Happy Creativity Everyone. My art, art prints and art gifts are available here, and the art tutorials here. Experiment with your pigments, especially in mixes. to learn how they handle. When I want a strong and lasting yellow I do choose cadmium Yellow. Cadmiums are heavy metal pistons and s this colour should be used with care and the waste water containing cadmium should not be tipped down the drain. Europeans consider these paints so low in soluble cadmium that they do not present a hazard. Californians rate it as toxic. I recommend careful use by experienced artists. These colours are not for children nor careless adults. There are alternative safer colour that you can use to obtain good reds and yellows. – this means no eating or drinking in the studio, taking care to dispose of unused paint in the bin rather than down the drain and secure storage away from children and pets. Some companies have developing safe alternatives to cadmium colours, others have produced inferior pigments that either fade or lack strength. There are also more toxic yellow and red pigments that are best avoided. Weighing it up, I am continuing to paint with the cambium colours as I know nothing that matches the opacity, vibrancy and durability of this centuries in use artist's painting pigment. If a tube of paint is labeled cadmium hue, the word hue means colour, so it is a colour like cadmium, but it isn't the real cadmium pigment. Price is a good indication of quality when choosing a cadmium hue. Better quality hues are closer in price and performance to the real cadmium. Lesson 2: Painting Tonal PatternsCopy a tonal Pattern by Eye Using a Five Tone Scale Create a simple five tone pattern consisting of the darkest tone, (0) the lightest tone (10) the mid-tone (5) and the medium light tone and medium dark tone. Then reproduce that pattern sight size, working from dark to light. Always start with the darkest tone and proceed, from darkest to lightest, as the canvas you work on is light, and you always begin where you will make the greatest difference. ![]() As with the tonal chart scale in lesson one, practice makes perfect. Practice reproducing tonal patterns, and you will develop your artist’s eye to see tonal value, the shape of the tone and the proportion and correct placement of it in your painting. Lesson Two Part Two |
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Preparing the home to leave it unattended through wither
There has to be an easier way. Next year, I will prepare the home, garden, and patio with more care and save myself a lot of this work.
- I’ll be leaving mouse bait behind cupboards before we leave.
- Use sheets as dust covers for the inside furniture.
- Chain our patio furniture to the pergola, hide the chain with flower pots or rocks and use patio furniture covers so there will be a lot less work involved when we arrive home after our winter away.
Roses in Ryn Shell Art
- I always prune the garden make sure it is weed free, and the ground soaked and mulched, the climbers freshly tied back before I leave for a winter inland tour.
- I find if I am home by early spring all I need do is cut off any frost burn, hoe any emerging weeds, and fertilise my plants, especially the roses.
- Then, I'm ready to relax and enjoy the garden I love.

This photograph shows the field of oats opposite our home, the source of our field mice visitors. It is lovely living in a rural area with unbroken country side views, so I accept I need to protect the home more carefully from uninvited visitors when we are away.
After traveling around Australia and occasionally abroad with Reg for over forty years you would think I would be an expert at making the transition from the trip to back home, easily, but here I am still learning.
I would love to hear any tips other travelers have, for protecting the home, patio, and garden while they are away or even just great way’s to batten down and winterise the home and garden and save time and effort on the return to spring time. Your comments are welcome.
I would love to hear any tips other travelers have, for protecting the home, patio, and garden while they are away or even just great way’s to batten down and winterise the home and garden and save time and effort on the return to spring time. Your comments are welcome.
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