For the May edition of our artist interview series, we had the opportunity to chat with oil painter Natalia Fabia. Her work has been featured in numerous galleries and art fairs around the country including the Jonathan Levine Gallery in New York, Zhou B Art Center in Chicago, M Modern in Palm Springs, Sirona Gallery in Florida, The LA Art Show, and the Palm Beach International Art Fair. Natalia spoke to us about her origins as an oil painter, her need to create, and how teaching has helped her grow as an artist. Check out the interview below!

1. Where are you from and where do you currently reside? 

I am from Los Angeles but live in Orange County now. Originally I am from Poland, that’s where my parents are from and Polish is my first language.

2. What drew you to working with oil paints, and how did it feel when you did it for the first time? 

I first started painting in oils at School. Being an illustration major, I actually painted a lot with acrylic in college as well. Everyone said my acrylic paintings look like oil. Sometimes acrylic can look plastic-y which I didn’t like. But I think the deciding factor to choose to use oil paint was that there is nothing that has the look or effect and it is so traditional. There is history there. We are using these pigments and mediums in the same way the old masters did. I loved their texture and buttery quality, I love that they don’t dry quickly. First time using them was tough – they were slippery and messy. NOW I am in LOVE!

3. As a professional artist, what does your day-to-day look like?  

My day to day is typically waking up super early, meditating, working out, getting my daughter ready for school and then heading to the studio. I try to paint as long as I can. But I’ve always also recently made it a point to come home for dinner. And spend time with my family. In the past, I always put painting first and just painted every second that I could. I still do that when I have a deadline!

4. What has kept you engaged and committed to your craft over the years?

The need to create!  Early on I was just crazy – too impulsive and excited. I was a workaholic however that’s also what probably helped me get to where I am. I was never super organized before, I had the time whenever I wanted. Now I really find that time management is key! I will never be super organized but even being a bit more is extremely helpful!

5. How have you grown as an artist in the past five years and what are the major contributing factors to your growth? 

A major contributing factor to my growth in the last five years has been teaching consistently. I have learned so much by doing that. It’s helping me experiment and find my true self more. Painting at the studio every day and having a child, who is now 10 years old have also contributed to my growth! I am now taking care of her plus running my studio, which is actually easier than when she was younger. She can do so much on her own and I don’t have to watch her every two seconds. She and her friends come over all the time and paint so that has been really fun to watch. I am pregnant now so we will see what change that brings to my work too!

6. What materials do you most commonly use? 

I primarily paint in oils. My favorites are Sennelier oils. I love their creamy quality. They have high quality pigments and their range of colors is amazing! I love a range of sable to bristle brushes. I typically use long handle brushes. I paint on multiple surfaces. I prefer sturdy panels over canvases that give you a pushback. I love high-quality fine linen.

Oh! and my absolute favorite mediums are Sennelier’s Green for oil thinner, medium and gel! They are non-toxic and lifesavers!  I have all of my students use them.

7. Do you have any advice for up-and-coming oil painters? Are there any tips or techniques you can offer?

Paint paint paint! As much as you can. Take many classes and learn from different painters. Research, try to get to know as many artists’ work as you can. Art history through time. Pay attention to what you like AND want you don’t. What you dislike is just as important as what you like. It helps you find yourself and your style. Also, take care of your mind and body! Meditate, do yoga, stretch and take breaks. Painting can be tough on your back, shoulder, and wrists. Don’t ignore that!  It will help your endurance and you’ll paint more!

8. What are your website and social media links? 

• https://www.nataliafabia.com

• https://www.instagram.com/nataliafabia/

• https://www.facebook.com/nataliafabia/

What is Paint?

written by Keith Kendall – Owner of the Art Store

Pigments and Art Brushes

Paint is the tool that allows the artist to express emotions, trick the eye, and get you to believe what you see is real or as . Controlled dirt and dyes mixed with a binder and the world is seen through an artist’s eyes.

Color can be viewed very differently by everybody. The way we were made by in our genes can easily change how we perceive a hue, value or saturation. A color can have a past trigger to an emotional time as well as some of us can read the tiniest warm or cool temperature of the color. Many times, what the artist was trying to show us is viewed in a very personal way by another.

I’ll try to explain the differences between oil based and water-based paints in this writing. Informing you could bring more emotion into your work, or it could take the magic from the artist. It will be your decision in your journey in artistry.

Colors from around the world aka pigments or simply dirt and synthetic dyes.

Dirt you say?! well realistically its controlled dirt, many colors come from the earth around the world. The classic mineral-based paints are then refined and may even be heated or left in a controlled raw form or even forced to oxidize. Sometimes this being done in increments to adjust the warmth and coolness of the colors.  As the present industrial revolution happened, manufacturers in other product processes starting using pigments that were advantageous to their processes. Many of them having not been tested for archival longevity, they may have attracted artists but the pigments faded. Nothing more embarrassing than having your finished art fade out all its reds. Hence the reason for permanent alizarin crimson vs alizarin crimson. A totally different pigment is used to guarantee a better longevity of the artist’s magistry.

So with all the colors in the world and the custom ratios that can be created, how does an artist stay sane with these variables? Number one, artist have learned to not trust the lack of regulation on the paints but they do on the pigments. Each color has to be registered (PO43) but the name its selling by does not (Anthroquinone Orange). Why you may find the burnt sienna in some brands are more transparent than others. Some of these pigments are volatile or fugitive aka they will still fade over time and cause visual changes. The process of pigment identification was organized by Society of Dyers and Colourists as well as American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. This system is what is now printed on the tubes of paint and dry pigment. If you look at the back of the paint you will find a long chemical name of the pigment as well as a shorthand registered number code for us artists in a hurry. An abbreviated system such as the one above following the international reference. Learn these pigments and you will understand paint colors more.

Finely ground minerals or synthetic dyes are the main color additives to paint. If a mineral, the pigment is ground to a certain micron size, absorbency and reflective properties. That way it stays insoluble to the liquid solvent being used but gives you the best hue and saturation. Insoluble minerals will rise to the top of the binder (gum arabic, oil or polymer). However, what if you need a soluble pigment? Thats when the dye-based paints come to the party. These dyes will thin and be sedimentary due to the solubility of the pigment.

Paint Manufacturing

Once a paint manufacturer has found a suitable pigment, the process of making paint begins. The pigment must be “put together” with some s01i of binder or else it is just a powder without any adhesion. It is ground, squished and beaten into submission during the paint­ making process. Some pigments submit more easily than others, and some are better suited for specific painting mediums.

Now that the pigments have been chosen, you still need to make this pigment bind to the substrates (properly treated paper, primed canvas on panel or canvas for example). When it comes to archival binders, many have been used over the centuries. If oil, walnut, safflower or linseed oil is used as the binder. If acrylic, a polymer is used. If watercolor, gum arabic is used. If encaustics, damar resin and beeswax is used. Your choice is determined by what technique each artist uses to express themselves.

Binder and pigment decision made. Its time to mix these together.

Large mixers are used in the first phase of the paint mixing, that folds the binder and pigment together creating a thick paste. This paste is then milled with rollers to assure the proper saturation of the pigment. Depending on the color, this process may be done many times.

The chosen ratios of pigments used for the manufacturer’s paint to be named later has to be carefully managed. A professional paint will use far more pigment and binder comparted to additives. These additives are what creates your student grade paints. The technicians try their best in controlling the qualities of their paints by creating batch code tracking and comparing production samples.

Pigment Attributes

If you are a practicing artist, you may run into the pigment from this brand is close but has certain changes. Ratios are seen from brand to brand in how the paint is perceived visually by the quality control manager. Each pigment has its unique properties so this is experimented with for the best quality of the paint. Sometimes additives such as whiting (marble dust) is added to a paint to give it more body. The binder can actually change the appearance of the paint as its being worked with as well as when it dries, cools or outgasses. These variances can easily change the final finish of the paint so rewetting is commonly practiced.

A large amount of paint is known as a masstone, no thinning has been done with mediums or solvents.  Undertone is the thinned version of the paint. Only then will the pigment really show itself and all its properties. What most artists will refer to as the color is blooming.

Each pigment has its own tint and shade. The tint is when a white is added to the paint. There are many whites available for transparent and opaque effects and knowing what each one does is

Modern vs Classic Color Palettes

Artist palettes have evolved over the years. For the artists who started their journey of discovery early on, you were limited by a mineral and plant based palette for the most part. Synthetic colors have become your modern palette being made from dyes.

Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium, Ultramarine, Cobalt are just a few of the classic palette which was a less vibrant palette but with the least amount of fading over time. Cobalt, Cadmium and Ultramarine all being mined from the ground. The original alizarin crimson being created by the madder root was found to be fugitive. The artists rejoiced soon after the 1970s as Synthetic pigments were released with high lighfast ratings:  Phthalocyanine, Quina­cridone, Perylene, Perinone, Diarylide, Arylide (Hansa) and Napthol. Making the vibrant artwork you see today has taken a lot of research. One of which is permanent Alizarin Crimson aka Anthroquinone Red. A great upgrade for your palette.

Synthetic pigments are generally transparent, or semi-transparent. Masstones may look very dark as well as their undertones tend to be very strong. White and these synthetic pigments tend to work will together depending on transparency creating a deciding factor of titanium, zinc or lead as your choices. Frequently synthetic colors will be renamed as a classic color but end with “hue”. The “hue” distinction many times was also used to communicate that the past paint color was toxic and should not be used so this alternative is being offered.

Mineral Based Colors 

Mined, collected and refined these colors have to come from the earth. The previously listed mineral-based classic colors also include the very earthy colors of ochre and umbers. Most of the time, the mineral based colors are opaque but can range to transparent due to the pigment itself is finely ground and allows light to travel through it. The oxides are a damaging or rusting of the base synthetic or mineral.

~Defining Paint will be continued in our next newsletter~

The State of the Art Store

The store itself is doing well due to the hard work of the staff and that the community wants the store to survive. Of course, as of all things now a days a small business is very dependent on the health and expertise of the staff.

If you haven’t met Thomas, I believe you will like his European knowledge of the art materials and techniques. A craftsman himself, he loves woodworking. Paints and is experimenting with ceramics. Come in and meet this journeyman that his French upbringing has molded into an extraordinary soul. You also may need his skills with a project yourself. His art studio is always experimenting.