Crayola and Painting American

Recently I learned there are 7800+ MIA Korean War. If not for my father being sent to Germany during his Service in the Korean War, his name could be on the lists.  This caused me a shock with my sewing machines- Singer now manufactures in China and Brazil, so their bottom line of profit depends on China. China is the ally of both Russia and North Korea, and we are still at war with North Korea.

Although 90% of our products come from China, I have started to eliminate them from my life and am keeping wither those tools I make myself, or that are American. It's a huge shock and a huge task.

My criteria in the past as a Fine Artist has been to use the best materials.  I was recently venturing into using American or hand-made fabrics for landscape design, but kept running into my Singer sewing machines. I have some oil paintings to finish, and am going to finish some of them with oil pastel over oil- and of course "the best" oil pastels are not American, but French. The Statue of Liberty being given to us by France is not a strong enough reason for me to use Senneliers over - wait for it - Crayola Oil Pastels.  I love Crayola crayons, and making my own crayons came out of knowing the high quality of Crayola crayons.  I have worked extensively in oil pastel and crayon, but do not in any way expect to Crayola oil pastels to be on the level of Senneliers, Holbein, or any of the major brands.

However, Crayola is still based in the U.S. and manufactures in the U.S., in Pennsylvania. So, instead of spinning my own wool and cotton for quilts for Veterans, instead of painting flags, I am going to work in Crayola oil pastels or crayons.  I believe it is going to simplify my art on many levels - quality - color range-longevity-but at the same time, will not be supporting either China or North Korea. I will use cardboard for a support if I have to. American hardboard.

I will be posting photos of work in Crayola products as I do them.  As a side note, Dixon Ticonderoga is now owned by foreigners. A heartbreak, just like Levi's and Singer.

My father fought in the Korean War, and for the past three years I have been making quilts in his honor for Veterans. I am taking my Dad with me to a new fight regarding North Korea. Peace.

Nuclear War is not a fixable choice. The @POTUS sham summit with North Korea, the slap in the face of Veterans, the treasonous salute to a N.K. General - well, my father respected peace more than war.

Off and on throughout my art career I have drawn / painted pears. Like Vincent and his sunflowers, for me, pears reflect our condition in our environment. With my epilepsy and PTSD being worse right now due to strains inflicted by this administration, I'm going to focus on pears for a while. Oil pastels are almost a perfect medium if you have one subject you want to depict. I have a set of 60 Sennelier Oil pastels - consistent colors for a series of Pears. On 5 x 7 canvas panels.









Number 720 "Orange Pear" (c) laeom

I have been doing so many different projects, I have not had time to blog!. I am working on clay statues of our animals, using Roma Plastilina professional clay.  I have just finished one of my son's dog Bailey, and am finishing one of our cat Ceasar. Photos to follow.

I have also been working with fiber arts, generally knitting spools circles that become paintings. One project that has been waiting is my metalpoint drawings.  I have several, on marbledust and wood, that I have wanted to either tint with water color, paint in oil, or some other method of bringing the metal drawings into the realm of color.  I have decided to do this with oil pastel.  I use all types of oil pastels- Cray Pas, Gallery, Cray Pas Expressionist, Caran D'Ache, and Sennelier.  And, for Mother's Day, my son just bought me a wonderful box of Senneliers.!!!

This is the 50 color wood box set, from Dick Blick.  I can't wait til they get here! Sennelier makes the softest oil pastels, and they are luxurious! I generally use them for a top layer, and use other less expensive (harder) oil pastels for the underneath layers of color.  Below is "The Look" (c) laeom, oil pastel on marbledust and rabbitskin glue on wood, 6" x 6".  This is our cat Moochie aka Munchkin.

This was done mostly in Sennelier oil pastels. Oil pastel is a wonderful way to express! THANKS to my son, a wonderful Mother's Day gift!