Ghost Road Press, 2007). The book is described as "a poignant story of struggle, forgiveness, and the joy of returning home." ____________________ December 1, 6:00 PM (reception) 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM (main event) The Laboratory of Art and Ideas El Laboratorio continues its exciting series of writers reading and performing at the Lab in Belmar. Up next, Sheryl Luna will read from her award-winning book Pity the Drowned Horses (Notre Dame Press, 2005), followed by a performance by the always entertaining and enlightening storyteller Angel Vigil. $10 ($5 members). For more information call 303-934-1777. ___________________________
December 8, 2:00 PM Tattered Cover Colfax Avenue Colorado author Lydia Gil, and local illustrator Hernán Sosa, will present their bilingual picture book Mimís Parranda/La Parranda de Mimí(Piñata Books, 2007). "Rich with Puerto Rican cultural traditions and complemented by vibrant illustrations, this beautiful story will have children ages 3-7 eagerly anticipating their own holiday traditions." ________________________
December 13, 2007 7:30 PM Tattered Cover Colfax Avenue John Nicholswill read from and sign his new novel The Empanada Brotherhood (Chronicle, 2007). The publisher says, "It's Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, when expatriates, artists, and colorful bums are kings. A tiny stand selling empanadas near the corner of Bleecker and MacDougal streets is the center of the action for the shy narrator, an aspiring writer just out of college. Charming and insightful, this deceptively simple novel is a tale told by a master. It is a wise coming-of-age story, full of joy and touched by heartbreak, that captures a special time and place with extraordinary empathy and humor." __________________________________
Categories & Final Round Judges Romance --- Selina McLemore, Associate Editor, Grand Central (formerly Warner) Mainstream Adult Fiction-Mollie Glick, Agent, Jean Naggar Literary Agency Suspense/Thriller- Katie Gilligan, Associate Editor Thomas Dunne Books, a division of St. Martin's Press Fantasy/Science Fiction-Melissa Ann Singer, Sr. Editor, Tor Children's & YA-Jennifer Rees, - Editor, Scholastic Books
Eligibility--All authors unpublished in novel length fiction. Enter-- The first 20 pages and up to a 2 page synopsis, for a total page count of 22 pages. Receipt date-February 17, 2008. Fee--$30; Friends of Library members, fee= $20
Awards-- Winners announced at the awards luncheon, held Friday June 20, 2008. 1st place will receive $50 and a certificate, 2nd place will receive $25 and a certificate, and third place will receive a certificate. More info here.
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SU TEATRO PRESENTS TISH HINOJOSA El Centro Su Teatrowill present the original production, Á Colorado en una Noche de Navidad, To Colorado on a Christmas Night, featuring the music of Tish Hinojosaand written and directed by Anthony J. Garcia, December 13 – 23. Á Colorado is a theatrical celebration of the music of renowned singer/songwriter Tish Hinojosa. Su Teatro company actors will sing and reinterpret her songs, and Tish will join the cast for a one night only special performance on December 21.
Su Teatro developed Á Colorado as a part of its annual St. Cajetan’s Reunification Project. What is now known as the Auraria Higher Education Center was once a thriving Westside barrio, and the still standing but desanctified St. Cajetan’s church was the spiritual center of the neighborhood. Every holiday season, Su Teatro travels to Auraria to present a community based folk drama and symbolically return the neighborhood to the families it was taken from. Eugenia Rawls theater at the King Center, 877 Lawrence Way, December 13 – 23. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 PM with Saturday and Sunday 3:00 PM matinees.
Tickets are $18 general and $15 students/seniors. Special comadre group rates are available. For tickets and information call El Centro Su Teatro at (303) 296-0219 and visit www.suteatro.org and www.myspace.com/elcentrosuteatro.
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The Denver Art Museum opens its door for free from December 12 through January 6, and invites everyone to check out the pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial art galleries in the Museum's North Building, fourth level. Bilingual and family activities are promised. The event is billed as Our Lady of Guadalupe at the DAM, so expect a vision.
__________________________ December 13 - Vino y Chocolate hosted by the Board of Directors of Adelante Mujer, Inc., 5:00 - 8:00 PM, Centro San Juan Diego, 2830 Lawrence St., Denver, CO. Support the Immigrant and Migrant Project of Bienestar Family Services of Centro San Juan Diego by bringing a gift of toys for children age's birth to 10 years. Indicate age and gender on children's gifts. RSVP - 303-297-8696.
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Al fin -- I got the pleasant news that my short story, If We Had Been Dancing, has been selected by Stories on Stage to be performed by theBuntport Theatre for the Tales of Mystery and Suspense program (January 4 and 5, 2008). Other authors for that night include Edgar Allen Poe, Neil Gaiman, Roald Dahl, and Jack Ritchie. Heavy company.
The Stories on Stage annual holiday program is set for December 16 at the Stage Theater in the DCPA. Featured authors for Making Merryare Dylan Thomas, John Cheever, Truman Capote, and Ellis Parker Butler. Sounds good.
Manuel -- another great round robin of what's happening, who's appearing, and it makes me wish AGAIN that I were at least visiting your neck of the woods.
(BTW --Tish has an amazing angel's voice, no?)
Lisa
Manuel Ramos said, on 12/3/2007 4:07:00 PM
Thanks Lisa -- always kind words from you. I am glad to know that someone reads this stuff and gets something out of it.
Tish is amazing, absolutely. She's a fave around here.
"Blue Flower Arts is proud to introduce to the United States audience, 19-year old poet Ekiwah Adler-Beléndez, from Amatlan, Mexico, a small village an hour from Mexico City. The son of a North American father and a Mexican mother, Ekiwah is a poetic prodigy whose powerful verses have mesmerized Mexico's literary scene. Born September 14, 1987, Ekiwah is the author of three volumes of poetry: Soy (I Am); Palabras Inagotables, (Never-ending Words); Weaver (2003), his first book in English, and The Coyotes Trace, which features an introduction by Mary Oliver. Ekiwah lives in Massachusetts, has dual citizenship and is bilingual.
...
"Ekiwah, which means Warrior in the language of the Purepecha, is an appropriate appellation. He has been battling cerebral palsy at birth—born 10 weeks early and weighing less than two pounds. Ekiwah writes, 'I cannot walk by myself, yet in my poems I not only walk, but give myself license to have eight legs and experience movement. When I read a poem, on an ephemeral level I go to the places the poet describes.' His warrior nature also allows him this wisdom: 'I don't feel my cerebral palsy is a battle I have to win. I don't battle more or less then anyone else—my cerebral palsy is simply there. For me the connection of my name with my struggle has to do with the fact that I fought in my birth to live.'"
NYC Last year the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses [clmp] inaugurated LWC}NYC, a conference to serve writers of fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction. Rather than address the craft of writing, this conference brings together professionals from throughout the publishing community to help literary writers maneuver in the marketplace. The second annual LWC}NYC (Literary Writers Conference, New York City) will take place November 8 - 10 at The New School.
SAN DIEGO Adolfo Guzman Lopez, co-founder of the Taco Shop Poets, remembers fallen poet John Partida in an article for theSan Diego CityBeat. Guzman says that "we’re going to throw down some poetry for John on Saturday at a taco shop. We’re putting a call out to the taco shop tribe. Whether it’s to remember the good Johnny, the bad Johnny or to ponder our own mortality, I don’t know. We all realize, though, that we have to do it." Read the entire article here.
The tribute to John Partida will be held on October 20, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at El Comal, 3946 Illinois St. in North Park, 619-294-8292.
ALBUQUERQUE Live Rug Auction to Raise Funds for Native American Books The University of New Mexico Press has announced it will hold a live public auction of more than 200 contemporary Navajo rugs as a fundraiser to support the publication of books by or about American Indians.
The auction, to be held November10, in the Hibben Center of the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology on the UNM Main Campus, will be conducted with the assistance of R. B. Burnham Native Auctions. A preview of the items available for bid will be from 11:00 AM -1:00 PM, and the auction will start at 1:30 PM
This is the Press' first major fundraising event since the launch of its endowment campaign last spring.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for the Press and the public to support Native authors and artists and books about Native America," comments Luther Wilson, director of the UNM Press. "The funds we raise will help cover major expenses such as printing, research, permissions, and illustrations. The money will be applied to individual book subventions and to an endowment for long-term support. We are also pleased to be able to provide a sales venue for today's Navajo weavers. The pieces they are showcasing are truly beautiful."
The auction will be the first in a series of major events and outreach efforts by the Friends of the Press to raise funds for the $5 million endowment campaign launched this past May. The Press said in a news release that monies collected for the endowment will help it "publish high quality children's books on science and Southwestern cultures, defray cost increases in book production, perpetuate its commitment to high editorial standards and maintain independence in a world of publisher consolidation."
Premio Aztlán Literary Prize The University of New Mexico Libraries is issuing a call for submissions to the Premio Aztlán Literary Prize, a national literary award, established to encourage and reward emerging Chicana and Chicano authors.
The competition is open to writers who have published a work of fiction in the 2007 calendar year and whose publications do not exceed two books. The winner of the prize will be awarded $1,000, and an invitation to give a lecture at an award ceremony, to be held at the University of New Mexico in April 2008. Recipients are required to be present at the award ceremony.
Renowned author, Rudolfo Anaya and his wife, Patricia, founded Premio Aztlán in 1993, and the prize was reestablished in their honor by the University of New Mexico Libraries. Past award recipients include:
Reyna Grande (2006) Across a Hundred Mountains Gene Guerin (2005) Cottonwood Saints Mary Helen Lagasse (2004) The Fifth Sun Sergio Troncoso (1999) The Last Tortilla and Other Stories Ronald Ruiz (1998) Giuseppe Rocco Pat Mora (1997) House of Houses Wendell Mayo (1996) Centaur of the North Norma Cantú (1995) Canicula: Snapshots of a Girlhood en la Frontera Denise Chávez (1994) Face of an Angel Alicia Gaspar de Alba (1993) The Mystery of Survival and Other Stories
The closing date for entries is December 31, 2007. Submissions must include: • 5 copies of the book • Letter of interest, or if from the publisher, a letter of nomination • Author’s curriculum vitae, resume or background information, which must include a list of their published works and any communal involvement with the Chicana/Chicano community. • Be postmarked by December 31, 2007
Submissions are to be mailed to the following address by December 31, 2007: Premio Aztlán Literary Prize University Libraries, Dean’s Office MSC05 3020 1 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131
Final reminder: El Laboratorio Emma Perez and Manuel Ramos October 20, 2007 Reception 6:00 PM Main Event 6:30-8:00 PM Cost $10 ($5 members)
Emma Perez will read from her forthcoming novelForgetting the Alamo followed by a reading by Manuel Ramos from a few works in progress.
The Lab at Belmar 404 S. Upham Street Lakewood, CO 80226 (303) 934-1777
Later.
0 Comments on Conferences, a Memorial, a Premio, Rugs and Poets as of 10/18/2007 9:56:00 PM
"Miss Prothero's Books and book artist Deborah Horner are building a Day of the Dead altar out of mass market paperbacks. If you have a garage full of pulps, pocketbooks or mass markets that need a good home, please consider donating them to the project. We're looking for paperbacks that are approximately 4 1/4" wide by 7" tall. Bring your donations to Miss Prothero's by October 20. We're located at 1112 Santa Fe Drive[Denver]. We're open Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The altar will be unveiled on November 2nd at 7 p.m. You're welcome to bring something that pays homage to your favorite dead writer, reader, printer or binder on the evening of the unveiling. Call Miss Prothero's Books at 303-572-2260 if you need more information."
UPCOMING EVENTS AT EL LABORATORIO Emma Perez and Manuel Ramos October 20, 2007 Reception 6PM Main Event 6:30-8PM Emma Perez will read from her forthcoming novel Forgetting the Alamo followed by a reading by Manuel Ramos of works in progress.
Gustavo Arellano November 14, 2007 Reception 6PM Main Event 6:30-8PM Gustavo Arellano will discuss his popular syndicated newspaper column Ask a Mexican and read from his book of the same name. Gustavo has appeared on The Today Show, The Colbert Report, CNN, Nightline and others. Ask a Mexican, the book, was published in 2007.
Sheryl Luna & Angel Vigil December 1, 2007 Reception 6PM Main Event 6:30-8PM Sheryl Luna will read from her book Pity the Drowned Horses followed by a performance by award-winning storytellerAngel Vigil. El Laboratorio, 404 S. Upham Street, Lakewood, CO 303-934-1777. All events are $10, $5 for members. JUDITH ORTIZ COFER A recent interview in the Nashville Sceneproduced an exchange that should be of some interest to La Bloga readers. Ms. Cofer was asked if she ever gets tired of being thought of and getting asked questions as a Latina writer, instead of just a writer. She responded:
"It’s inevitable. I usually am advertised with so many tags that I’m short- and nearsighted to it. Puerto Rican writer, Latina, whatever. It doesn’t bother me anymore because people have to find their way towards you. They will call you whatever they want, and then they come to the poetry reading and they understand that it’s about them. Even if I’m writing about my grandmother, it’s about them."
Good interview, check it out.
MODERN INDIAN IDENTITY My father's stories:Remembering Oklahoma October 25, 2007 7:30 PM, Atlas 100, University of Colorado, Boulder
The Center of the American West presents Dr. Eva Maria Garrouttein this fall's Modern Indian Identity Lecture. Professor Garroutte is the author of Real Indians: Identity, Community, and the Survival of Native America. In this talk, Professor Garroutte blends her father's stories of growing up in the Cherokee Nation of the 1930's with her own recent experiences as a tribal citizen working in the field of American Indian health. Reception to follow. More info here, or call 303-492-4879.
That's it. Have a great weekend, read and read some more, come back, often, to La Bloga, and how about those Rockies.
Later.
1 Comments on Special Saturday Edition, last added: 10/12/2007
A pair of blogueros and one of the blogueras made excellent reading suggestions this week beginning with Daniel Olivas' list of seven diverse books, continuing with Michael Sedano's review of Arturo Pérez-Reverte's latest Captain Alatriste swashbuckling saga, and moving on to Lisa Alvarado's spotlight on the poetry of Johanny Vázquez Paz. I want to add to your TBR pile with a brief survey of a few Big Apple crime fiction writers. Choice summertime or anytime reading.
STEVEN TORRES Steven Torres is the author of five crime novels and several short stories. He was born and raised in the Bronx, although he spent some of his youth in Puerto Rico and attended high school in Manhattan. His Precinct Puerto Rico series, featuring Sheriff Luis Gonzalo of Angustias, P.R., is consistently praised by critics and readers. The four books in this series are: Precinct Puerto Rico (2002), Death in Precinct Puerto Rico (2003), Burning Precinct Puerto Rico (2004), and Missing In Precinct Puerto Rico (2006), all originally published in hardback by St. Martin's Minotaur. The first book in the series, Precinct Puerto Rico, is now available in paperback from Leisure Books. Steven's short story Early Fall is in the just-released Bronx Noir anthology (Akashic).
Here's Torres' website blurb for his first book, to give you an idea of what this author is all about:
"In his years as sheriff of Angustias, a small town nestled in Puerto Rico’s mountainous heart, Luis Gonzalo has seen his share of violence. People kill for love and money in Angustias just as they do anywhere else. But it is only during a visit to family in the seaside town of Rincón that he encounters his greatest challenge.
"It begins with a midnight call that brings Gonzalo to a beach where bodies are washing ashore, victims of a shipwreck, victims of the illegal traffic of humans from the Dominican Republic. When he discovers evidence that the shipwreck was no accident, that the ship’s captain was murdered, he is warned off the investigation. A young photographer brings him proof that Puerto Rican police were involved in the deaths of the undocumented immigrants, and when Gonzalo follows this lead, all hell breaks loose. It will take a shootout in Angustias, an attack on his family, and the murder of one of his deputies to get to the bottom of this mystery – a mystery no one else in Puerto Rican law enforcement dares to help him solve."Several months ago I was lucky enough to get my hands on a preview copy of Torres' latest, a stand-alone noir tragedy, and the book blew me away. Here is what I wrote when I had finished:
The Concrete Mazeis a tough, brutal and disturbing story about lost innocence, a desperate search to avenge a young victim, and the reluctant “hero’s” inevitable acceptance of the notion that sometimes justice has to be imposed – with force. Steven Torres gives his readers a black and white, finely drawn picture of a heinous crime and the emotional aftershocks suffered by the victim’s family. The predators who prowl the Bronx streets in Torres’s book are straight from a dark and terrible nightmare; the victims are young, rebellious thrill-seekers; and the would-be rescuers are everyday people thrust into inhuman chaos. The human toll -- the damage -- is on the page where there is no place or time for soft-peddling. Most of us do not want the world to be this way but we know that Torres got it right. His characters have the kind of texture that connects readers to them at basic levels -- pain, anger, frustration. We share their need to act, to strike, because there is no other way of dealing with the terror. These people have only themselves and there cannot be a happy ending in this story but there will be a bloody, violent and scarred resolution. This is fiction that hurts.
The Concrete Maze is now available from Dorchester/Leisure. In addition to his website, StevenTorres manages two blogs where he posts about anything that he wants including the strange world of publishing and writing. Go here for the Crime Time Cafe.
MICHELE MARTINEZ Michele Martinez writes about Melanie Vargas, described as a "betrayed wife and dedicated mother" who also happens to be an ambitious New York City prosecutor. Martinez was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York for eight years, so you gotta think she knows what she's writing about. Her books so far are Most Wanted (2005), The Finishing School (2006) and Cover-Up (2007), all from William Morrow. There also are paperback and audio editions.
Here are the kinds of reviews this writer gets:
"Martinez enthralls with her first-rate first novel, which has sizzling romance and gripping suspense. . . [Most Wanted] excels with its gritty realism, exploring everything from New York's drug wars to the dark side of its most esteemed law firms." --Romantic Times Magazine (Top Pick)
Library Journal's review of The Finishing School was starred and concluded that "the romance is hot and the suspense high in this absorbing, fast-paced thriller. Highly recommended.”
Publishers Weekly gave the latest in the series, Cover-Up, another starred review and gushed:
"The brutal rape and murder of Suzanne Shepard, a scandal-mongering New York City TV journalist, provides a welcome high-profile case for Melanie Vargas in Martinez's stellar third thriller to feature the sharp and sexy federal prosecutor . . . . Martinez, herself a former federal prosecutor, supplies plenty of insider savvy as she juggles the large cast with élan."
JERRY A. RODRIGUEZ Jerry A. Rodriguez is a writer and director whose plays have been staged Off-Broadway; a music video writer and director; and a short film writer and director. His bio says that he "serves as the Assistant Director of Housing at CitiWide Harm Reduction in The Bronx, one of the most innovative social service agencies in New York City, which offers a wide variety of outreach, services and care to homeless and low-income drug users living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS." This year he published The Devil's Mambo (Kensington), and it looks as though this is the first in a projected series centering on Nicholas Esperanza, ex-NYPD, current salsa club owner, and winner of $30 million from the NY lottery. Hey, why not?
The Devil's Mambo is about as edgy and gritty as it gets. The basic plot has some resemblance to Torres' Concrete Maze but this is a very different animal. Esperanza is tough, macho, and good-looking. His girlfriend is tough, sexy, and good-looking. He not only knows how to throw a right hook, he can sing on the stage with Eddie Palmieriand enjoy an expensive gourmet meal at one of the City's finest restaurants. This guy has it going, that's for sure. Here's what Rodriguez says about his protagonist (from an interview included in the book): "I'd read so many mystery novels in which the private investigator is struggling with being an alcoholic, is a loner and doesn't have any kind of personal life. I decided that Esperanza should be happy, successful and in a loving relationship." And just in case you had any doubts, here's why Rodriguez thinks his book is different from other mysteries and thrillers: "I think the fact that Esperanza is Latino and there haven't been many lead Latino characters in crime fiction gives the novel a distinct style and flavor. As much as crime writers deal with violence, they tend to stay away from sex and eroticism. I wanted to explore both sides of sex -- when it's tender and loving and when it's dark and twisted. And it's not just sex for sex's sake; it's a major theme of the novel." Yeah, there's a lot of exploration in this novel. And plenty of plot twists and surprises in addition to a vivid glimpse of street life, glitzy and seamy.
As Mario Acevedosays in a blurb for the book: "Double-barreled, twelve-gauge pulp. You'll love it!"
COMING IN 2008 Next year A.E. Roman publishes the first in a proposed series of private eye books from St. Martin's Minotaur. The protagonist is NYC detective Chico Santana and the first book is entitled Chinatown Angel. That's all I know about this author and his books except that his website is called What's Up Essay? (scribblings of A.E. Roman). I like that.
In case you can't read the graphic: Tim Hernandez reads from his 2006 American Book Award Winning Collection, Skin Tax on August 4 at The Laboratory of Art and Ideas at Belmar, 404 S. Upham St., Lakewood, CO. Reception 6:00 PM, main event 6:30 - 8:00 PM.
And if you can't read that graphic, it's all about the Chicano Music Festival at El Centro Su Teatro August 3-5.Check out the website for details.
This is the party of the summer and you all are invited. LITERARY MAG LOOKING FOR CONTRIBUTORS Here's an announcement that just got shoved under my door:
"Wolverine Farm Publishing (Fort Collins, CO) is seeking submissions for their flagship publication, Matter. Now in it's fifth year, Matter has been hailed byUtne Magazine as full of epiphanies both big and small, and continues to test the boundaries of what a literary/art magazine can do in the world.
"The 11th issue is themed THE WOODS. We are actively seeking fiction, poetry, non-fiction, interviews with authors/activists, hand drawn illustrations, photography, maps, lists, and other ephemera.
"Please send in your creative work by 30 September 2007.
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That's pretty convenient. What type of peanut butter brand is that?
Ah! You totally negated the urine jokes.
That's actually pretty bizarre the applesauce cup fits pretty well in there. Though I'm gonna have to wonder the same thing Scott's thinking, because I've never seen a glass peanut butter jar. They're usually a plastic of sorts, and often not a terrific one.
I wonder if there's some stout mason jars you can find that aren't as big...
I imagine that jar of kerosene can be dangerous in certain sun/heat conditions...
The peanut butter is called "Santa Cruz Organic," which you can get at health food stores. But if you have an assortment of extra straight-sided glass jars, one of them is bound to fit. I refill the kerosene at the hardware store at about $2.00 a gallon and store it out of the direct sunlight.
Turpanoid Natural makes a good brush cleaner, safer than kerosene and better for the environment. It's expensive, but the gunk settles eventually and you can pour off the clear portion to use over and over again. The only downside is that the gunk never solidifies. I use glass pickle jars and rotate them so I always have a settled one ready to pour into a clean jar.
Wow that's really handy! I had no idea kerosene could be used as a solvent, so interesting.. I'll have to try that with my turpenoid, the stuff could last SO much longer with this awesome little (and convenient) invention. Thanks for the tip, James!
Also, you should do more little videos like this one, I really enjoyed it :]
That is really clever. I've been using a screen at the bottom of a coffee jar, but as you say in the video, it scratches up the brushes so they don't last as long as they could (and get annoying tattered edges on them, too).
Thank you so much for showing us this! I really enjoy your blog a lot and gain a lot of insight into all things artistic by reading this.
Julia
P.S. I'm surprised you use kerosene. I haven't heard of that...usually I use mineral spirits. Is there a particular reason you are choosing kerosene?
Cheers!
Brilliant!
We were discussing the other day the relative merits of two instructional media: books vs. video/blogging.
This video illustrates the advantages of blogs as instructional media.
I would guess that this video took you less than 30 minutes to make.
To have written and illustrated this same tip for inclusion in a book would have taken much longer. And books are much harder and more expensive to distribute.
From the learner's viewpoint, the video conveys this tip more vividly, efficiently and usefully. The blog also facilitates for feedback to the author.
Books have one advantage, I guess: longevity. You can put them on the shelf for later reference.
Can you think of any other advantages books might have?
Julia, I use kerosene because it's not a highly refined solvent and it's low volatility. That basically means it doesn't vaporize as quickly as other solvents and has less odor and is less flammable. It does a good job of cleaning brushes, but of course it is a petroleum product, and as Kathy says the Turpenoid is probably better for you.
Dan and Eric, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It took almost no time at all. I think video is great for showing how to do something, but books are better for really studying an image and for working through the thinking behind something. My hope is to combine books and videos in a way that uses the best of each medium to reinforce the other.
Great demo.
My question is how did you clean all of the peanutbutter out of the jar?
(I've tried -- it takes forever)
I use Gamblin's Gamsol to clean brushes while painting, which I like because of its low odor/ lower toxicity. Its more expensive than kerosene but I set up a series of settling jars and reuse the stuff that is still good -- so it lasts a long time. Gamsol is a fine solvent for oil paint but I occasionally use Ralph Mayer's medium mix (which contains Damar varnish) and then I will clean those brushes out with Kerosene and then soap and water to clean out the kerosene smell. I keep the kerosene in a covered coffee can in my basement inside the can is a Bob Ross brush cleaner screen I picked up somewhere. I guess its a happy brush cleaner.
I tried turpenoid natural but found that it left a greasy film that didn't appeal to me.
Here's a comparison chart on solvents (its on Gamblin's site so take it with a grain of NaCl):
gamblincolors.com/solvents/solvent.comparison.html
It doesn't include kerosene but the flash point of kerosene is between 100 -162 degrees F.
Kerosene ??? really..Does it not have a high flash point...and does it not leave an oily residue on your brushes....Sorry but I have not heard anyone even consider the use of kerosene in over ten years...
So what are the plusses to using kerosene other than cheap cost and cheap high....
You know...I love your site...but I have not heard of anyone using it ...not since ten years ago with all of the kerosene heater fires....and that kind of ended their popularity.
Oh well ...what do I know...
Daroo, thanks for all that information.
Suh weet! Thanks for sharing!
I'm sold. Your using kerosene has convinced me to give it a try. Another painter friend of mine suggested it last week, and I've been hesitant. He said you have to remember that you can't do washes with it because it doesn't allow the paint to dry, so use a medium instead. But the advantage is supple brushes that don't get burned like odorless thinner will do. Really enjoy your blog, James! www.jimmycraigwomble.com
Jimmy, you got it right. I never use kerosene as a medium or thinner for the paint itself, just for cleaning brushes. After removing the paint in the brush cleaner, I dry off the brush on the paint rag.
The actual painting mediums are in small palette cups on the side of the palette, and I use Gamsol, Galkyd, and Liquin.
I use to use vegetable oil to clean my brushes...but then switched to Gamsol which is completely odorless.
Kerosene I'm sure is cheaper and easier to get when one is traveling to other destinations with their oil paints.
Great tip.
=s=
Hmmm, kerosene ehhh? sounds so dangerous... Ive been using OMS in the biggest pickle jar I could find. I then took some aluminum armature wire (1/8th)used for sculpture to make a spiral ( just like in the silicoil tanks. Good thin about your system is that there is no need to keep decantering!
For pleine airing i have the same wire (its also clad with a thin layer or plastic, so its really nice to the brushes) at the bottom of one of those plastic accordion type containers used for watercolors. it fits neatly in my pochade box, and then i just have the liquids in plastic no drip bottles the same size as the small square w/n medium bottles.
The question is though, do you still use soap and water to get rid of the kerosene or do you leave them to dry with kerosene in them? And how does kerosene affect synthetic brushes?
Timpa, yes, at the end of the day I use soap and water to really wash out the brushes.
Thank you so much! Can't wait to try this.
Smuckers makes a natural peanut butter in a glass jar. It can be found in any grocery store.
Thanks for this video. I had all the supplies on hand to make one of these. Took me 5 mins. (the jar was already clean)
James, thanks so much for the tip! That's really clever.
O.