This situation is not so good...

...and is a unique twist on a common "problem" I have.

After I've painted my backgrounds with brushes, I tend to get in there with my fingers to rub in/out things, stroke through the paint; or sometimes I pounce my whole hand on it, depending on the effect I want.
 
 
 
 
 
I'm sure a lot of other artists do the same. And like many other artists, I *did* try using gloves when painting/dyeing, everything from medical latex gloves to kitchen gloves through some kind of industrial type glove.

The only ones that give me the feel, and therefore, control, I want are latex. But they tend to rip and tear without you realizing, so you end up with paint on your hands.
 
Since the end result is still "paint on hands", I gave up on using gloves years ago. A good scrub afterwards will lift paint, and soaking in a bleach solution will lift dye if I need to go to day job the next day.*
 
So I did like I do last night.
 
As you may remember, earlier, I had been working on building frames. After I was done painting my backgrounds, I had a look at them, and there were spots that could be filled with construction glue, and I did so, using my bare fingers to smooth it in the cracks.
 
The glue adhered to my hands somewhat, but I wasn't concerned, I just rubbed my hands with acetone** to remove the glue. And uh, it *didn't* remove the glue, it just smeared the glue, and the PAINT all over my hands!

I tried everything I could think of last night to remove the glue/paint mixture, but nothing worked (which means yay! those frames are going to be SOLID). But uh... I now have to go to work with these filthy looking hands.

And now I have to be at day job with these!
 
So, consider this the latest episode in the "Kit Did Something She Shouldn't Oughta" . Live and learn!
 
Kit
 
 
 
*, ** NEVER do what I do. I totally do things that are dangerous to my health (dyeing without gloves/masks, rubbing chemicals all over my hands, etc.) Don't do it!

Kit Lang

5 comments:

  1. Kit - I'm with you on gloves!!! They rip or get teeny tiny holes and then you've mucky fingers whatever. I tend to go for scrubbing with good old soap. It's not always 100% but then I just try to keep my hands hidden at the day job!

    Hilary Beattie here in the uk sells a few products via an online shop and is also on Facebook and she uses a blocking cream ( bit like a hand cream?) and while she's a real mucky pup her hands always seem clean. So I guess there are products out there but I have never tried myself.

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  2. Kit -- I too am with you on gloves! I don't like to wear 'em when I'm gardening or machine quilting either. I have some wonderful "Gardeners' Soap' which I think is really pumice attractively packaged, and it works a treat on paint and dye as well as garden grime. I sometimes put on a little surgical mask when I am dyeing, but I refuse to own one of those things that make me look like a space invader, make me sweat and steam up my glasses so I can't see. So it's "don't do as I do" with me too. Trusting the stuff on your hands will wear off shortly...in the meanwhile, your hands show your colleagues at your day job that you're a hard-working artist in your off hours! ;-)

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  3. Geez! Try some of that "orange" soap in a pump bottle marketed to mechanics - it's easily found and has a side benefit of taking sticker gunk off things.

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  4. You crack me up Kit !

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  5. "Orange" mechanic/gardener's soap, leafshine and WD40 will all do the trick too :)

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