What I Would Do For a Good Frame

This last spring, one of my neighbours did a large cleanout and placed loads of things on the curb for people to take.

One of those items was a large, empty, golden, oval frame. I had been looking for just such a thing in charity shops for over a year, so I was ecstatic to bring it home.

Then I realised that there aren’t very many affordable options for art to fill a large oval frame.

I looked for nearly a year.

I have been to every charity shop and to all the festivals and fairs. I even looked into a few shops that sell prints.

Sadly I have expensive taste in art.

Then I went to an art exhibit of impressionists. It had a lovely audio accompaniment that spoke about the beautiful effects of these paintings that can only be achieved with oil paints. I stood there thinking I had never tried oil painting but loved the final effect. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could afford to buy an oil piece for my beautiful frame?

They were selling oil painting kits in the gift shop.

I didn’t buy one.

I’m not completely insane.

Also, I didn’t have any extra money that month.

But a couple of weeks later, I was in the same museum with my mother and told her how I was thinking of taking up oil painting so that I could have a nice art piece for the oval frame on my gallery wall (I had gone ahead and hung it empty) her only response was “of course you are”.

I took this as her support for my plan.

I began to hunt for oil painting supplies on sale or being sold used.

Oil painting is an expensive hobby to take up.

Once you have all the supplies, it’s easy enough to maintain. But you need a shocking amount of supplies to get it all started. Thankfully many of the art supplies I had in storage from my SCAD days can be used for oil painting.

I also asked all my friends and family for oil painting supplies for Christmas.

So now I have all the supplies and am embarking on my plan to learn how to oil paint.

To fill my frame.

Now I just need to figure out what I want to paint.