5 x 7 inches pannelli telati canvas panel, Untitled #2 – oil

I am still playing with the water soluble oil paints, and I am beginning to like it better than I did – it takes forever to dry, but its nice to be able to return to “fix things” that you always notice later.  I know that this face is a little wonky – I kind of liked it that way so I’ve left the wonkiness – but if it really begins to bother me, its really nice to be able to fix it without painting gesso over the whole area and starting over, which is what acrylics require.

My “studio” is a big mess, and it seems this summer evening humidity  just makes it too hard to clean things up –  I go in and as soon as I move around much I begin to feel sticky, and the back of my neck feels damp, and then I feel cranky and useless.  We’ve had the painters outside for the last week or so, and I ‘ve been surprised more than once upon looking up and finding a big hairy face at the window – and cigarette smoke blowing in through any crevices, so I’ve had the windows closed, and the shades drawn – no wonder it feels close and sticky!  It is!  I had to take my entire garden off the deck so it could be POWER washed.  Going up and down a flight of stairs carrying potted plants, bistro sets, and a variety of garden ornaments in 90 degree weather is unsettling.  I’ve had to carry buckets of water out from the laudry room to water everything while it waits in the grass to be returned to the deck – but the railing looks nice now that they are nearly done!

You can see here I’ve got the pupils of the eyes different sizes – but I’m not sure it really matters.  We’ll see how long I can leave it alone!  Ha!

These Pannelli Telati cotton canvas panels are very nice to paint on, I like the fine texture, and they are very inexpensive.  They would have to be framed, unlike a stretched canvas, because the edges are not finished.  But I do like the firness rather than a stretched canvas which bothers me with the bouncing as it meets against the brush strokes.  I find myself placing my hand against it to stop it from bouncing.

I found them online.

This is what the edges look like, they are nicer than the inexpensive canvas panels I’ve seen in the art supply stores, because they don’t become warped, they stay firm and flat.