The heat this summer has been particularly brutal and when I paint outdoors, extreme temperatures can almost cause my paint to coagulate before it reaches the canvas. So, here’s a closing Cowgirl Homespun Hint…
No matter the temperature, I use rainwater for mixing my acrylic paints. Tap water is said to contain nine different common chemicals ranging from chlorine and fluoride to herbicides and lead. However, I’ve found something unique in rainwater. Perhaps it’s the lack of chemicals, but paint seems to brush on more smoothly using rainwater. In a painting like this blazing beauty “Hot Pursuit,” the paint is flat and smooth throughout the sky contrasting with thicker texture added to the landscape below.
So, if you take up painting with acrylics, try using distilled water or rainwater for mixing your colors. It’s the magic ingredient that works for this cowgirl.
Featured painting: Hot Pursuit, 6×8 inches, framed acrylic on canvas.
— Gay Gaddis
Founder. Author. Artist. Trailblazer.
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