I started my artistic life as an oil painter, trained in the traditional manner. I spent all of my art school years and several years after, painting in oil. In those days we didn’t pay much attention to the toxicity of the paint and solvents we were using. During my time in art school, my studio was in my bedroom and I slept six feet from an open can of turpentine. In school, I painted in a room of 20 other students, all with open cans of turpentine or mineral spirits. I routinely painted large paintings with big swaths of turpentine-thinned oil paint. I was in heaven.

But then some strange things started happening. I started having double vision, excruciating headaches and a funny metal taste in my mouth. What was going on? I never actually went to a doctor and was diagnosed but it was pretty clear that I had turpentine toxicity.

I remember sitting on the floor of my studio in tears as I packed up my oil paints. How was I going to paint? It took me a couple of years to figure it out, but I finally landed on Golden Acrylics and the rest, as they say is history. I went on to become an educational consultant for Golden (still am) and fell in love with the rich, bold acrylic paint that Golden makes.

So now, you may ask, why am I returning to oil paint? And how can I paint in oil again when I have a clear problem with solvents? Well, two things happened. Golden bought Williamsburg Oil and new, non-toxic solvents are now on the market. Solvents like these didn’t exist 25 years ago.

I’m returning to my first love, albeit in a different manner. No more huge canvases covered with paint thinned with turpentine. Now I’m looking at small format, delicate paintings with just paint. No toxic solvents, no harmful fumes. Just paint. It’s the way van Gogh painted for the most part. And he was the initial inspiration for me to become an artist. I guess I’m returning home in a way.

Currently, I’m inspired by Agnes Pelton. Her luminous abstract paintings are so beautiful and so technically masterful that I am in awe. I plan to spend some time walking in her footsteps, seeing what I can learn.

Stay tuned for postings from the Acrylic Diva that are paintings in oil. Am I giving up acrylic painting? No never! I can see myself spending time with both of these delicious types of paint. And then what shall I call myself? Acrylic-Oil Diva. I’ll be hyphenated!