What a wonderful interview. I developed an allergy to traditional solvents during the pandemic and switched over to water-miscible oil paints. I wish this book had been available then!

I wish you had put links to the home page of Kimberly because it’s truly an important subject for everybody interested in toxic free painting process. I liked very much the radical advice avoid all toxins - use chalk and stand oil as a kind of medium and use water color paper as a dry cleaning 🙏🙂

Thank you so much for all this information! I have been thinking of switching from acrylics back to oils (which I stopped using for health reasons). I learnt about formaldehyde in acrylics only yesterday and now you have confimed it here; shocking! Have been concerned about the plastics pollution as well. And that tip about carbon carbonate and oil - what a gem!

The body surely gets habituated to the chemicals it is routinely exposed to. So changing to healthy painting habits could in effect require going cold turkey...

I bought Kimberly’s book. Love it! I’ve done quite a bit of research on toxic free painting as I have severe MCS, but never found information about using marble dust/calcium carbonate. Game changer information! Thank you! My only question is which type should I buy for the lean under painting? The book doesn’t go into detail concerning the different types of chalks and I’m learning that chalk and marble dust can contain different ingredients. Just looking for clarification. Thank you again!

A tiny bit of turpentine in a mouth rinse cup (used for oil pastels on a cotton swab) overnight in my bedroom gave me nausea. Basically, goes straight to my liver.

The "New" Oil Painting is really the OLD OIL PAINTING. Solvents were not used by oil painters before the 1900s (solvents were not invented until the 1920s). All the masters used oil rather than solvents.

Hi I have been using a ton of solvents for many many years in furniture finishing, and I have a very strong constitution and no body problems yet, but I feel really stuck because I know how to use them and they make a very durable finish, yet now I have a new interest in oil painting and I am committed not to get started with ANY toxics in my new endeavor. I don't want to get used to using them, I just want to start off without them. As I say I am like a former junkie, rather a stickler about this. Thank you for sooo much information and deep thought - I bought your book and I like your voice - it would be nice to hear you read your own audio book. I so appreciate the fact that you have gone deep with your investigations, have many unique perspectives and methods, and are not simply parroting off what everybody else is saying.

I have a very sensitive air passageway. I can't paint in a closed room with acrylics! I found that anything made with petroleum products is a burning annoyance that lasts for a few days after even if I'm not exposed long. I have to stay away from all molds and all petroleum or my mucous membranes swell and if I'm in it too long, it's really irritating and it's like having a cold. Just going in the city and having to breathe car exhaust sets it off. Actually, air fresheners and cleaning products are just as bad. I can't even be in my own car unless the windows are down. Not so convenient in winter without heat and having the widows down some. Not all cars have done that to me, but my present one and our truck are that way. We're building a house and I can't imagine how long it will have to offgas before I can move in. I can use w/c indoors and I hope I can paint in my new studio with water miscible oils. I just watched Thomas Kitts showing how to paint with oils and no solvents.

Most artist don't die because of paints or solvents, they die because of old age.

haaaa this is why pleneir painting is the best :D jokes aside, would be great to use something normal instead of turp to clean the brushes

Calcium carbonate? What a revelation! I'm off to check the availability, after I buy that book.

Chelsea Brush cleaner🥰

Women are …. . They bleach their hair, paint fingernails with acetone containing paint , acetone as cleaner for fingernails, inhale the fumes…embalm their faces with god knows what crap …paint lips , eyes, and don’t give a rats ass when they watch all that shit off in the shower , never mind the environment….what hypocrisy. But that is female logic .

What kind of dust did you use? I watched another video using fumed silica and the gel is completely transparent.

I was just wondering about the fat over lean rule, do you add less marble dust or chalk as you layer your painting? I am a acrylic artist, using atelier interactive acrylics, and am considering trying oils, was thinking about using water mixable oils or going with this particular method and using real oils. I keep hearing artists complain about mixable oils being tacky and harder to blend. Any suggestions?

I’m seriously questioning the studio safety in inhaling chalk dust. I’m thinking we should be using a respirator to mix in chalk and pigments for that matter.

Hmmmm... Maybe I came to oil painting late enough (within the last 15 years) or maybe it's because my earliest instructors were knife painters who paint straight from the tube, wipe off the knife and go on... or maybe I'm staunch enough of an environmentalist to want to avoid chemicals. but I frankly haven't run into any oil instructor who does NOT point out that the use of solvents is optional, or that there are cadmium-free pigments available, or who doesn't point to this or that artist who, e.g. soaks his brushes in oil and wipes them on newspaper or washes her brushes only in e.g. dish soap, or to point out that *just because it's odorless does NOT (duh) mean its fumes are harmless!* There are all manner of eco-friendly solutions that many artists prefer. So I'm rather surprised that the host didn't know (?) this information is already out there... But: loud kudos to those who are informing people and embracing a non-toxic practice. I'm tired of defending oil painting to folks who are inexplicably proud to be pouring the dregs of their acrylic (!) paint down their drains and into our waterways.... And I will indeed buy this book!

Waiting for your new book. Live in Australia, can't get the marble dust as you recommend in your book. Different ideas and products are available now and it would be great if you could present ALL of them together only in ONE BOOK. THANKS for your guidance.

Demonstration? Is that too much to ask.

Lots of thought-provoking issues raised in this discussion! We think it's a great time to be an artist, when there are so many options for materials and studio configuration, and more transparency than ever before about art supplies. Today, it really is possible for a professional artist to exclusively use products that carry the AP seal of the ACMI (safe for all ages) without sacrificing permanence. We love the point about the role of craft, and the value of maintaining skill. Robert Hughes (we're paraphrasing here) said that "art" is what one makes only once, never to be repeated, but "craft" is the aspect of art that one must be able to duplicate reliably, time and again, to an exacting standard of quality. We think artists deserve to be proud of their hard won skills and their achievements in studio craft!

This was fascinating and so useful. Thank you. I’m off to order the book!

An intersting interview. Thank you.

Wow what a nice interview!! I didn't miss a word. I started painting with oil after acrylic because of all those solvents and I'm not using any solvents now that I found the courage to start with oil. So thank you to confirm everything I thought about oil paint and I am definitely going to guy this book.

😜 pr໐๓໐Ş๓

Amy this is great. It was great to hear about you coming back to painting during covid. It is the same time that I started working on my watercolors.

Powerful painting Caroline. Depression is a horrible disease so many struggle with day in and day out. Your heart has connected you to her and clearly the forgiveness has been received by both of you. My God does not turn away those who have suffered so deeply. He is a forgiving and loving God who embraces all.

This was an excellent interview for me. I identified with the comments made by this artist, especially about his value of street art and how he struggles with splitting his time between working, family life, and still finding a way to paint. Good rapport between interviewer and artist.

Dean is a great Inspiration to me. You did an amazing job interviewing him. A lot of questions I wanted to ask him you covered them already in this interview. Thanks for Posting it.

Inspiring podcast for all.

I've purchased the course and you have given excellent instruction on working being a better artist. Thank you.

His life would make a great movie! And, you gave him the space to tell his story.

oooh, one of the best interviews I have ever seen, I love Dean Mitchells energy........speaking the truth, I am sure he was told he was paranoid over the years..... thank your for this..

I’ve been listening to art podcasts to support shaping my life towards living this way. THIS one is amazing - Dean is a totally engaging person! I love his generous, even handed worldview…and his art work is masterful! Powerful, expressive, wide ranging and it pulled me in. Thank you both for this interview and being introduced to such an inspiring artist !

This is a wonderful podcast, full of fun and good advice. Nice job.

░p░r░o░m░o░s░m░ 💖

Very informative. Well done.

This is a very interesting podcast. I enjoyed hearing about the artist's story about pretending to destroy his work, but actually keeping it. I've destroyed some of my work over the years, but luckily had photographed it. Destroying work is a mistake, I think, because there may come a day when we wish we hadn't.

A short and sweet podcast. Time wasting is a hard habit to break. Sometimes we need downtime to gather our thoughts or plan the next step to take. Eating well is important because some foods fog our brain. Two good hints in this podcast.

This is an excellent podcast. It seems most people, artist or not, have difficulty setting boundaries. This is especially nerve wracking when we are dealing with someone we care about. It's good to remember when we say "no" to someone else that we are saying "yes" to ourselves. Pricing formula will take some practice. It's a bit complicated but I think you made some good points, especially to add in the intrinsic value of each piece itself. Good job.

Informative and interesting podcast. Thank you.

Thank you for this.

This was an interesting interview. I learned a great deal about this artist's medium as well as reinforcement of the need to draw and create. Thank you for sharing.

I was impressed by the fluidity of the conversation and the versatility of both the interviewer and the artist to include relevant questions and answers. Good job!

Wow, super inspiring. Dean Mitchell's work is genuinely amazing, and I really appreciate his generosity in sharing his story and insight.

Love this. Great job. Fun. Pets do run our lives, don't they?

I identify with your comments.

This is a very interesting podcast. He has a good life's balance. Smooth flow of conversation with the artist.