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| Mary Cassatt, "Sleepy Baby," 1910 |
After "coming out" about my pregnancy I have gotten all types of questions/comments about painting:
Are you still going to paint now that you are pregnant? Yes.
Well, I guess you are going to have to stop painting now that you will have kids, aren't you? Nope.
Are you aware of how hard it will be for you to paint when you have a baby? Yep, I know it will be hard.
At least with the new baby you don't have a job to worry about, right? Nope, I do.
Well you don't make money at it, so it isn't really a job, right? Nope, I do and yep, it is.
Thanks world for making me feel good!
The truth of the matter is that there are LOTS of moms who are successful artists. Kind of like how there are lots of moms in all professions. Painting is not some special space where moms are irresponsible if they continue to do what they love. That being said, there are some elements to painting that every pregnant artist should be aware of.
How to make your painting space pregnancy and baby friendly:
1. Always maintain good ventilation, even in winter.
2. Eliminate all solvents. This is key and easy.
a. Cleaning your brushes without solvents is healthier and cleaner.
b. Use non-toxic Gamblin's Solvent-Free Gel or M. Graham's Non-Toxic Alkyd as a medium.
c. Be aware that although some solvents are odor free, such as Gamblin's Gamsol, they are still very toxic and should not be used while pregnant.
3. Minimize the use of Cadmium, Cobalt, and Lead while pregnant.
a. If using Cadmium paints, wash your hands regularly or use gloves.
b. Replace Cadmium with Azo pigments. Azo pigments have almost the same base color as the various Cadmiums, but without the toxicity.
c. Cobalt is an easy pigment to replace and is so expensive it is usually not a part of the general palette. All the same, take a look at your paints just to double check.
d. Never use lead-based paints while pregnant. Happily there are now more than enough options that this should not be an issue.
4. Never allow baby to sleep in your painting space. Be aware of the amount of time baby is spending around your paints and place baby in a different room when possible.
If you have any tips for pregnant ladies that I didn't think of, leave a comment. For more Tips and Techniques, take a look at my main Tips page.
Good tips! And sorry about all the unsolicited advice and comments - those are the worst.
ReplyDeleteYour post is making me think about your living space - will you paint in the main area and have the baby sleep in a separate room?
No, would not only be crowded, and probably not good for baby or us. Originally my solution was to rent a studio space, but then my mom said that I could move my stuff over to her house and paint there. Currently that is the plan.
ReplyDeletethose are the worst.
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ReplyDeletenice article great post comment information thanks for sharing
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ReplyDeleteI have been painting with oils for 9 years.I used to go through gallons of solvent, Now, I use maybe half a cup per month....if that!
ReplyDeleteWhen I mix up some medium to alter the consistency of my paint. First, I mix a quarter cup of solvent ( I use Gamsol an odorless mineral spirit) with a quarter cup of linseed oil. To that, I add about a tea spoon of alkyd to speed up the drying process. Alkyd is easily found in art supply stores. Gamblin puts out a product called Galkyd.( That's alkyd with a G ).
The reason people clean their brushes is so that paint doesn't harden in them.
Most people use solvent to clean the paint out of their brushes.
But if you prevent the brush from drying out, paint can't harden.
That's what I do. I keep the bristles of my brush from drying out.
Here's how:
When I am done with a session, I wipe as much paint out of my brush as I can on cloth or paper.
Then, I dip the bristles into a cup of artist grade safflower oil ( found in art supply stores) to which I have added a half teaspoon of clove leaf oil. Look online for sources of this stuff.
Clove leaf oil GREATLY retards drying time. My brushes stay supple for weeks. When I want to paint with them again,I wipe off the oil. Most of the residual pigment comes off with it.
No solvent at all !!