Neglecting studio play-time often means supplies retire before they get put into use. Tubes of watercolor paints, destined to capture my vision of the ocean on a recent beach day--were dry beyond use, thwarting my attempt at a lovely Atlantic seascape. A collection of porcelain and glass paints were headed for the same fate after living in a small cedar chest for more than 8 years. They were dragged out of hiding, and sacrificed to any surfaces they might adhere to. This included plastic photo frames, freezer paper, and a trio of vintage wine bottles rescued from a neighbor's recycling bin. The paint is goopy, and the drier it gets, the harder it is to manipulate. I poured it into the bottles, slowly turning and creating interesting visual patterns.
The remainder of the poured-out glass paints are drying in small circular compartments in a salvaged plastic container that lived its previous life as a holder of medical specimen jars. I can attest to the fact that no biological specimens of human or animal origin ever came in contact with the plastic now in my studio. The disks created by the paints will become elements in future projects.
Perhaps a prohibition on creating art should be imposed in the studio space until it is cleaned and de-junked...but then again, if I'm in charge, that's not likely to happen.
