Day #6 -- "White Duck" -- oil on canvas -- 30x40" -- Margie Guyot

Here we are at day #6 of working on this painting. And you'll soon learn 2 things about me: I eat roadkill and I use black!

As usual, it was another day of constant interruptions: a visit from a notary (signing refinancing papers) and dealing with the rodent situation. Red squirrels have gotten into my studio, where they have been climbing around, knocking my glass vases to the floor. Oy vey! Well -- I've got a plan for those little boogers! I'm going to buy a rat trap. When I catch them I'll skin & gut them. Stick the meat into a ziplock freezer bag. When it's full, it's squirrel stew, baby!

Today's session involved painting in the little details in the black & white fabric backdrop. That black paint is still pretty wet (after 2 days), so I might have to touch up here and there because the whites were wanting to smear. Usually you think of white paint taking a long time to dry, but black also takes a surprisingly long time.

Black paint: yes, I use it. Some consider it total sacrilege, but it is OK to use -- if you know how. Mix in some ultramarine blue or alizarin crimson and you'll get a rich, deep black. Used alone, black is said to be flat and lifeless. But sometimes just a little touch of black can be effective in dulling-down a mix, which might be just exactly what you want. Some people are horrified at the thought of using alizarin crimson, too. It's a good mixer color. I think it's OK to experiment with colors. You won't go to Hell if you use black. Try it. You might like it.