You walk into your art studio, you smell the turpentine. It’s one of those evocative experiences like the smell of frying bacon or cut grass. I also use a lot of Liquin, a fossil fuel-based, thick medium that adds a light, paste-like structure to the paint, and makes it dry faster. It’s not as pungent as turpentine but definitely has a chemical smell. White Spirit acts more like turpentine. It supposedly doesn’t have a smell but it still gives me a headache. All of them do.
Mature women have a very acute sense of smell. BTW Why did nature think this was a good idea?
All of these smells create the sense of “art studio” for me.
The Miracle Medium series from Michael Harding gives us a new way to use painting mediums. Miracle Medium is a set of plant-based, eco-friendly mediums that do not use fossil fuels and have almost no odor. It’s pretty weird. Even though you’re painting with oil, it feels like you’re watercoloring. You have the lush consistency of the oil paint but you dip your brush into what feels and acts like water.
That’s not entirely true. There are three versions: Resin Oil Wax, Oil Paint Medium, and plain old Miracle Medium. The Miracle Medium and the Oil Paint versions feel more watery. The consistency of Resin Wax is more like light cream. So far this one is my favorite.
I haven’t done a comprehensive test of each medium under controlled conditions because, honestly, it’s too boring. I’ve just been using them on some paintings. So far so good. No headaches and it makes the oil paint very slick and accessible to feel. That means learning new ways to manipulate the color and different brush techniques.
You can also use it to clean your brushes.
The very big downside to all this is that it doesn’t dry quickly. The other solvents speed drying a lot, Miracle Medium does not speed it at all, in fact it may extend the drying time. If you want to do a last minute touch up before a show, for instance, Miracle Medium will not help you.
So I’m still experimenting. But avoiding headaches is a HUGE plus. I just have to make it work for me. The lack of the romance of chemical smells in the studio requires some getting used to, but I suspect I can get used to it.
Try it out. Less horrible smell, new ways to paint, saving the planet. It's worth a shot. Just don't hold your breath while you're waiting for it to dry. Lmc
This article is taken from Living & Painting in France, my monthly petite pdf magazine about, well, living and painting in France. Check it out here. It’s free!