Technique Tuesday: Cleaning Up Your Act {and Brushes}

Last week I brought you Teresa Fischer's tip to clean your brushes with walnut oil. And because I had begun to hear similar things from other artists and because even Rosemary herself of Rosemary & Co. recommends cleaning your brushes with oil, I had decided to try it for myself. Then last Friday at my weekly class with Rob Liberace, my art cohort Carter Corbin brought in this product called Jack's Linseed Studio Soap and offered to let me try it. When I looked at the bottle I instantly remembered that I had a little sample of it waiting for me at home that I had never opened. So thanks to Carter, I then did something I never do after workshops & classes, I actually cleaned my brushes. It was such an amazing experience with this product! It is all natural, made simply of linseed oil & soap. And like conditioner on hair, my brushes eagerly soaked it in. I am proud to say I have officially reformed my ways and now clean my bushes everyday with a combination of Teresa's technique (wiping the color off with oil in between uses) and then using Jack's Linseed Studio Soap at the end of the day to thoroughly clean them. Goodbye stinky, toxic OMS! Turns out I never really needed you after all.

I want to thank Teresa & Carter for opening my eyes to this new Technique Tip and also Susan Gallagher O'Neill for serendipitously picking me up a large bottle recently at our local art store. I have the best art friends!