The slowness of oil painting is calming

It is a quiet and peaceful Sunday morning. The wind is blowing outside, and it looks like it will be a cloudy day; a good day to go to the forest to pick blueberries and chanterelles. I am sitting in my art studio at seven o'clock, the coffee maker is bubbling in the background, and I am examining the drying oil paintings. Some of the works are going to the autumn exhibition at Galleria Räyhä in Turku, which opens in about a month, and some are unfinished, waiting for further work. I sit, calm down, and just be.

I have been checking my paintings and their drying process daily before applying the varnish layer. The artwork must be completely dry, and often it can take a long time, depending on the thickness and amount of oil paint layers. Drying takes its own time, and there are various painting mediums available to speed up the process, but I am content to wait. They say that the waiting time is long. True.

Oil paints allow the use of glowing and light-emitting layers of color, somewhat similar to watercolors. I have also painted a lot with acrylics, but despite their speed, coverage, and ease, I always regularly return to using oil paints. Why? - Well, because the creamy consistency, texture while painting, and the final result of oil paints particularly fascinate me. And of course, also because I can utilize the engraving technique, or sgraffito, for example, when painting on wood. I make each engraving with a single stroke uniquely, and it cannot be corrected, as I do it when the painting is otherwise already finished. This working method, the long working time provided by oil paints, and the quick, strong engravings are, in my opinion, a perfect but challenging combination; you have to be present in the moment, or in the worst case, you have to start the painting completely from scratch.

I talk a lot through my works about mental well-being and calming down, compassion, and especially the empowerment of women and girls. My intention is not to preach or proclaim. I paint for myself, through my own experiences and important things in my life. I know myself what it feels like when life is heavy, and strength is low, maybe that's why I also want to paint about hope and light, also to remind myself that life carries on. I calm down in my art studio, feeling like I am in a completely different world. Everything has its time and place. Processes cannot be forced or rushed if you want a good and lasting result, but still, you have to react timely and decisively.

Have a peaceful Sunday, wherever you are.

Warm regards, Hanna 🥰😌